The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-11-05

Department. had BY lsttsr. dated Nay
22. 1899, decided that NO leases K :
mineral purposes in these nations
would be entered into by the eecre-
tary of the interior " accordance
with section IS of the act, except
the applicant had in good faith and
In accordance with laws and customs
of the respective nations made Inn
provements for mining purposes on
the tracts subject to be leased.
The report contains statement OF
the effoSts of several oil companies
to secure leases of large tracts Of
land in these two nations for the pur-
pose of mining oil. These companies
have made two or three separate and
distinct efforts to lease these large
tracts of land Notwithstanding the
decision of the department of May
%, 1899. The secretary, however,
has as often refused to grant the
leases desired because the parties
have failed to comply with the regu-
lations as amended by the secretary
in his cited letter of May q, 1899.
Since the report was completed
these oil companies have made q
large number of separate and dis
tinct applications SO that they think
that some eighteen will be in such
form as to be acceptable to the de-
partment under its ruling In the
letter of May 2a, 1899, though the In
dian office has not received any Of
fetal information to that effect.
The report cites the story of the
difficulties that are met with by all
the officers of the department in the
collection of revenue in the Choctaw
and Greek nations where the general
provisions of the Curtis law applies.
1t shows that there is O general opin-
ion among the people who are liable
to the payment of permit or royalty
taxes that the revenue laws of the
various nations were repealed by
the Curtis law. Lawyers in the Creek
nation refused to paw the s25 impos-
ed by the laws of that nation on sew
eral grounds, among which were the
repeal of the law and the fact that
the towns in which tia lawyers were
located had been incorporated and
therefore segregated from the pub
lie domain as Indian country. The
interior department has uniformly
held that no laws of the Indian ma
tion imposing taxes have been re-
pealed except so far as they are in
consistent with the Curtis law, the
inconsistency chiefly being the agent
to whom the taxes should be paid.
| Under the laws the taxes are pay
able to the United States Indian
agent. The local fraternity at Mus
kogee even went so far as to contest
this question in the courts after the
department had decided it. and to
obtain an Injunction to restrain the
collection CT the taxes. This petit
ton was denied and the interior de-
partment was sustained in its de-
cision.
Since the commissioner of Indian
affairs worth, this section of his re-
port, further difficulties have been
met with. especially in the collection
of royalties on hay sought to be
shipped from the Cherokee nation
and in maintaining the supremacy
of the government in the nation. On
this question Inspector Wright has
found it necessary to ask authority
for the removal, under section 21 !
049 of the revised statues, of certain
parties who denied his authority and
refused to pay the royalties. This
authority has been granted the in
spector and the removal of the par
ties has been accomplished. 1t is
understood, however, that the par
| ties removed have returned to the
Cherokee nation and action has been
instituted by the United States at
torney to recover the penalty for re-
turn provided for in section 21 ,O4s
of the revised statues. The depart
ment has also authorized the is
suance of instructions to the inspec-
tor directing him to advise the ply
sicians in the Choctaw nation and
the merchants in the Chickasaw ma
tion, who refuse to pay their permit
taxes, to pay or get out.
The townsite matters in the Choc-
taw nation under the agreement, and
| in the Greek nation under section I5
of the act, are discussed historically
only, nothing of special Importance
being involved in this discussion. 1t
shows that the commissioners for
the Choctaw and Ohickasaw nations
have been appointed; that one town
in the Choctaw and one in the Chick
asaw has been serveyed and the
plats approved. In the Greek ma
| ton tho onlv 0fhar nation uboro