Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-30
Government Insists on Keeping II for the
Children.
TAFT STATES POSITION ON PRESIDENCY
Does Rot Expect to Be the Republican
Nominee in 1908
QUESTION OF AVAILABILITY IN WAY
AZ the same Time He Says IL would
BE Foolish to Say He would
Decline IL Nomination is
rendered Him.
frrom a STAR corresnondent.l

CFrom Stan Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.-(Special Tele-
gram.)-The secretary of the interior and
Commissioner Leupp today had several
conferences with Major Mclaughlin, spe-
cial Indian inspector, who mas returned
to Washington after several councils With
the Sioux Indians of Trip county, South
Dakota, regarding the terms upon which
they would part with their surplus lanos.
So far as can be learned. there appears
but one point of difference between Major
Mclaughlin and the head chief, and this
is as to the parents Of minors having
control of their pro rata shares in the
segregation. The Sioux seem to hold out
for control of the money which may be
due their children by reason of the sale
of lands. The secretary of the interior
and the commissioner of the Indian
bureau do not view the case in the same
light. The proposition which Major Nc
Laughlin suggested to the Trip county
Indians was upon the lines that governed
the opening of the Rosebud reservation
This provided that the minor childrens
share in the proceeds should be retained
in the custody of the United states until
each minor child should reach the age of
Is years.
While the commissioner has not given
Major Mclaughlin any specific instruc-
tions, he has intimated to him that in his
further councils with the Indians. he must
make it clear to the red men that the gov
ernment will insist upon the retention
of moneys due minors, laying them their
share when they reach the age of 1s years,
the parents in the meantime maintaining
the children until they reach the legal
age
Secretary Taft willing.
| Secretary Taft made the following state
ment today concerning his presidential
aspirations:
| For the purpose of relieving the burden
imposed by recent publications upon some
of my friends among the Washington news
paper correspondents of putting further in
quiries 20 me, / wish to say that my ambi-
ton is not political; that / am not seeking
the presidential nomination, that I do not
expect to be the republican candidate, II
for no other reason because of what seems
TO me to be objections to, my availability,
which do not appear to lessen with the
| continued discharge of my official duty,
but that l am not foolish enough to say
that in the improbable event that the op-
portunity to run for the great office OF
president were to come to me l should de-
cline it, for this would not be true"
Minor Matters mt Capital.
R. T. Haprof of Mitchell, S. D., has been
awarded the contract for the construction
of the Indian school quarters at Bismarck
N. d., at $42,919.
contract for the construction of the
Cheyenne river Indian day school in South
Dakota has been awarded to w. D. Lowell
of Minneapolis, at $4,000.
Charles T. Boardman and wife of Des
Moines are in Washington on a signtsee-
ing tour. They were today entertained at
luncheon by Secretary Shaw and wife.
Postmasters appointed: Nebraska
Mitchell. Scott's Bluff county, Charles H
Blackburn, vice L. s. Russell, resigned
Iowa-Laddsdale, Davis county. Joseph
Poole, vice w. r. Daum, resigned.