Evening star., 1902-01-08
LEASES OF MINING RIGHTS
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT REPLYING
TO SENATE RESOLUTIONS.
Money to BE Used for ~IrrlgatinG In
dian Lands-Commissioner Jones'
Action Defended.

In compliance with resolutions agreed to
yesterday by the Senate, the officials OF the
bureau of Indian affairs and the Office OF
the Secretary Of the Interior have been
engaged today In preparing transcripts OF
all papers involved in the proposed leasing
of mining rights in the Uintah Indian res
ervation, Utah. These resolutions were PIE
sented yesterday by Senators Kearns and
Stewart The former desired that the Sec
retary Of the Interior. inform the Senate
whether it was proposed to lease any por-
ton of the Uintah lands and to transmit tQ
the Senate copies of all papers and docu-
ments relating to the proposed lease.
The latter offered in addition to Mr..
Kearns resolution, one which directed the
Secretary to inform the Senate whether
any proceedings had been taken looking to
such lease, and the reasons therefor II
is anticipated that the information desired
can be transmitted before the end OF the
current week.
A delegation of five Indians, Uintah head
men, brought this matter before the In
terror Department by presenting to Com
missioner Jones December a petition set
ting forth the conditions under which the
proposed lease would be granted. 1t was
explained by the Interpreter who spoke. tor
the Indians that their irrigation plant was
insufficient to water the ground needed by
the Indian farmers; that il more money
were available that plant would be extend
ed, and that If the lease were granted the
money paid therefor would be spent solely
for irrigation purposes, and under the di-
rection of the Secretary of the Interior.
Leases Recommended.
After a full consideration of the repre-
sentations made by this delegation, Com
missioner Jones recommended to Secretary
Hitchcock that the lease be authorized.
This action was~fn accord with the de-
partment's procedure in other and SIM lar
instances. 1t is believed Mr.. Hitchcock in
clines to approve the attitude of his sub
ordinate. Mr. Jones was seen today by a
representative of The Star and asked
whether there was any probability of a
change of attitude on the part of the In
dian bureau. "a,
THE bureau recommended that the In
dians be permitted to lease their lands as
they desired he said Indians never &c
under ground for mining purposes. The
projectors of the mining company believe
that asphalt can be found in the UintaE
reservation. Unless 1t is developed by
white men it will never be brought to light
The money is desired by the Indians fol-
the extension of irrigating plants. 1t is
to be expended under the direction of the
Secretary of the Interior. From the view
point of the Indian there Is no good rea-
son why the lease should not be authorized
and there are many good reasons why il
should be granted.
Senator Kearns, Senator Stewart and
Representative Sutherland have explained
their attitude to the department AS | un-
derstand it, they do not object to the lease
itself. but only to the development of the
Unitah mineral products by eastern cap
ital. One Of them states the proposition in
this form: No eastern capitalist has any
right in Utah However important such a
considerat ton may be in Utah, it is not one
of which the bureau of Indian affairs can
properly take cogniZance.
Some one has circulated a story to the
effect that the lease should not be granted
because Nj. Henry c. Payne, who was re-
Gently appointed Postmaster General, 'tc
succeed Mr.. Smith, was president of the
company to which the ground is to be
leased Mr.. Payne was once president OF
the company, but retired in July of last
year. before this project was proposed
But even if he were connected with the
company and were now it's president, that
would be no reason why the lease should
not be allowed.
There is no change In the attitude OF
the bureau of Indian affairs, and l think
there will be none rj-' --' go ,= IS
Wants an Investigation.
Mr.. Rawlins of Utah presented a resolu-
ton in the Senate today directing the COM
mittee on INDIAN affairs to investigate the
reports that efforts are being made to lease
the J-iptab Indian lands in TTtah