The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-14
INDIANS ARE WROIH.
Gus Beaulieu Says They Are Stirred
Up Over the Morris
Act.
They Say They Stand to Lose I'm
der Act Trouble Makers
4 at Work.

''The Morris act is the most out
rageOus act ever passed. 1t is the,
worst skin game the government has
ever worked on the Indians of Minne-,
sofa, and the Chippewas have certainly
had some pretty rough games worked
dian interpreter, who is staying at the
Vendome hotel.
r II do not say there will be another
Indian outbreak this winter, but will
tell you what the fullbloods are say
ing. There will be no timber cutting,
is what they say when you ask them
about the Morris act. Mr.. Beaulieu
figured prominently in the Indian OUT
break at Leech Lake in 1898, and is
now living at White Earth.
Il doubt if even the average lumber
man understands what the Morris act
did not understand it until within the
last few days, and when they get to-
gether in council at White Earth,
Monday, they will probably express
themselves in a very. decided way.
Where Expense Falls. s. II.
when was down in Washington
fighting the bill, there was nothing in
it putting upon the Indians the entire
expense of logging; but after the bill
was passed 1t appeared that the mini
mum price fixed by the law was 81
a thousand for Norway ands$ a thou
sand for white pine. Out Of this must
come the expense of the land exarnin-
| ing, which should be paid by the gov
eminent, the pay Of the superintendent
| of logging, who gets IS a day and has
a corps of assistants who get 81 a day
each, the expense of scaling and mark
ing the logs and, in fact, all the ex-
pense of cutting the logs and getting
them to the landing with the one ex-
ception of burning the tops: The
average cost of logging is SO to SIS a
thousand. Now, with all these ex-
Extraordinary expenses, where do the In
dams get off? ID;
Under. the Nelson law the mini
mum was fixed at SO a thousand, but
the government stood the expense Of
removing the timber. Under the Nor
ris act, the Indians will. not: only get
nothing for the timber removed from
their: lands; they will be, plunged still
further into debt, for the law gives
them absolutely no protection:
For the life of me, I cannot see
why. the lumbermen in Minneapolis
are agitating against. this act. They
are the only ones who stand to wiz
! on it. It is true that they will have tt
burn the tops, which will compel then
i to keep an extra crew in the woods anc
will add about $3.50. a, thousand to thu
! expense of logging. But as every on
knows, this extra expense will even
tually come out Of the Indians who ar.
selling the timber, since the bidder
. will make due allowance for this .un
usual expense. ~ .,-~e
''The halfbreeds on the White Eart1
reservation are inclined to ask the de
partment of the interior to suspend
operations under the Morris act unit
congress can do something which will
give the Indians a chance to ge
robbed Of their timber without beipi
'Eplunged into debt at the same time.
All Minnesota Indians Interested.
"a This present dissatisfaction. amon
the Indians differs from that which
: tcausedF the outbreak on Bear Islam
} and at Sugar Point in that, Sitais no
4 local, Every Indian in the northern
! part of the state hasa more or les
i. direct interest in the removal Of tn
timber .>on their ,:ceded lands and tn
| returns which they are to9get- from; i
ITO my own, knowledge Indian
who were largely responsible for tn
former outbreak and who are natura
> trouble-n1akers are makingHthe mos
1 of this situation and, without bein
an alarmist, I can truthfuIly say tina
I believe trouble will come of it,"