Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-11-24
w. A. JONES RETURNS TO
MINERAL POINT.


Hon. w. A. Jones Is home this week
from Washington, and we are glad TO
learn that he and family will soon
return to Mineral Point as their per-
ment residence. La order to give his
entire time and attention TO his eX-
tensive business interests here he has
resigned the Office Of commissioner of
Indian affairs. His resignation will
take effect January /, and President
Roosevelt has named Francis T..
Leupp, the Washington correspondent
OF The New York POST as the new
commissioner. OF the work of Mr.,
Jones In the Indian bureau the Madi-
son Democrat says:
w. A. Jones, the retiring commits.
sioner, has been In Office since the
beginning of the administration OF
President Mckinley in 1897. He Is
regarded rs the best man who ever
held that important office. Since he
took charge of the bureau, Affairs
have been conducted on sound bust
ness basis, 1t was through the inllu-
cnce Of Senator Spooncr that Prest-
dent Mckinley selected the Mineral
Point man for the place, and subsc-
Yuent events have proved that no
mistake was made, Cornelius N,
Bliss, the first secretary of the inter
ior In the Mckinley cabinet, declared
that the appointment of Mr., Jones
was the strongest that the martyrcd
president had made, Up to the time
of Mr.. Jones advance into the bu-
reau the Indian Office had been an
object OF perhaps legitimate suspicion.
The bureau was honcyCombed with
rings one within the other, and the
Indian contra tor and trader, who
regarded the aborigines rs lair sub
jects for robbery, were in the saddle,
and every nook OF the service was
intcrtwincd with their interests. The
government and the indians were
common enemy to these people. To
remedy the then existing conditions
and correct those abuses required
unswerving courage, nnttrlng energy
great determination and inHcNibc
honesty, for powerful influences stood
ut the back OF this crowd.
Duo OF the most serious prOblcms
confronting the Indian commissioner
was the footing Of the indians through
pine logging contracts 10y false scales
and combinations of bidders. This
was one of the most notorious abuses,
aud under tho peculiar circumstances
existing was one OF the most dilicult
to eradicate. 1t Is gratifying to note,
however, that ii has been thoroughly
accomplished.
Commissioner Jones first step was
To search for an expert timhcrmAu
whose character for honesty was
above suspicion lie found such u
man In the person OF Josesh IL. Farr
of Phillips. Mr. farr unoarthcd
many frauds which had been pcrpe-
tratcd by several strong combinations
of influential men, and upon his
report and recommendation the COM
missioner forced them to pay many
thousands of dollars into the federal
treasury.
Another great abuse IN Indian pine
land matters was the combination OF
loggers In making bids for logs, This
was difficult matter 10 ohviate, hut
IL has been done, Where Il cpmhina-
ton has been made aud the bid was
lower than the market value, the
commissioner refused TO contract
under the reservation made by the
government To reject any and all bids
below the existing market values.
Mr. Farr's expert knowledge and
unquestioned Integrity has served the
commissioner we'll and ena oled him TO
save the government several hundreds
of thousands of dollars. This work
was accomplished quietly, with NO