The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-12-27

ELY BROTHERS, Sc Warren Street. New York
spectators IN the choctaw and Chick
asaw nasious 10 purchase tho surplus
lands OF llOttles outright, taking
long tcrra leases on the land as secur.
ity for the delivery to them Of the deei
when the ailott,e is authorized to
transfer titie. These people some
times lease the land for rs cents al,
acre and even less. In order to put
stop TO this practice the agent Isl
now carryicg ont his plan Of putting
the aliottee in mp'ediate possession
cf oil his land. leaving the determine
ton Of the rights Of the lessons TO re-
tain possession of the land with tho
courts. The agent concludes his rec
concentrations in connection with leas
ing Of lands by saying;
The law in the Seminole nation isI
another step in the right direction. ItI
requires that all leases shall be exc
Gated upon ninted blanks provided tor
he trital government approved by
the principal chef AMI copy hlea
IN the office Of the clerk Of the United
states count Ia tie hani Of a care
ful and upright chief this provision
should be and IS, effective
The report suggests that the one ele-
meut needed TO make the sale Of
Creek lands a complete success is The
installment plan Of payment the pur
chasor beng allowed to pay for the
land IN fve 0r seven annual install,
ments. the title not to vest until the
entire indebtedness Ia discharged
Il is pointed out that this plan
wonld enectually bar spectators. as
they would not want to purchase land
upon which there is five or seven
year MORTGAGE.
Ageat sh9enfelt in his report points
out the weak points in the recent ru!.
ing of the Interior department requir-
ng that Indians must accept pay for
The lands placed on the market in in-
stallments Of $40 a month. he says
that although almrrably conceived the
ullnr fails tc provide the Indian with
any interest on his money and the IL
dian is compelled to wait so long be
fore lac will get the fun value of his
allotment that he will eventually cease
ID offer his land for sale
With referelce TO guardianship mat
ters Indian Agent Shoenfelt expresses
lthe belief that the Arkansas law re
quiring guardians Of Indian children
&c give bond has worked hardship as
not one IN ten Of the parents or natur
az guardians can qualify This fact
has brought into existence numerous
so called Guardian trust companies
which take charge of the affairs OF
minors for what money there is IN ill
and haye no interest in the welfare OF
their wards. One company announced
that Il expected 10 make slto,O00 a
year out Of the estates of minor In
dians
The ageut believes that the natural
guardian should he permitted 70 nun
age all of the lusincss affairs Of his
ward including the leasing Of his al
lotment and sll such leases should re-
quire the approval OF a trusted govern
ment official 1he danger Of the mis-
application Of these funds IN the
agents opinion is comparatively
slight. az the parent is entitled to the
cash proceeds of any properly worded
improvement lease upon his chlld's
allotment.
A solution Of this difficulty is suy
eested in a plan to let the natural
guardian lease the lands of this ward
with the approval Of a trusted govern
ment Official such official being in.
structed by the department to require
IN addition to adequate compensation
for the laud that the lessee SHOULD
place a gwen portion Of the land in
cultivation each year and pace there
upon from ,ine to tirs improvements
OF y character 10 he described in the
lease. giving the official power to re.
move tue lessee II the terms Of the
contract are not complied with. IN
this way the natural guardian would
be certain TO acquire a cash OF crop
rSptal which would support the child
and the child would he absolutely GER
tain Of an improved farm at the end
OF a limited number OF years
Nothing seems 10 die harder than
the supersJitlon taat woman can