The Washington times., 1894-03-27
PENDING INDIAN PAYMENTS
Scarcity Of Government Funds Mill
tates Against Their Ratification.
VALUABLE TRACTS At ISSUE
Over Two Million Acres in One Tract in
Oklahoma Which Would Be Gladly Taken
by settlers-Reduction Of Interest on Time
Payments-From so Cents to 50 Per Acre.

Prominent members Of the House Com
mittee on Indian Affairs profess not to be
very hopeful that any large areas will be
opened to settlement in the near future us n
result of the ratification OF pending Indian
agreements. They base their belief primarily
on the ground that there is Discrimination
on the part of Congress to make the demands
on the Treasury necessary to meet the pay
ments required by such ratification.
Secondarily. as drafted the agreements gen
orally contemplate future payments, this
money to be placed to the credit OF the In
dians, and on which they are to be paid five
per cent per annum. This feature has met
with serious objection at the hands of the
committee in the very few agreements already
considered. 1t was insisted that these inter
est payments were excessive; that the govern
ment could obtain all the money !. needed at
four per cent. per annum and even less. and
that there was no reason why such high
rate of interest should be paid.
The committee accordingly adopted reso-
luton to the effect that in considering all
pending agreements the rate OF interest to DE
allowed on all deferred payments in such
agreements should not exceed four per cent
Therefore if any of the pending agreements
are ratified by Congress they will become ef-
fective only after the modification made by
Congress is accepted by the Indians. Such a
course would materially delay the opening
up to settlement of the lands ceded by the In
dians.
The resolution fixing four per cent. as the
highest rate of interest had. il is said, the
support of nearly all the members of the COM
mittee. This action is said by one member to
have been taken for the very purpose of rais-
in a horr m fba rofif n fbnEp
ments effected by 1t. A few years ago there
were several agreements tackled on the In
dian appropriation bill as riders. but II Is
not believed that Chairman Holman would
consent to such step in the event that it was
suggested to him, except possibly In the case
of some of the agreements which carry very
small appropriations.
There are about dozen agreements with
the Indians in the various parts of the coun-
try that arc awaiting notification by Con-
gress. A number of them embrace compara-
lively speaking but small tracts. but there
are those which include large areas of land
now occupied by the red man. and which
would be gladly taken by settlers. Some Of
the more important agreements are here out
lined briefly:
That with the Nez Perce Indians in Idaho
cedes 242.07i acres at 50 per acre. The In
dians are TO receive 81 1,626. go for the land,
S626. .220 of which is TO be paid per capita,
and the remainder placed in the Treasury to
their credit and to draw five per cent. interest.
BY the agreement with the Comanche. hi
owa, and Apache Indians i'll Oklahoma there
is ceded 2.l50, 900 acres. represented as being
above the average for farming and grazing
purposes. and $50. 900 acres are the Washita
mountains. an apparently barren range of
rocks with some timber. suitable only Tor
posts and frewood, with occasional valleys.
suitable for agriculture to a limited extent.
cents an acre. or 52.000.000 in all. of which
100000 is to be paid in cash. There has
been considerable trouble about this agree
ment. the Indians asserting that 1t was repre-
sented TO them that they were to receive
81. 500, 900 for the lands. Hence they hive
protested against its ratification.
The agreement of the Southern Ute Indians
in Colorado is to cede their land to the United
States and remove to Utah. Their removal
would open up considerable area hitherto
locked up completely. the free and unre-
stricted possession of which is necessary TO
the development of the vast mineral and ag-
ricultural resources OF that region. This
agreement has been pending for some time.
and has been strenuouslv resisted bv the peo-
S50, 900. in ten annual installments OF $1,000.
and $4,000 worth of sheep. besides some
other slight considerations.
By the agreement with the Wichita and
affiliated bands Of Indians in Oklahoma they
cede 574 ,01G acres. The United States COM
missioners offered the Indians about so
cents per acre. but they claimed they were en-
titled to SLIPS per acre. ard as no agreement
WAS attached the price per acre was left to
Congress. Other pending agreements include
the following:
With the Pyramid Lake (Nevada) Indians
relinquishing about Is. 700 acres. of which
1880 are desert or wild land a part of which
can be made available for agricultural pur-
poses by irrigation. This will cost the gov
ernment something over 100000. With the
Indians on the Siletz reservation. Oregon for
IFS, $40 acres of land. the Indians to receive
Sl42. 600: with the Yankton tribe of the Sioux
Indians. in South Dakota, releasing to the
government 1GS.000 acres.
This bill has been reported TO the Senate
and ordered favorably acted upon by the
House Indian Affairs Committee. The bill ap-
propriates 5000, 600. $500. 900 of which is to be
placed TO the credit of the Indians in the
Treasury: and with the Shoshone and Arapa-
hoe Indians in Wyoming to sell to the United
States that portion OF their reservation lying
north of Big Wind river. There are several
others that have been communicated to Con-
gress by the Secretary of the Interior and
have rot yet been received from the printing
Office. where they were sent prior to being
laid before the committee.
Talk to the grocer and the marketmar
about The Times. II will be favor 10 them