The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-01-02
SO THE LANDS CAN BE SOLD
An Effort to Change The Indian
Territory Regulations.

MuSkOSec, 4. ~ Jam. AS
movement to secure, the removal OF
the restrictions from the sale and
leaseof lands in the Greek nation
has taken a very peculiar turn, and
one that must compel the attention
of the Secretary of the Interior
The committee appointed for the
purpose Of getting the necessary
data in this work has notified Mr..
Hitchcock that, beginning January
=. the committee will commence
takiug depositions from citizens IN
all the large towns of the nation
relative to the unpopular method OF
/ selling and leasing land NOW in
vogue. They have asked that he
have a representative on the ground
to assist iii taking the dispositions
and chat the committee and the
representative Of the secretary have
the power to cross-examine the
witnesses, all of which must be
done under oath.
The committee, at meeting to-
day, decided that the old system
of sending a delegation to Wash
ington with a petition, even though
it were signed by every allottee in
the nation, is useless, as expert
ence has taught the petition carries
with it little weight to the depart
ment. The chairman of the COM
mittee said to-day that the deposi-
tions were to be taken publicly and
only from the most reputable citi-
zens. The fact that they have
served notice on the secretary and
asked him to have a representative
present with full liberty to ask any
questions he may see fit, has caused
stir in official circles in the terri
tory, where departmental investi-
CATIONS have become not an un-
common thing.
MORE CLERKS 10 BE ASKED.
The chairman Of the committee
for the removal Of restrictions says
that the most potentS reason for
asking the secretary to have a
representative present is that, when
the dispositions are presented to
Congress by the committe, they
may say that the evideace thus
gained was open and above board
and that the department had a rep
resclr,ative on the ground who
heard and saw all that was done.
This will not give the advocates Of
the present system an opportunity
to say that it was a "gumshoe'
campaign and that evidence could
be gathered that would controvert
all that the committee had produc-
ed.
The advocates Of the removal Of
all restrictions are willing to con
cede that there is an element among
the fullblood and ignorant class Of
allottees who would oppose the
removal Of restrictions, but they
say that these people are not sufi-
ciently informed as to what the
present plan means.
The Indian agent who has charge
Of the sales that have been made,
said this morning that he believed
that the present system of selling
lands is the best that could be de
vised under the circumstances, and
that he further believed that as the
allottees and the buying public be-
came more familiar with the mode
Of procedure pertaining to a sale,
they, too, would admit the wisdom
of the plan. He has asked for
three additional land appraisers and
a larger clerical force to take care
of the work. He thinks as soon as
this additional force is put to work
an average Of Ia5 tracts Of land per
{ week can be handled.
PORTER FAvoRs PRESENT coNDI-
TIONs.
Chief Porter, at the last meeting
of the council, advised the Indians
that the present system was the
best that could be had for the full
bloods and advised them to take
advantage of every precaution that
/ had been offered them. A P Muir
ply, national attorney for the
Creeks, is Of the opinion that the
present rules are the best that can