Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-03-31
WASHINGTON CHAT.

CuII1DS OF green Jumper on tnc EeSefVsl-
ton. No reports have come to the land
office that green timber has been cut,
but the commissioner impressed upon
the superintendent the necessity of pre-
venting parties from encroaching on
the reservation to cut green timber.
Representative Tawney is preparing
a pure -four bill, which he Will offer as
Il substitute for the Pearce flour bill.
which is now being considered by the
committee on ways and means. While
Mr.. Tawney's substitute will follow
along the lines of the Pearce BILL the
main features will be considerably re-
duced. and the new bill will be less
drastic with reference to taxes, fines
and license than the measure under
consideration. Representative Tawney
has received batch of testimony from
millers all over the country, which viii
be placed on file with the committee,
showing the necessity of the passage of
a pure -four bill.
Attorney William +. Campbell Of
White Earth, accompanied by dele
CATION Of Chippewas from Leech Lake,
held a conference with the commission
er of Indian affairs. The Indians are
here for the purpose of having their al
lotments Mt Leech Lake adjusted. Mr..
Campbell says the Indians are also
here for the purpose of calling the at
tention of the commissioner to the ne
cessity for a change in the system of
estimating pine. The attorney has been
pressing the matter before the depart
ment for some time, but so far the au-
thorities decline to propose any change,
claiming that the timber is now being
estimated by an honest corps, and
frauds are impossible.
The amendments submitted by Sem
ator Kyle to the sundry civil service
bill. providing for further improve
ments on the Missouri river at Yank-
ton, Elk Point and Pierre, S. D., were
rejected by the committee, with the
statement that they had agreed not
not to recommend the addition to
the bill of any items Of appropriation
that are not for public works that are
directly under continuous contract.
The controller Of the currency has re-
ceived the statement of the condition
of the twenty-six national banks of
South Dakota at the close of business,
Feb. Is. There is one less bank than
| was doing business at the date Of the
last report, in December. Compared
with the December report, it is shown
that the banks have strengthened their
loans and discounts, while shrinkage
is noticed in the individual deposits
and the average reserve held by the
banks. According to the current re-
port. the loans and discounts are 3d.
335522,2S7, against $3,327,95S in Decem-
Der. The individual deposits have been
reduced from $4,179.4O7 in December,
to $4,O93, 9O6, while the average reserve
has dropped from 1896 per cent to
1911. The present holdings Of gold
coin in the banks are $304,95 which is
an increase of more than $4,000 since
December.
An amendment of considerable i'm
portancc to homesteaders of the
Northwest has been offered by Senator
Mcbride OF Oregon, intended to be
proposed to the sundry civil bill,
amending the act Of June, 1897, au-
| thorizing the settlers or owners of
land included within the limits Of a
| forest reservation to select other
lands in lieu thereof, extending the
| provisions of the act and making them
applicable to any state or territory to
which no public lands have been or
shall be granted, reserved or pledged
for the use of schools and colleges,
wherever such lands or any part there
of, and before or after being sur
veycd, are included within any forest
reservation. and other lands of equal
area are hereby appropriated and
granted and may be selected by state
or territory in lieu Of such lands so in
cludcd within such forest reservations.
The plan is approved by the senate
committee OH public lands.
Senotors Davis and Nelson have
agreed upon the recommendations for
the appointments of United States at
torncy and collector of internal reve-
rue in Minnesota. and the names to be
sent in are Fred Won Baumbach Of
Alexandria, for collector, and Robert
The terms OF the present incumbents
of these offices do not expire for sew
eral weeks, that of the attorney not
until about the list Of May; but the
senators. having agreed upon what
should be done, made the announce
ment at once. This action clears the
decks of federal appointments in the
state for nearly year to come, as
the two remaining appointments GU.
S. marshal and surveyor generaQ will
not be due until next year.
The delegation of Chippewa Indians
from the Lcech Lake reservation now
here were to-day augmented by the ar
rival of several pillager Indians from
the reservation. The latest delegation
also have grievances which they will
lay before the Indian commissioner to-
morrow. having arrived too late to-day
to do anything but pay their respects
The Indians are here to request th-t
several thousands of acres Of land
which they turned over to the Menom-
inccs several years ago be returned to
them. They claim that they We're paid
/ IL cents an acre for the land. and
that it was merely placed in the hands
of the Menominces temporarily.
Senator Davis and Tim Byrnes to-
day had Il hearing before the assistant
>c S,>%N Il