Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-15
Land Increasing in Value.

the birth rate are about equal: there may
be gain of twenty thirty one year and
an equal loss the next.
Land Increasing in Value.
There seems TO be no reason why the land
should not be divided and the reservation
opened to settlement. 1t is rapidly increas-
ing in value, and is now worth from SO TO
$50 an acre; so that when 1t is sold the
wealth of the tribe will be enormously In
creased Reserving for each individual
man. woman and child-au allotment Of 100
acres or total of 100000 acres for the en-
tire tribe, ,t66,Ooo acres will remain 10 be
disposed OF. II they bring an average of 10
an acre the proceeds will be 80, 1J0O0o
Adding to this the $S3T2, APT now to the
credit of the Osages in the United States
treasury, their trust will reach total OF
S37 522 .42T, an average of nearly 10000 for
each member of the tribe, which would
bear an income of 1000 more or less, Gc-
cording to the interest allowed by the gov
eminent. Thus. a. family OF five would
have a permanent income of 5000 a year
and a farm of 800 acres There is no COM
munity In the world rich as this.
Mr. c. f. Iarrabee of the Indian bureau
gives the following explanation OF the sue
cess of the allotment plan;
'"rhe first authorization for the allotment
of lands In severalty to Indians was con-
tanned in the act of March 3. 1889 entitled
An act for the relief OF the Bsothertown
Indians in the territory of wisconsin Sub
sequeutly various laws and treaties author
lied the allotment of lands to particular
tribes. The first general law on the subject
was passed February 8, 1887, and Is COM
monty known as the general allotment act.
Since that time most OF the alotments have
been made under that law or laws contain
ing similar provisions.
Allotments to Indians.
From the date of the passage of the act
of March 3, 1882 down to the present time
alletments have been made to about $500
Indians, exclusive OF those made to MEM
bers OF the five civilized tribes I'm Indian
Territory. to whom 97,705 allotments have
been made Since 1887 thirty-twO reserva-
tions have been abolished and the surplus
land sold, opened to settlement Cor is TO he
opened under existing laws. On these res
ervations 23,540 Indians have been allotted.
On six reservations portion or the surplus
lands have been disposed Of The allotted
Indians on these reservations number 4,5o7"
In reply to a question, Mr.. Larrabee con-
tinued: Opinions differ to the moral and
material effect upon the Indians. Expe-
rience has shown that the allotment system
is In many ways desirable. Permanent %
cation and ownership of home are useful
to most OF us, and especially useful to the
individual who is constitutionaly inclined
to roam, and yet particularly unified to
roam in the conditions created by modern
civilization The allotment gives the Indian
a home and provides way In which his in
dividuaI effort will result IN his own adj
yancement. The system is attended by
some disadvantages. the most deplorable
Of which is the facility with which allotted
indians obtain intoxicants. Perhaps the
iudiscriminate comforting OF citizenship
upon allotees has become premature; yet
freedom of thought and action are neces-
sary to any material progress toward uiti- |
mate independence and good citizenship |
and the general plan is believed to be, on !
the whole. beneficial, as tending to greater
individual independence and promoting per- |
manent home building. At any rate, such |
a change must come one day. in order 10 |
bring the Indians into relation with the rest
of our body polite. When would they be
better fitted for such change than now?
1.-The act first above referred to-" contin- |
ued Mr. Larrabee, 'as well as various laws
and treaties. authorized the issue of fee
simple patents to Indians on a number of
reservations, by which absolute title was
vested in the allotees, with full power of
alienation. 1t appears. from statistics pre-
pared in this ONCE some years ago, that
about 5000 Indians had received patents
conveying title to lands without restriction.
''Since the act of August Z. 1852. provid-
ing for allotments on the Omaha reserva-
tions, restrictive title has been given al
lotees of various reservations-the lands
either being held In trust for the allotees or
limitation on the power of alienation i'm
posed. In comparatively small number
OF cases where trust patents have been is
sued Congress has authorized the issuance
In lieu thereof Of fee simple patents with
out restriction. These cases would prob
ably not exceed LOO in the aggregate
Under the act Of Congress approved
May n, 1902 heirs OF deceased allotees TO
whom patents have been issued containing
restrictions upon alienation may sell and
convey the lands inherited from such dece-
dents, subject to the approval of the Secre-
tary of the Interior. Up to June 80 1906
there had been sold under the provisions of
this act 2.642 separate tracts aggregatlng
258.e31 acres for q consideration OF $4,207.- |
100. or an average price of s16.3S per acre"
Next to Be Allotted.
Mr.. Larrabee told me that the reserva-
lions next to be allotted are those at Walker |
river. New: Fiathead, Mont: Yuma, Cal: |
Spokane. Wash, and Turtle mountain. N. |
Oak. Lands are now in process Of allot- |
ment on the following reservations: Crow. |
Montana: Ponce ana Otto. Oklahoma: |
Standing Rock. North Dakota; Cheyenne |
river, Pine Ridge and Rosebud, South Da-
kota: Yakima and Quinaielt, Washington, |
and Shoshone, wyoming.
providing that each duly enrolled member |
Of the tribe occupying the Usage reserva- 4
ton in Oklahoma should be permitted to Sc /
1ect a homestead Of 100 acres. and that the |
remaining lands, except certain tracts re- |
served for the common use OF the Indians for |
town sites and school purposes, should be /
allotted equally to the members of the tribe
by q commission to be appointed In accord |
ance with the provisions Of the bill. 1t |
failed to pass. however. Doubtless q SINH /
lar bill VIII be introduced In the next Con- |
gress. though the Indian ONCE does not /
know OF any strong pressure against It.
.---o-
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