Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1900-04-05
WILL COST A MILLION.
Congress Staggered at Cost
of TownsiteS. y

The amount carried in the In
dian appropriation bill now pend
ing before the senate for the lay
ing out of townsites in the Indian
Territory is S67, 900. This amount
was recommended by the Indian
office and the Dawes commission
for the expenses Of the tounsite
boards now engaged in the work
in the Indian Territory, for the
next fiscal year. Il will be ridicu
ously inadequate for work on the
scale proposed in an amendment
which has been offered TO the bill,
and which seems certain Of adop-
ton. There are now but q few
boards engaged in laying the work
of laying out the toWnsites in the
territory. 1t hiss taken each one
of these boards from eight to
twelve months TO lay out one town.
At the rate of progress which is
being made, it is apparent that il
no other boards we're created II
would take from twenty-five to
thirty years to complete the sur
vey and appraisement of all the
towns in the territory.
1t was TO protest against such
slow work that the South AcAles-
ter convention was called and 9
delegation sent to Washington.
This delegation prepared an
amendment which provides that
there shall be a townsite board for
each town in the territory, and
that the officials Of each town may
make their own survey and file a
map with the secretary of the in
terror, which, if satisfactory, is tC
be accepted. This amendment
has been offered in the senate by
Senator Jones, and the leaders o.
of the committee on Indian affair;
on both sides are pledged to it'
passage. 1t is estimated that un
der the system of survey and ap
praisement, as provided by the
Jones amendment, the work o
laying out all the towns of the In
dian Territory can be completed
within a year.
But while the senate committed
on Indian affairs has agreed to th'
amendment which will bring abou
this much desired progress in th'
work, no provision has as yet beer
made for the increased expendi
ture. This expenditure must nee
essariiy be very large. One of tn,
townsite bosrds at presRnt engaged
in the territory expended nearly
S., 900 in the survey and spprai.e
ment Of one town. There ar,
ieghty.twO towns in the Cheroke,
nation alone, which will have to b,
surveyed and appraised, and i
S., 600 is required for each town, i
would take over s400,000 for tht
work of laying out towns in thiI
one nation. The amount required
for the work in the FIVE nations o
the territory would be in tn,
neighborhood Of 81, 100000.
Thus far nothing has been dont
towards increasing the amount car
ried in the bill for the expenses o
the townsite boards, but it lie evi
dent that if the senate carries out
the intention of the leaders to pro.
vide boards enough to finish the
surveys Of all the towns in the In
dian Territory in one year, a big
increase will have TO be made. II
provide for the creation Of tht
boards without providing means
for their operation would be use
less.
The bill which has been intro
duced in the house by Congressman
Little, ab,lishing the tribal taxes
in the territory, and substituting
government taxes on non-citizens
to be used for school purposes, ,aDC
which has been indorsed by the
interior department, will be fought
by representatives of the Choc.
taws and the Chickasaws, on the
ground that ii is a violation of the
agreement recently entered into
between them and the United
Safes, and which was to last fol
a period of eight years They
take the ground that if congress is
permiIied- ia -IssakR-ihis- hraak- in
their agreement, no part of it is
safe. If the bill becomes q law,
the matter will undoubtedly be
taken into the courts.
THE KAVANAUGH CONCERT.
Juvenile Performers Astonish the
| Deonlr of Niuifa