The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-07

Hermann, who ordered an Investigation
by his representatives at the lumber
camps, ana the report was to the effect
mat only very small amount Of green
| timber had been cut, aggregating r1svalue
less than s1o0 Still the complaints reached
the department. and the secretary direct
ed special agents Nessler and jenkins of
the Indian office, to make another in
Vesttga ton which was done, Their ,rerort
was to the effect that gross frauds had
been, perpatrated and that THOUSANDS of
dollars worth of green timber had been
cut and was in the booms ready for saw
ing The contractors We're forced to paw
for this green timber. at a price eeonsid-
cradle in advance of what they would have
paid for it as dead and down.
It was at this time that the depa rtfnent
officials began to agitate the question Of
amending the Nelson act to suit changed
conditions governing lumber Operations
Here another clash came between Her
mann and the secretary Hermann. con-
tending that the Nelson act5was Sufficient
and that it would yield to the Indians all
that they could possibly get for their land
and timber. This opposition on the part
OF the commissioner So exasperated the
secretary that he lost patience and issued
formal order transferring the conduct
Of the administra ton of. the Nelson act
from the land office to the, Indian office.
He allowed the dead and down. contra ctors
OF that year to complete their contra cts
under the Indian office and when they
were completed, issued an order suspend
ing further. operations of that kind until
more restrictive and better legislation
could be enacted. Later. he suspended the
operation Of the Nelson act entirely. an
nouncing that he would not sell any more
timber land or open any agricultural land
until the law was amended. This act,
however had no connection with his rela-
tions with his commissioner of the general
land office, but arose from other circum-
stances, notably the sale of four townships
of timber land. on the White Earth reser-
walton. where he charged that the bidders
were in collusion. This tangle has not
been Strengthened out yet ~ Having Sc
cured the passage Of the Morris law as
an amendment to the Nelson act Of 1889,
the operation of that law is again in the
hands of the officials of the land office
but. by the express wish of the secretary
it is being administered by the present
assistant commissioner. w. A. Richards
who will be commissioner on Febrilar ~
first. ,-2sE5zzifs -
Later differences between Secretary
Hitchcock and Commissioner Hermann
We're in relation to the administration Of
the timber and stone act 1t will be re-
called thats5in the summer, Of 1902 suits
We're entered in the United States court in
Montana to recover title to thousands Of
acres of land which had been entered I'M
der the timber and stone act.s 1t was al
legged with fraudulent intent The in
,vestigation which was the basis for these
suits was made by Special Agent Zevelr,
who is the secretarys confidential agent
and not by the agents of the land: office
BY the secretary direction, these inyesti-
cations We're continued in all the states
westward to the Pacific coast and in Ore
gon and Westinghouse the result that
all entries made under this law have been
suspended by the secretary himself, and
the entrynen have been called upon to
show cause why their. entries should not
be Cancelled.
Other things contributed to widen the
breach between Hitchcock. and Hermann,
and the result is a. part of the administer
ton history of the close of the year 1902
~ w. w. Jermane,