Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-10-25
MEASURE SAFEGUARDED
Congressman W. E. Brown In
strumental in Securing a Fair
Deal For the Indians in Sale
of Lands.

OF Lands.
1t will be remembered by readers Of
the New North that Congressman
Brown had much to do in framing
the provision Of the act Of June u,
1902. generally known as the Morris
Act, under which timber has been
and Still is being sold from the ceded
lands of the various Indian reServa-
lions in the state of Minnesota. Mr..
Brown offered amendments to the
bill while it was under consideration
by the committee on Indian affairs
OF which he is a member, providing
that sales should be made under
sealed -bidS-that the brush and re-
fu-e should be cleaned up and burned
in order to protect the standing tim
Der from destructive fires and that
the timber should be properly scaled
that each log should be numbered
and that the number and scale Of
each log should be recorded in suit
able book so that the scale could be
tested as to its accuracy at any
time. There was much opposition to
Mr.. Browns ideas several hearings
were given those who opposed him,
but he succeeded in convincing the
committee that his ideas were right
and the bill was reported to the house.
When it came up for consideration
on the floor of the house the OppOSi-
ton endeavored to have the clause
providing for sealed bids stricken
from the bill and to have an amend
ment inserted providing for the sale
OF the timber at public auction. Mr..
Brown took the floor and explained
the provision Of the bill and urged
that the timber would sell for much
more if sold under sealed bids than if
sold at public auction. The bill was
finally passed as reported by the COM
mittee. Mr.. Brown has recently
received letter from Hon. w. A.
Jones, commissioner of Indian affairs
in reply to his inquiry as to whether
the sale of timber under the bill has
been satisfactory to the department,
Mr.. Jones after going into some detail
closes his letter as follows: Upon
the whole as hereinbefore stated. the
experience of this Office has fully
demonstrated, that Indian timber in
the interests of the Indians should
not be sold at public auction, but on
sealed bids, as you will see from the
foregoing that the prices received for
Indian timber under the sealed bid
proposition is greatly in excess OF
that received at public auction or by
private sale"
"There can be no question but that
the provision Of the regulations re-
curing the logger to clean up and
burn the brush, refuse, ETC., is OF
benefit, as it protects the timber to a
great extent from forest fires. All OF
the refuse being destroyed. there is
but little, if any, danger Of fire
starting on lands that have been cut
over. II fire starts at all it must
start on lands that have not been cut
over, as there is nothing on the cut
over lands to burn, except, possibly
standing timber of hardwood varie.
Ties"
SIN conclusion / want to thank you
in haho1f Of bn Tn1ion n
the Interior Department for the
active and intelligent part taken by
you in amending and passing what
| is known as the Morris bill. The
Indians of Minnesota and Northern
Wisconsin will receive millions OF
dollars for the timber that they
| would pot have received had it not
been for your intelligent handling OF
the subject, partly due, Of course, to
your intimate knowledge Of logging
and lumber business. In fact the
| chairman of the committee, Mr..
Sherman, of New York, told me that
| the committee relied entirely on
4 yOut JUG uCl1U III lCld UlOll W Uut
changes and proposed amendments to
the bill. / had labored for years to
bring about something akin to this
| act, but was unable to do so, partly
owing to the fact that members of the
committee were somewhat averse to
taking hold of the subject with which
they were not familiar. 1t is my firm
opinion. and it is also shared by the
Secretary of the Interior that nc
piece of legislation in recent years
that has sbeen enacted, has been OF
more benefit, financially, to the
Indians Of the northwest than the
Morris bill.'
The above quotations GU to prove
that Mr.. Browns practical business
ideas are appreciated by the heads of
one of the great departments Of the
government and that he favors legis-
lation which benefits the common
citizen although he may be the poor
Indian. -Rhinelander New North.