The Tomahawk., 1903-09-03
SECRETARY HITCHCOCK
and INDIAN LANDS.

Duluth News 1rlDunc asserts CnaC
it is the intention of Secretary
Hitchcock to save Indian lands;
that since early last spring he has
been giving a large share of his
personal attention to this matter.
The secretary, it seems, made a
tour of the Indian Territory dur
ing the past summer, and learned
that persistent efforts were being
made to aecure Indian lands far
below their real value, As con-
sequence of this inquiry he made
a radical revision of the regular
tions for the sale of allotted lands.
The new rules require that all In
dian lands that are for sale shall
be advertised and appraised by a
competent official,
The secretary has cancelled all
sales made prior to the time the
new regulations took effect. There
were 42D of these deeds. calling
for an aggregate payment OF
S389, 900. All these deeds with
the checks, have been returned to
the purchasers,
Under the law the secretary has
control of the land sales around
WHICH he places safeguards for the
protection of the Indian owners.
The secretary. it is furth G r
stated. realizes that while there
are many shortcomings on the part
of some Of the government officials.
there are on the other hand many
men not employed by the govern
ment who have grievances against
these same officials and are dis
posed to make all the trouble they
can for them. The secretary says
he will protect the officials who
are doing their duty against the
schemes OF ell such people.
In previous issues. the ToMA-
HAWK has stated that. the very
rules which the secretary has
adopted for the sale of inherited
Indian lands, has really been the
cloak under which combinations
have been formed. AS long as
these rules continue to be used
in the sale of Indian lands, it will
be impossible to obtain fair and
legitimate competition in the sale
of these lands. There must be.
in order to correct existing evils
and to prevent collusions with
government officials. a radical
change in the method of selling
the lands; the Indians must haye
the say as to the prices and condi-
tions OF the sales, and the secre-
tary the approval or disapproval
instead of the exclusive right,
which he claims, of fixing tn e
conditions of these sales.
If the secretary is really in
earnest to do what is right in re-
gard to Indian land sales, he should
allow the Indians their inherited
lands under such conditions as
they may deem proper and with
the best advantage to Themselves,
and if any of these sales are fraud
ulent then he might interpose his
purgatiye of disapproval if fraud
is established.
If the Indians on this reserva-
ton were permitted to sell their
inherited lands without the restric-
tions prescribed by the depart
mental rules, they would receive
from three to five dollars more
per acre than they are now receiv-
ing for these lands, for, by selling
to actual settlers, who, as rule,
are only able to nav a portion of
the purchase price down, they
would get what the spectators,
who have the funds to pay the full
amount of the purchase pric
would receive as his profits by SELL
ing to these actual settlers
Ofcourse 1t would be necessary
to take the notes of the actual set
tier purchaser very often, but