The Tomahawk., 1903-09-10

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five per cent OF timber left stand
ing on this acreage nor is any pay
ment provided for the tracts OF
land and timber upon them sc,
aside as Forest Reserves from
which no timber is allowed tosbe
fcut,
All this is sufficiently unjust,
but the money lost to the indians
on account Of these provisions
sinks into insignificance when com
pared with the loss which they
will sustain by reason of the clause
which provides that the purchaser
of the timber which is to be solo
must gather up and burn or re
move sufficient amount of the
tops and rufuse to prevent danger
from fire to the timber left stand-
ing. The expense of this work is
estimated by competent and exper-
fenced lumbermen to be not less
than two dollars per thousand feet
for all timber to be cut from the
reservations. The Indians are thus
taxed two dollars per thousand feet
on all of the timber sold for their
benefit, which tax under the LAM
guage of the Act is TO prevent
danger from fire to the timber left
standing, that is, the timber on
the Forest Reserves which has al-
ready been takenfrom the Indians
without compensation. Thus they
not only are forced to give toSthe
nation land and timber for Forest
Reserves, but are taxed at least
two dollars per thousand feetson
| the timber sold for their benefit
forthe preservation of the timber
taken from them without compen-
sation for Forest Reserve perposes.
The business men who buy thls
timber will subtract from the price
they bid for. the same the amount
! it will cost per thousand feetto
clear and burn up the refuse made
in cutting and logging the timber,
and the effect is exactly the same
upon the Indians purse as if they
were required to return the cost
of this work after the money had
been turned over to them. The cf-
feet is even worse, because if the
Indians merely returned the actual
cost of this clearing up of the re-
fuse, they would not have to pay
for the margin OF safety which
every good business man provides
for in undertaking piece of work,
the expense Of which is Indefinite
and uncertain. In making up their
bids for this timber the lumbermen
will estimate the cost of clearing
up this refuse, and twenty-five, per
cent or thereabouts to this estimate
as safety margin and subtract the
total from the amount of their bid.
and the Indians will have to bear
the entire expense with this mar
gin of safety added. The govern
ment and not the Indians receives
the benefit of this work. 1t was
the intention of Congress that. the
government should stand the cx-
pense of this work, for it is ex-
pressly stated in the Act that none
of the expense arising out of the
forestry provisions shall be charg-
ed to the Indians.
No one is disposed at this time
to dispute the value and wisdom
of Forest Reserves, least of all the
Indians, but the Indians should
not be asked to donate the greatest
and wealthtest nation on earth
Forest Reserves from the mere
pittance of valuable lands and tim
Der vet belonging to them, nor
should they be made to bear the
expense of clearing up these For
est Reserves from refuse and pro-
tecting them from possible fires.
If this bill had been drawn with
the express provisions that the In
tiians should donate to the govern
s.,asof a lsroY, uuantitv of land and