The St. Louis Republic., 1903-08-22
TO SAFEGUARD
INDIAN LANDS,
New Regulations Put in Force by
Secretary Hitchcock Covering
Sales.
AIMED TO PREVENT FRAUDS.
No Redskin Can Sell or Lease His
Property Until 1t Has Been
Appraised by Government
Inspector.
AIMED TO PREVENT FRAUDS.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
| washington. Aug: H-New regulations
put In effect by Secretary Hitchcock fo
the purpose OF preventing fraudulent deal
ing In Indian lands have been announced
and circulars will be sent out at once Civ
ing notice to the Creeks and Cherokees thai
In the future they will not be permitted Il
negotiate for the disposal of their land,
until the Interior Department has frs,
scruttnized and approved the conveyance
This Is not to be considered move for the
exposure or punishment of any individuals
or companies charged with fraudulent deal
Ing. but simply q move to guard against
Illicit traffic in the lands in the future and
pending the Government investigation. The
investigation Of the land scandal still awaits
decisive action against Government officfals
who are charged with fraud. gr-
The new regulations provide that In tho
future every Indian who desires to lease or
sell his land must go to the Indian Inspec-
tor in the Territory and file a request for
permission. together with description of
his property. The Indian Inspector will no.
tify the Indian Territory Division, and q
Government appraiser will be sent to make
an estimate of the real value Of tho land.
SEALED APPRAISEMENTS
This appraisement will be sealed and the
property advertised for lease or sale, as the
case may be. Sealed bids for the property
will then be submitted, and on a given day
the bids and the Government estimate Of
value are to be opened. The best bid will
be accepted, providing 1t is equal to or in
excess Of the Government appraIsement.
No bid will be selected If below the ap-
praisement.
..Odium, II odium Is to como of the charges
that officials of the Government have been
Hnsasea Gil IN dealings in Indian
which the Secretary Of the Interior exercises
personal control This situation is the re-
sSit OF e cnange IN the system Of governing
mad the effect OF paving an easy roadway
for Inscriptions officials to prey upon the
unsophisttcated red man.
bv & the Curtis act. passed by Congress in
lSsS. under the administration Of Secretary
Bhss. 1t has been continued by Secretary
called by members Of Congress to the fact
that the change had proved detriment to
the efficiency q the indian service. -.
Indian affairs Of the United States were
divided into two bureaus. All the reserva-
tions outside Of the Indian Territory were
within the territory were placed under a
separate division known as the Indian Ter
rtt0ry DIVISION.
PRECAUTIONS ABANDONED.
The change resulted in the abandonment
Of all those precautions which had been
thrown around the management Of the In
dian affairs in the Territory. and to protect
the Indiens from fraudulent dealings tho
officials of the Territory are free to rec
ommend regulations. which were best quit
ed to their purposes, honest or dishonest
Lands thrown upon the market-that is,
authority given to the Indians to sell Cr
!ease.were not surrounded as they had
by the Indian office, after long experience
with efforts of avaricious d-grabbers to
acquire property without the payment Of
Before that time there had been no hint
of scandal. though many attempts to ac-
1uire land from the Indians at less than
real values had been reported to the In
IN the indian service predicted the result |
of taking the. territorial Indians from un-
ier the guardianship of the experienced In
dian oflce oficials. It is also said that
the Indian ONCE learned Of Irregularities in
which officials Of The Government were In
terested soon after the change was made.