The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-27

Washington, March 25.-Prominent
members of the House committee on
Indian affairs profess to rot be very
hopeful that any large areas now occu-
pied by Indians will be opened to set
tlement in the near future, as a 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 payments required by such
Notifications. Secondarily, as drafted,
the agreements generally contemplate
future payments, this money to be
placed to the credit of the Indians, and
on which they are to be paid to
per cent. interest per annum. This fea
ture has met serious objections at the
hands of the committee in the very few
agreements already considered. 1t was
insisted these interest payments were
excessive; that the goVernmnt could
| obtain all the money it needed at 1 per
cent. per annum and even less, and that
there was no reason VIII. such high
rate of interest should be paid.
| dcCOEulnSly duOplGu
! resolution to the effect that in consider
| ing all pending agreements, the rate
of interest to be allowed on all deferred
payments in such agreements should
not exceed per cent Therefore, if any
of the pending agreements are ratified
| by Congress, they will become effective
only after the modification made by
Congress is accepted by the Indians.
Such a course would materially delay
the opening up to settlement the lands
cede by the Indians.
Four Per Cent. Enough.
The resolution fixing 4 per cent. as
the highest rate of interest has, it is
said, the support of nearly all the mem
| bers of the committee. This action is
said by one member to have been taken
for the very purpose Of raising a bar
rier to the ratification of those agree
mentS tackled on the Indian appropria-
ton hill as riders" but it is not be-
lieved that Chairman Holman would
consent to such step in the event that
it was suggested to him, except posi-
bly, in the case of some of the agree
ments which carry very small apprO-
priations There are about a dozen
agreements with the Indians in various
parts of the country that are awaiting
ratification by Congress. A number of
them embrace, comparatively speaking,
but small tracts, but there are those
which include large areas of land now
occupied by the red men, and which
would be gladly taken away by set
tiers. Some of the more important
agreements are here outlined briefly:
That with the Nez Perez Indians,
Idaho, cedes 542,074 acres at $36 per
acre. The Indians are to receive ST.
626,22O for the land 1926, 22O of which
is to be paid per capita, and the re-
mainder placed in the treasury to their
credit and to draw per cent. inter-
est
By the agreement with the Co
manches. Kiowas and Apaches in Okla
homa. there is coded 2,150,000 acres
represented as being above the average
for farming and grazing purposes, and
100000 acres are in the Washita noun
ta1ns, an apparently barren range of
rocks with some timber suitable only
for posts and fire wood, with occasional
!, valleys suitable for agriculture to a
limited extent. The whole amount is
to be paid for at almost eight cents an
acre, or $2,000000 in all, OF which $780,
600 is to be paid in cash. There has
been considerable trouble about this
agreement, the Indians asserting ii
was represented to them that they
were to receive 50, 800, 900 for their lands
Hence they have protested against its
ratification.
Southern Ute Steal.
Then there is the agreement of the
: southern Utes in Colorado to cede thei1
land to the United States and remove
to Utah. Their removal would open
I'D considerable area hitherto locked
UP completely and the free and un-
restricted possession which is necessary
to the development of the vast minera
and agricultural resources of thai
region. This agreement has been pend.
ing sometime and has been strenuously
resisted by the people of Utah. The
Indians are to receive $4,000 in ter
annual installments of $4,000 each anG
$4,000 worth of sheep, besides some
other slight considerations
BY the agreement with the Wichite
and affiliated bands of Indians il
Oklahoma, they cede 5T4,O10 acres. TIL,
United States commissioners offer the
. Indians about so cents per acre, bu
they claimed they were entitled t.
r Sl.25 per acre and as no agreement
was reached the price per acre was lief
to Congress.
Other arrangements include the fol
lowing: With the Pyramid lake CNe
, vada) Indians, relinquishing about 1S,
, 700 acres. of which $1,000 are desert, o.
!, wild land, part of which can b,
! made available for agricultural pur
, poses by irrigation. This will cost tn,
,, government something over $40. 900
with the Indians of the Siletz reserya
ton (Oregon), for 176,S4O acres of land
+ the Indians to receive s142, 800; will
! the Yankton tribe of Sioux Indians il
; South Dakota, releasing to the govern
, ment about 10000 acres. This bill ha!
: been reported to the Senate anC
ordered favorably acted upon by TIN
House Indian affairs committee. TIL,
7 bill appropriates 100000, 100000 o
which is to be placed in the treasur,
to the credit of the Indians and witt
the Shoshone and Arapahoe Indians II
Wyoming, to sell to the United State
r that portion of their reservation nortI
of Big Wind river.
Besides these there are several mat
tiers that have been communicated t,
! Congress by the secretary of the in
terror and have not yet been received
from the printing Office where the,
were sent prior to being laid before tn
{ committee.
MODERN VALLEY FORGE.
9 Coxey's Warriors Suffer from tn