The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-13
Lacey of Iowa It's Only Oppo-
nent in Committee.
HE rs FOR THE PARK
Question of Devastating Effect of
Timber Denudation.
GUS BEAULIEU is ON HAND
He Offers a Proposition That Is
Promptly Pronounced I'M
practicable.

From The journal B,rea,s. Room <6, Post
Washington, Feb. 13.--TEle house COM
mittee on Indian affairs to-day gave a
hearing on the Morris Chippewa timber
bill. No action was taken, but hearing
will be given Gus Beaulieu and Mr.. Bro
sius, representative of the Indian Rights
association, next week.
Judge Morris occupied most of the time
at to-day's session. He explained the
provisions Of the Nelson law of 1889 and
showed how through poor administration
it had failed to accomplish the purpose of
its author. He then explained his bill
in detail and answered questions put by
members of the committee, among them
Curtis, Brown and Lacey.
Apparently Curtis only objection was
to the provision relating to the advertise
ment Of sales of pine lands. The bill
provides for advertisement in papers in
leading cities for four weeks. Curtis
thought they should run three or six
months in order that ever one who might
want to purchase timber should be fully
informed of the proposed sales. Judge
Morris and Representative Eddy both
stated that every one who might want to
bid for this timber In every section of the
country was fully informed and has de-
tailed facts and figures in his Office show
ing the amount and quality of timber on
these reservations Morris and Eddy op-
posed long time advertisements for this
reason.
Representative Lacey Of Iowa was APP
parently the only one opposed to the bill.
He argued that if the timber were cut
from the reservations it would result in
drying up the sources Of the Mississippi
river and in the practical devastation Of
the country in the northern part Of the
state. While he did not say so, he Is
plainly an advocate of the park plan. In
answer to him, Judge Morris showed that
225, 900 acres were to be reserved and
practical forestry put in operation there.
This, he thought, would conserve the
water supply. Clifford Pinchot, who was
present at Judge Morris request, Endorsed
that statement. A.. G. Bernard of Cass
Lake, took ten minutes to explain the
actual conditions that obtain on the re-
servaions-poverty among the Indians and
lack of opportunity to make them self
supporting unless the timber lands were
cleared and the Indians given a chance to
work and earn their living. In answer
to Lacey's stat ement that the clearing of
the timber from the land would result in
it's practical devastation, he quoted fig
ures from the weather bureau records
showing increased precipit ation in regions
where lands had been cut over or where
the timber had been burned off, He cited
the case of the Hinckley fire, when the
timber was burnt off nearly all of Pine
county, yet since the fire the county has
increased in population and was decidedly
more prosperous than before.
Gus Beaulieu, who is here with the dele
cation of Mile Laos Indians, will appear
an amendment to the bill for the allot-
ment Of eighty acres of agricultural land
to each Indian on Red Lake, Winnie
bagashish, Sandy lake, Bots, Foster, Red
Lake and Mile Laos reservations. There
are 400 or 500 in these tribes and 1t would
take 100000 acres from the various res
ervations If Beaulieu's proposition were
friends Of the Morris bill, who do not
hesitate to say that Beaulieu is nothing
but an agitator and making this move so
that he can continue to make living out
Of the Indians. Judging from the attitude
Of the committee to-day, there is ma
iority In favor of the Morris bill.
BOOSTS FOR The house committee on
foreign affairs to-day rec
MINNIE commended that the con-
sulate at Rotterdam be
SOTANS. raised to the dignity of
consulate general and
that the salary of the consul at Amster-
dam be increased from $1,000 to $4,000,
The first recommendation affects Soren
Listo Of St. Paul, and the latter Frank
D. Hill Of Goodhue county, who recently
was home on annual leave. 1t will not
be understood that $1,000 is all the salary
Mr. Hill receives. The Amsterdam con-
sulate pays liberal fees in addition to the
salary Mr. Hill is recognized as one of.
the most efficient men in the consular
service, and the state department values
his services highly. To-day's action in
committee was due to representations
made by Representative Heatwole, a
member OF the committee
REDUCING The Indian appropria-
ton bill, which was COM
DAWESlCO pleted to-day contains a
provision to reduce the
MISSION. membership OF the Dawes
commission from four to
three. No method OF reduction Is pre-
scribed, but 1t is probable that the SEQ