The Saint Paul globe., 1902-11-24

Y EMBER II, 1902.
to other public tinlbered lands as oc-
casion arises must of necessity go
hand in hand with the operations look
ing toward the reclamation of the
arid lands Of the West under the re-
clamation act
Protection of Forest Reserves.
The secretary says a definite, we'll
organized system of protection and
management is of great value. Small
ats the number of men may seem (and
is) in comparison with the large area
to be patrolled and served, yet each
year illustrates more clearly the large
return which the country obtains from
comparatively small outlay in this
direction. With fires in nearly all parts
of the forested areas Of Colorado Wy
oming, Washington and Oregon, the
forest reserves have remained during
the past summer comparatively un-
harmed, thanks to the efforts of
few hundred energetic, we'll directed
men whose business 1t is to care for
these forests. Thus a small sum well
expended has saved a wealth of mate
rial, and, what is of more Importance,
it saved forest cover worth far more
as a protective and regulative body
than as a source of timber supply.
sIn addition, this organized body of
men makes the mountain forests truly
useful, and readily SO, to the people Of
the West. While timber on the unre-
served lands must go to waste for
want of suitable legislation, and while
these lands generally are in such
condition that a variety of legitimate
uses is almost prevented by the lack OF
suitable arrangement to carry on bus
IL e.. y,1 II Ion,
such that every kind of legitimate use
can be and is promptly attended to,
and thus invites the law abiding citi-
zen to permanent development, while
at the same time it prevents fraud and
trespass, with all their train of mis-
chief.
eff the field force at the present is
smaller than it should be in order to
give as full a protection and as prompt
service as has been clamored form Ger
tain quarters, this defect is one easily
regulated and overcome by suitable
appropriation, which should grow with
the area of these reserves and the
amount of business performed there
on.
ceded Chippewa Lands in MINNESOTA.
''These lands embraced originally
about 100000 acres, and constitute
the finest body of pine lands east of
!
pose of them for the benefit Of the
Indians the act of January IA, 1883,
was passed. Under that act about
100000 acres have been disposed OF,
for which there has been received, ap-
proximately, s1,16,S3o.18.
81 appointed two inspectors of the
Indian Office to investigate the frauds
reported to have been committed un-
der the dead and down act. The result
Of I,aiy inv io-ot d1ScOV-
cry that, in round numbers, 12,000,00O
feet of green timber had been unlaw-
fully cut under dead and down con-
tracts, and over S,000,0 900 feet cut with
out authority on individual allotments.
They collected from the parties so Of
Tending, without resorting to legal
proceedings, over $4,000. Against one
firm, which made repeated efforts to
compromise for less than the value OF
the timber, judgment of S9S,5606o
was finally obtained"
The report mentions the collusion OF
bidders to keep down the price OF
lands. He adds:
"The examination of the ceded Ch1p-
pewa lands will be resumed as soon as
a sufficient corps of examiners has been
appointed. When said lands have been
examined and classified. and the Indian
lands win be opened for settlement and
entry After the timber and debris nave
been removed from the pine lands, these
will also be opened to settlement n1 ana
entry, except as to the portion Selecteu
as forestry lands
Indian Affairs.
s"The total Indian population of the
United States Is approximately 269. 306
of which the New York Indians and those
sa as 7s the eya
156 reservations. having 55, 127, 600 acres,
outside of New York and the Indian
Territory.
were made, the area thereof being ap-
proximately 100000 acres. .Allotments in
seyeralty, embracing In the @ @aggregate e
the passage Of the act Of Feb. 8, 1887
GA Stat L., $3.50, to approximately H.
421 Indians.
employed during the year in the agency
and field service as harnessmakerS, shoe
makers, blacksmiths. herders, butchers.
teamsters, police and in kindred occupa-
tions, to whom salaries were paid aggre-
eating $319,810 and in the Indian school
service 627 Indians were employed as
nurses, matrons, clerks. cooks. laundress-
aries amounting to $243,0S3 being paid
to them.
Cutting Off Rations to Indians.
'In my last annual report it was shown
that some 1000 Indians had been dropped
from the ration rolls during the pre-
dropped, so that the total now numbers
over 1900, all Of whom are wholly
self supporting. Instead Of ratiens and
Clothing. employment has been given them
on reservations in building roads, dams,
reservoirs for storage OF water Tor r.
rigation and other occupations suitable
to their conditions. Thus q beginning
at self support has been made by re-
spectacle number who never worked be-
fore and while progress will doubtless
be slow. yet the example of these Will
eventually have a good effect.
IAN agreement with the Arikara. Gros-
ventre and Mandan, of the Fort Berthold
reservation, North Dakota, was made by
an Inspector Of the department June 70.
1902, by which 208000 acres Of land were
ceded to the United States, in consid-
Grafton of 100000. to be. paid to and
expended for them in various beneficial
ways. Agreements made with the Crows
and the Yankton Sioux in 1899, and with
the Sioux Of the Devils Lake reserva|
ton; Indians of the Grande Ronde res
ervation the Lower Brule reservation,
and the Rosebud reservation, made in
1901 are pending before congress. Lands
amounting to nearly 1,750,000 acres are
ceded by these pending agreements, all
of them providing for large ceSsions, ex-
cept that with the Yankton Sioux, by
which the United States acquires title
to the well known red pipestone quarry
in Minnesota. 1t is hoped that favorable
action will be taken in all these cases
during the next session of congress.
Pensions.
.The report of the Commissioner of