Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-01-13
WASHINGTON. Jan. S. 1928.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 5. 1925.
At to-day's meeting of the SUBJ
committee on Indian affairs the
first step toward actual Legislation
was taken.
A meeting of the committee was
had last Tuesday to receive the re.
port of Messrs. Curtis and McKen.
non, who had been instructed to
compile the suggestions of the
Dawes commission and the COM
mittee into a bill, but the print
did not reach the committee until
quite late in the session, and the
work of actual consideration went
over.
At to-day's meeting all the mem
bers of the senate and house sub
committees were present, with the
exception of Senator Platt and
Congressman Fisher. There were
also Senator Dawes and Captain
McKennon of the Dawes commits.
sion. 1t is understood that these
members of the Dawes commission
will be with the committee during
its consideration of the bill, that
they may make suggestions to the
committee. from time to time, up
on matters of which they have a
personal knowledge.
The committee took up the
Curtis McKennon measure and
began the work of agreeing upon,
feature by feature, the bill in
course of preparation. Some con-
siderable progress was made, but
the work is only well begun.
While the sessions of the com
mittee were executive, it is under
stood that the following features
were practically agreed upon:
The first few sections of the orig
inal Curtis bill, relating to the ju-
risdiction of the United States
courts over territory officials, in
cases of bribery, corruption and
misconduct in Office, and in con-
tests over the possession of prop
erty, were discussed and will doubt
less become part of the bill.
The allotment question was TAX
en- up, and it is thought, in the
light of the consideration of today,
that the committee will recommend
the allotment of the use and occu-
pancy of the land, the reservation
of the mineral and townsites. As
to how the fee is to reach the In
dians is still question with the
committee. 1t was thought last
week that a provision would be
agreed upon, allowing the Indians
to 90 into the United States courts
and have fee decreed to them; and
that the whole was to be super
seded by the treaties, in the event
of their adoption by the several
nations, within six months after
the passage of the law.
1t is now thought that the com.
mittee will recommend that the
question shall be submitted to the
Indians as to whether or not they
shall have the fee allotted to them,
which they may either accept or
reject by a vote of the people. In
other words, the occupancy will be
allotted at all events, and to this
the fee will be added, if they elect,
by vote, to receive it. The ques-
tion of townsites was not reached.
Senator Jones sustains a closer
relation TO proposed Indian Terri
tory legislation than any other
member of the upper house of con-
gress. He is ex-chairman of the
senate Indian affairs committee,
and while the recent reorganization
of the senate committees by the |
republicans has given the chair
manship of the committee to Sen
ator Pettigrew, Senator Jones is
still deferred in the senate, in mat
tiers relating to the five tribes, both |
by reason of his experience as
chairman of the committee and his |
intimate personal knowledge of the
problems that are presented.
He is a member of the sub-com
miItee now preparing bill for al
iotment, townsltes and other feat
ures, and thinking that his estimate
of the situation would be interest
ing and valuable, | called on him,
and asked for a statement of the
present status of Indian Territory
legislation, for the people of that
country.
"The Curtis bill and the amend
ments compiled by Messrs. Curtis
and Mckennon"said Senator Jones
lis now before the committee, and
have been pretty generally dis
cussed Upon the whole, the mem
bers of the committee agree upon
the general features of the pro-
posed measure, but they have not
as yet taken any actual steps to-
ward reporting bill. When the
committee comes to complete its
labors, the members upon the part
of the senate may decide to recon-
mend certain features, and the
house members others, in which
event the measures would be dis
cussed in each branch of congress,
and then go to the conference COM
mittee. The forthcoming reports
of the sub committee may entirely
agree. The latter is possible rather
than probable"
When asked his opinion as to
what extent this congress will go
toward legislating a settlement of
Indian Territory complications
Senator Jones said:
81 can best answer that by stat
ing what | think ought to be done.
| am in favor of ratifying the Sem
mole treaty, so that it may be-
come effective at once. As to the