Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-12-30
INDIAN ADVANCE
DAWES COMMISSION REPORT
Preparing for Allotment Of Lands.-
Ninety Thousand Families to Re-
eeIve Farms. - Seven Years Of

esIve Farms. - Seven Years Of
Work.
Washington. d. C.. Dec. 2G.-Ths an.
nual report OF the Dawes commission
on Its work for the nve civilized tribes
Of Indians In Indian Territory. which
was made public to-day. Is u general
review OF the partition and allotment
OF the lands OF those Indians during
the past six years.
THE time consumed In the change
from the old system to the new" the
report says. has been . most irksome
period to the people OF Indian Terri.
tory and the commission IL not un.
mindful OF the fact that to many can
did observers the execution OF the
task has seemed to be both tedious and
expensive"
While admitting that criticism was
to be expected. the report goes on to
say that II IL not Just. and to show
that the time has been well occupied
In securln. a correct roll OF the people.
In obtaining u correct inventory OF
their property and In locating i'm.
provements.
OF the difficulties OF these various
divisions OF the work tho report says:
Every adult or head OF family In
. total Of more than 20O.O 900 citizens.
and claimants. was personally exam.
ined and his previous tribal record was
looked up. or this number and In this
way more than 10000 have been ex.
amincd since June IS. 1898. The pro-
cccdinss were all taken down. cspe.
cially as every case could " carried To
Washington on appeal. ana often the
record OF a single person was hun.
drcds OF pages In extent.
'Of the above number OF people. ap.
prosimatcly 10000 will be finally al.
Judged to lawfully possess tribal mem
bcrship and property rights. and Il can
readily b. seen how a less careful
course Of procedure would have ut.
tcriy dlsSlpatcd tho properties Of the
tribes.
As TO the appraiHcmcnt Of the land.
II was thought that tracts OF forty
acres or quarter section waa m
small u division IN could reasonably be
made tho subject OF personal inspcc'
ton. This acreage was adopted ar
the unit In ic,ctminink tn. grade and
value OF lands: but even this required
the locating. inspection. classifying
and Sslulns OF nearly 100000 tracts Of
land.
AS for safeguarding ihs, improve.
mcnt rights and occupancy rights OF
the people. their houses and barns.
fences and other improvements had to
bc located by actual surveys and with
minute accuracy. Perhaps hardly = man
In the territory knew the sectional d.
L a.. ~ AFz - l... 81
cation of single one of his improve.
Of accurate Information respecting
these matters except the surveys and
location Of improvements made by the
commission"
The report adds:
We have been daily witnesses o:
tho distress Of the people caused by
delay. not only Of the approximately
0.O00 citifcnA of the tribes but also Of
the estimated COO. 900 other r-siicnis
Of tho territory whose legitimate inter.
-siA suffer from an unsettled state OF
affairs.
There will have been seven years
/ consumed In this work II II In com.
plCtcd, ns We expect. by July l. 1905.
and tho administration Of these com.
munai estates. amounting TO nearly 20
100000 acres OF land and TO perhaps
hundreds Of millions Of dollars In act.
uai values. will then have consumed
that amount q. time and have cos, less
than 10 cents per acre"
We trust that consideration OF tho
facts here stated will lead to the con
cluHioB that under the circumstances
the iimc consumed has not been un.
reasonable nor the cost unduly great"
Speaking Of the difficulties con
ncctcd with the allotment work tho
commissioners say that ''spccnia,ors.
no, ovcrscrupuloilH In their business
methods. have attempted In every way
to influence the work with . view oi
personal gain"