Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-21

might be, that what Mr.. Leahy or Mr..
Trumbly says can be absolutely relied on
made by Mr.. Leahy, Mr.. Trumbly was
present and frequently interrupted the
speaker to explain certain statements
which seemed ambiguous or misleading.
an investigation of the lease question by
the President. and so far they have been
unable to reach the President or lay their
case before him.
The Statement.
The statement follows:
"Our delegation was duly elected to come
to Washington for the purpose of securing
legislation providing for the allotment of
our lands and tribal funds to the Indians
in severalty. Another object of the dele
cation is to insist upon an adequate royalty
from Oil leases on our lands. In 1896 q
blanket lease covering our entire nation of
about 100000 acres was given to one E.
B. Foster for a period of ten years. That
lease provided that a royalty of one-tenth
of the Oil produced should be paid to the
Indians.
THAT lease finally became the property of
the Indian Territory Illuminating Oil
Company and that company has divided our
reservation into three tiers of lots Each
tier is made up of lots One-half mile wide
by three miles long, and each lot contains
from 900 to l, 100 acres The lots are num-
bered consecutively from 1 to 34S. These
lots are subleased to any company or in
dividual meeting the demands of the parent
company.
They make demand of anywhere from
$1.00 to 5000 an acre a bonus and re-
quire sublessee to pay royalty of 1873
per cent, which enables the parent COM
pany to pay to the Indians the 10 per cent
royalty provided for in their blanket lease
and leaves 62s per cent of the production to
go into their pockets, in addition to the
bonus which the sublessees are required to
This production at the present time is
in the neighborhood of 10000 barrels Of
Oil per month.
original lease, produces very little oil by its
own operation. Fully nineteen-twentieths
of the oil produced from the Usage lands Is
produced by the sublessees, and If the SUBJ
lesseeS can afford to pay the heavy bonus
required by the parent company and the
1915 per cent of the production as royalty
besides, we believe that in all fairness to
the Indians and to the parent company
that a larger royalty can be paid to the
Indians than is provided under the original
lease.
Lease Approved Under Protest.
1.-THE original lease will expire in April,
1906. and the Indian Territory Illuminating
Oil Company. owning that lease, are here in
force with all the influence they can muster
and with a number Of weil-pald Lobbyists
and lawyers for the purpose OF having ehelr
lease renewed for a period Of ten years un.
der the same conditions as the original
lease We will go back a little and say
that the original lease was approved py the
Secretary Of the Interior contrary to the
wishes of a large majority of the lndlans
as expressed in a protest against the ap-
nrovai of the lease, signed by the majority
of the tribe and filed with the Secretary
prior to his approval thereof, but the lease
was approved nevertheless.
1.-The effort now being made to secure an
extension of ten years under the same con-
ditions Is protested against by all the mem
bers of the tribe
But, in view of all OF the results OF our
efforts it appears that the desires of the
Indians who own the land, are to be ut
terly disregarded.
"Jt NAV be true that there are many I'M
tutored members of the tribe who require
the guardianship of the United States to
look after their interests and there is no
objection to the said guardianship II the
trust is faithfully executed. L VIII say,
however that there are members or the
Usage tribe Of Indians who are thoroughly
equipped and are entirely competent to be
consulted and to give advice as to what Is
the best policy for the welfare or the tribe.
and they are also competent to judge as to
whether or not the sacred trust imposed by
law upon the Secretary of the Interior, act
ing for the United States as guardian for
the Indians, has been faithfully executed.
DO not misconstrue our language! Such
expressions are prompted by reason of the
fact that the interests of strangers who
have only transient rights in our territory
are carefully considered and legislation
which they ask for is sanctioned by the
department and is granted in the shape of
an amendment to the Indian appropriation
bill, in opposition to our wishes and de-
sires and without our consent.
1--WE were fairly treated in our hearing
before the committee on Indian affairs in
the House and a proviso is made on our
bill, I'll. R. 1747S) referring the matter of
the leasing of our lands to the President
for inv fforof ton, nd hat flor tn
vestigation he is authorized to use his dis
erection in renewing the original lease for
the period of ten years.
IF that legislation will result In an in
vestigaffon to be made by some person ap-
pointed by the President who is thorough
ly competent and of unquestioned integrity
and who will make impartial investiga-
x.id &.ila. a.