The Minneapolis journal., 1901-04-23
Secretary Hitchcock Praises The Journals In
vestigation of Lumbering on the
Reservations.
he Advocates Changes in the Law to Prevent
Collision, to Sell by Scale and to
Sell the Land.

From The journal BmreGu. Room A6, Post
BHNdan0s Washington.
Washington, April 2S.-Secretary Hitch
cock read with much interest the article in
last Saturdays Journal a / relating to the
cutting Of green timber on the Leech Lake
and other reservations by dead and down
contractors. He was specially pleased at
the fair treatment accorded every one con-
nected with the case and the evident i'm
partiality of the statements made. He
said:
l must thank 7 g ] ourna a for having
made this investigation. 1t shows conclu-
siVely that the paper is not prepared to in
dorse all the wild statements made in connec-
ton with the cutting Of dead and down tim
Der. and at the same time it desires to shield
no one who has violated or apparently has
violated contracts, any official of the de-
partment who might have connived at green
timber cutting
o u rn / has gone further into this
question than have. My reports, received by
way of the Indian office, are yet incomplete
and do not show the amount Of timber cut
nor the percentage of green in the total cut.
t h e o u r n rs statement gives facts and
figures. l am pleased to note, and does not
indulge in speculation.
AS soon the reports are all in I shall
determine whether further proceedings can be
had against the contractors who cut green
timber under cover of dead ahd down con-
tracts. If there is any law that will reach
them l shall certainly set 1t in operation and
shall punish offenders to the limit.
One effect Of j Journ rs exposure
will be fully to impress every one with the
absolute necessity for the amendment of the
present law. That fact was impressed upon
me at the outset Of the investigation What
the department wants is not new law but
simply such changes in the present statute as
will enable US to get fair estimate Of the
timber on the land, to prevent collusion
among purchasers of the timber to sell It
when cut according to scale, to let the land
which has been cut over revert to the govern
ment for disposal as agricultural land thus
netting the Indians an additional SLIPS an
acre, which win be deposited in tribal funds,
or will be used to defray the expense of dis
posing of the timber With such modifca-
| scandals in connection with the disposal of
this land, such as have agitated that country
for the past seven or eight years
l notice that h O urn a absolyes
Captain Mercer from any blame for green
timber cutting. l am satisfied that he has
administered the law as strictly as possible.
That is evidenced by his having secured about
$10O, 900 for green timber at prices as good as
could have been obtained for timber In the
open market. Such reports as we have. had
from Captain Mercer show that he was deter
mined to hold the contractors to the strict
letter Of their contracts, and every step he
took to prevent violations was approved by
me- l knew it was physically impossible for
him personally to supervise the cutting in all
the camps, and am surprised that he has
done we'll as he has.
1 sincerely hope that at the next session
of congress we will get authority to dispose