Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-23
INDIAN LAND LEASES
The House Calls for the Foster
Agreement.
ACTION IN COMMITTEE
SUBSTITUTE FOR THE STEPHENS
RESOLUTION ADOPTED.
Secretary Hitchcock Explains Why He
Favored Renewal-Osages Want
Better Rental.
ACTION IN COMMITTEE

The renewal of the lease of the Usage oil
lands and the possible interest of the Stard
ard Oil Company in the Indian Territory IL
Illuminating Oil Company has developed into
one of the questions of the day in Con-
gress and n the Interior Department The
publication of the statement of the Indians
in The Star Tuesday afternoon precipitated
a discussion in the House of Representa-
tives. when Representative Stephens of
Texas introduced two resolutions calling on
Secretary Hitchcock to furnish the House
with copies of the Foster lease and all the
subleases, and for all correspondence -eiat-
ing thereto; also for a statement to
der what act of Congress the Foster lease
was made.
The House Calls for the Foster Lease.
The House committee on Indian affairs to-
day drafted substitute for the Stephens
resolutions of inquiry directed to the Secre-
tary of the Interior regarding the Foster
lease of Usage Indian oil lands and author
lied the reporting of the substitute.
The language of the substitute is that the
secretary of the Interior is hereby request
cd to furnish the House with all convenient
speed a copy of the lease made between
James Bigheart, principal chief of the
Usage nation of Indians, and Edwin B. Fos-
ter. on the 10th day of March, 1896, and a
copy of the departmental approval thereof;
also copies of all forms of subleases grant
ed under said lease; also list of all sub
leases which have been submitted to the
Interior Department and approved, and
list of all SubleaSeS which have been sub
mtted to the department and which have
not been approved; and also all documents
and correspondence pertaining thereto"
The redraft of the inquiry was made on
suggestion in the committee that the Ste
phens' resolution contained inquiries on
matters which the House had no right to
l IL Nr Il 1.,tS 11yn
that it's original form would make it sub
ject to point of order in the House and
prevent its adoption.
The House subsequently adopted a reso-
luton requesting copies of the original Fos-
ter oil lease in the Usage reservation and
the approved of the same.
Mr.. Stephens Inquiry.
One of the resolutions introduced by Mr.
Stephens for which the substitute was Of
fefed today asks under what act of Con-
gress the Foster lease was made and
under what authority of law the subleases
We're approved. The Secretary is asked
whether he did not ratfy the sub
lease to the Almeda company, and
whether this was not the first suitcase SO
ratified and whether he had not previously
refused to ratify subleases. The resolution
| asks not only for the date of the ratifica-
| ton of the Almeda suitcase, but also
calls for a list of the officers directors and
| information as to whether any of these
| persons are personally known or in any
way related to him the Secretary and If
| so the name of such person and how re-
ated.' The resolution also directs the Sec
rotary to say whether he did not on Feb
ruary /? last, in a letter addressed to the
chairman of the committee on Indian af-
fairs, write that the commissioner of In
dian affairs "also shows that there is no
necessity for the proposed legislation in
order to protect the existing rights of the
parties who held under the said Foster
lease, and it is not deemed advisable nor
indeed. would it be just, to renew and ex
tend the said lease for period of ten
years, or any other period with ut the
knowledge and consent of the Indians"
The resolution cont mes: And If you did
write this letter please state to this House
what information you lave since received
adoption of the Senate amendment to the
Indian appropriation bill extending said
| lease for ten years on 10000 acres of
| said Usage Indian lands without first Sc
| curing the consent of said Indians
| The statement recently given out by Sec
| rotary Hitchcock is cited, in which he
| said that the original Foster lease was
| an unheard-of monopoly and nothing short
| asks the Secretary if he thus correctly
| quoted, and if so to state why he now
| recommends extension of the lease.
Secretary Hitchcock's Statement.
Secretary Hitchcock in referring to the
sentative Stephens of Texas introduced a
resolution in the House, said that he could
| not recall any such company.
Il know nobody connected with this COM
| pany," said he land the suppostion that
any officer is related to me in any way is
| absurd. There has been no change of opin-
I'm ri in rd RI no FnSt