Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1900-12-06

from July 4, 1893 to date Of res-
toration Of principal Of the Cbero-
kee funds held In trust In lieu Of
Investments.
There was submitted to the
principal chief and the national
council three propositions which
we're referred 10 Sour committee
as above observed. The PROPOSE
ton of d. M. Wisdom and w. M.
Cravens contained the following
language to which we call your
special attention.
"We will undertake the colleo.
tion Of any and all moneys due
by the United States to the Chero-
kee nation or indivIduals thereof,
including the several items em-
braced in the report Of James A..
Slade and Joseph Bender, dated
Washington, d. c., April %,
1894 and published in the execu-
tive document number t62." The
act which accompanies the bill
provides for the acceptance Of the
proposition which they submitted.
You will observe from the Ian
guage Of their proposition that it
evidently the intention of these
gentlemen to collect other items
not embraced in the Slade and
Bender report and your commit
tee for that reason regard the
proposition as dangerous and in
definite and therefore, find II i'm
proper to recommend . favorable
report of the same. This propo-
sitlon also provided for the termi-
nation of the contract which is to
be made to them on the 4th day
Of March, 1908. Unless proceed
ings are at that time pending In
the courts for the collection of
said money In which case this
authority shall be extended until
the final termination OF such Judi
cial proceedings.
Your committee is OF the opln :
ion that this language is too In
definite and that there should be
a time certain when the outstand- =
ing contract made for this collec-
toon of this claim should termi-
nate. In case this propositi on
was accepted, no doubt before
March 8, 1908, some suit would
be instituted and it nigh, remain
pending in the courts too long to
be of any use to the Cherokee
people now living, and we believe
that 1t is the desire of the Chero-
kee people to have this money
collected as speedily as possible.
Your committee favors a time
certain for the termination of any
contract made.
The proposition Of p. L. Nc
Kennie & Sons contains very
nearly the same provisions with
reference to the time given them
for the collection of thus claim
as observed in the above propo-
sition. These gentlemen want
10 per cent for the collection
and provide that the contract
shall terminate on the 4th day of
March, 1908 unless some suit is
pending In the courts OF the United
States for the collection of the
same. This firm claim TO live in
Chicago, Illinois but your COM
mittee has no reliable informa-
ton as to the standing of the said
gentleman or their ability to col
lect the same. No letters of
recommendation have been filed
and for that reason your commit
tee did not feel justified in recon-
mendlng the letting of a contract
for so large a sum of money to a
company whose responsibility
was not reliably Vouched for.
The other proposition was that
made by William E. Halsell and
Martin L. Turner, of Oklahoma
City, o. T. Their proposition
provides for the collection of the
claim due the Cherokee nation by
the United States government as
found by James A. Slade and
Joseph Bender in a report filed on
April 29. 1894, for 10 per cent of
the amount recovered from the
United States and with the pro-