Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-11-21
TO make POOR 10 RICH
indian Commissioner leupp Out.
lines Plan.
STOCK COMPANIES FOR TRIBES
Suggested That Red Men HAVING
Money and Lands Organize and
Administer Their Common Estate.
This Would Conserve Property.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2O.--rhe an.
hllal report of Francis L. l.eupp, Com.
missioner Of Indian Affairs, inst
made public, recommends that Indian
tribes. having money and lands, or.
ganizc themselves into joint stock
| companies, Tor the purpose OF adj
minisicring their common estate.
Such plan he argues. would con.
serve their property interests at
large and yet clothc each beneficiary
with sense of personal possession.
He make this suggestion In con
hection with Il discussion of the nf.
rhirs OF the O5agcs, who arc said to
ne the richest people, per capita, in
me world. However, he proposes the
1nlhl stock company plan for all In
uiahs whose property interests justify
It.
Suppose" says Commissioner lie.
upp, That tribe has one million
uollars III the treasury, one million
acres of agricultural land, and mines
winch pay royalties OF one hundred
thousand dollars II year.
Each Indians Share.
we may suppose the tribe to mum.
Der oYc thousand souls. Let Il cen.
sus fe cast on II certain datc-say
TIC <hrst OF January next ycar-and
10 each person on the roll let there
~ issued one share of stock in the
ttfibal corporations already organ.
'lzed. That stock at the outset would
represent $1,000 In each case, 900
acres OF land, and 800 Of annual
royalty The mixed property would
nc no greater in the aggregate than
before the act of the corporation
hn
communal to the business basis OF
ownership.
"lf an Indian wished to sell his
snare oil STOCK to somebody who was
ready to buy it for song how could
the government prevent him? 1t
seems to me that prevention would
be very easy. Under the terms OF
incorporation. which. Of course, would
take form in II general statute for
application TO all tribes, 1t could
be provided that the Secretary OF the
interior should be the perpetual treas
nrer and transfer agent OF the COM
pany."
Commissioner Ieupp says that the
feature of Indian civilization upon
which his office has laid It's greatest
stress has been its policy of inducing
the young anil able bodied Indians
who have no profitable work at home
TO leave their reservations and go
out into the world and make living
as white men do.
Red Men Good Workers.
Some times they go only a little
ways" he says, but even that is
better than not going at all
The Indians are strong, silent,
Dc rui {
have not learned to loaf when the
boss back is turned
Concerning his efforts to revive
Indian art, the Commissioner says
On the same principle. which has
actuated my effort to preserve and
perpetuate that which Is best in our
aboriginal music, have been exert.
Ing myself during the last year to
rescuc and develop the best ideals
In the pictorial. plastic and textile
arts of the Indian
ut Is my desire that the pupils
who study and kind of decorative
work shall be encouraged and led
to employ Indian combinations of line
and color. and that the products OF
the school shops, as far as they
lend themselves properly to orna-
mentation, shall show the character.
lstlc indian touch, as distinguished
from tho Caucasian designs which
pervnde the same branches Of in.
dustry elsewhere"
The Indians Of the United States
cost the government last year S12,745
$50, according to Mr.. Luepp. Tho
largest items of increase in cxpcndi.
lures were for fulfilling treaty stip.
lllations. which was Sl,715,32l, and
for irrigation projects, on which
$3194 795 was spent.