The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-02-12
HITCHCOCK TO PASS
ON DEBTS
Contracted by Indians at
Post Trading Stores
in Territory.

Washington. Feb. l2.-rhe repre-
soutahyes Or lae post traders in the
Osaro Nation ar in dilemma one
weok ago ,hcy Thought they were sectr-
ing what they bad boen ciumorng ior
now ines nnd that they ore almost in as
bad "a ax as they have been for The past
ton years
In -esnonse 10 urgent requests OF the
SECRETARY ut the interior there has been
included in Che Indian appropriation hiH
\ provision authorizing and directing the
nowetary of tho interior Co carefully eX-
aminc into the accounts between the lice
pnaed traders in the Usage nation nna
fha Osage Indians. ANA attey ascertain
ing definitely the amount due tbs trad
era 90 pay he same out OF thc grazing
money ia the trcNsup of the United
states t0 THE credit OF t.fu indines nre
sidinQ such payment - approved by a
majority of tho Indians. The post trad
ers 70 the lrsi place DO not like the idea
of navlng tho secretary of the Interior
pass nnany upon their claims. and in
the second placo they now begin 60 real-
lac that they cannot secure more than
McComas. who recently concluded an tn
vesfIgation into their accounts. has not
one-third Of the money due them under
this provision.
Although ihe rcpor, % Special Agent
d Is adverse Co many OF the claims OF the
been made public Il "a won known that
traders. 30 thc provision now in the ln-
dian bin becomes a law, Special Agent
MeComas viii. in aii probability. be the
man selected by the secretary Of the in-
terior TO pass upon the merits of the
ciaiine OF the traders Ills rccommenda-
lions viii have e far reaching effect with
the secretary This would probably mean
that a good per cent OF the indebtedness
now claimed by lba traders will not be
paid
The necessity Of securing the
consent OF q majority OF the
members Of tho Osnge natilu 60 the
payment of these claims out OF the mon
eys now 10 th6 credit Of the tribe in the
treasury Is even more serious problem
10 tho trudors. The dinlculty arises large
~ from The fact that the indebtedness of
the Indians differs greatly IN amount.
Some of them owe the traders. accord
ing % thQir books, as high as $3.50,
while g,hers only owe one OF two hun-
dred dollars, and atnl others owe less.
N Il ahould hs proposed 20 apply Wl Of
tho money in the treasury derived from
the leasing OF grazing lands which Is
now on deposit 20 the credit OF the tribe
to the nauidation OF thls Indebtedness.
u wonid never receive the approval Of
tho majority Of the nation IL De- a fore
gone conclusion that those Indians shat
owe nothing ana those who have only
slight accounts with the traders would
be unwilling 20 have their money used
ia the payment of the claims OF other
members of the tribe.
~ Il should be decided 20 distribute the
grazing fund pro rata among che tn-
dams. and 70 apply the amount each one
receives 20 his Indebtedness with the
traders turning the balance over 10 the
lndiaus the traders would not receive
more than one-thlrd Of the amount Of
money now IN the treasury 20 the credit
OF the tribe. and only about one-nfth Of
sheir total Indebtedness This many are
unwilling 20 accept as they realize II a
partial paymcntis made now that IL will
interfere seriously with their securing ad-
difiona payments ln the near future.