Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15
RIGHTS OF INDIANS
Property of the Five Civilized
/. Tribes.
COAL AND OIL LANDS
Investigation by Special Senate
Committee.
GUARDIANS FOR THE RED MAN
Secretary Hitchcock Points Out Some
Abuses of the Present
System.
GUARDIANS FOR THE RED MAN

Secretary Hitchcock unequivocally de-
clares that he believes the Interior Depart
ment to be the only agency through which
the rights of Indians may be secured against
preying real estate agents Of Indian Terri
tory and Oklahoma. The declaration was
made at the conclusion of his testimony be-
fore a special Senate committee which is
Investigating the property rights of the
five civilized tribes, with especial refer
ence to the value of coal and oil deposits.
In the sale and leasing of Indian lands
western agents have declared that the red
tape involved in the present system of hav-
ing each deal passed upon in Washington
by the Indian department often defeats
many trades that would be of advantage
to the Indians themselves.
Senator Long asked Secretary Hitchcock
for his opinion on this subject, inquiring
particularly if he did not think it would be
feasible for Congress to designate some tri-
bunal. court or commission in Indian Ter
ritOry which could pass upon applications
OF Indians to ALLEVIATE their lands, the decis-
Ion OF such agency to be final
The Secretary answered that the question
was unfair, for to answer as he desired
would seem to make him imply that there
were no persons in that territory with suf-
ficient honesty and loyalty to the Indians
to safeguard his interests.
Upon being pressed for an answer, he
said that no law should be passed which
would take the right of review from the
office Of the Secretary of the Interior
Methods of "Grafters.'
There followed a long discussion upon
the profession of "grafters,'' as the real
estate agents of the territories designated
themselves to the Senate committee during
ria bod ~, %i1
ritory and Oklahoma last summer
Secretary Hitchcock explained the meth
DDS Of these men and said that the Indian
had no chance against their cunning and
trading instincts. He would recommend no
change in the law in regard to the aliena-
ton of the Indian lands.
Senator Clarke of Wyoming asked for the
Secretary's view of a proposition to permit
the mixed-blood Indians to dispose Of their
surplus lands without restriction of any
character, to dispose of their homestead
lands under the supervision and regulation
Of the Secretary Of the Interior; to permit
the full blood Indian to dispose of his
surplus lands under the direction of the
Secretary of the Interior, but not to be
permitted to dispose of his homestead lands
under any conditions.
Mr.. Hitchcock agreed to-prepare a re-
Spouse to this plan and submit it to the
courts to name guardians for Indians in
the matter of alternating their lands was
condemned by Mr.. Hitchcock, who said the
department is me- investigating charges
that certain of these professional guardians
had worked in too close harmony with the
alleged grafters." 1t was shown that In
one section the courts had appointed one
man guardian for Indians in ninety dis
tinct cases.
Value of the Lands.
Scandals in connection with the sale and
leasing of the oil and coal lands involved
have been charged frequently, and it is to
avert these in the future the committee is
working. Considerable time was devoted in
an endeavor to arrive at the value of the
coal lands of these tribes, which has been
variously estimated at from $15,OO0,OOO to
between four and five billion dollars. 1t
was stated that proposition was expected
to be made to the government for the
purchase of these lands by the new state
of Oklahoma.
The Secretary was entirely unable to place
value on the lands. The geological sur
vey had estimated the deposits to contain
nearly three billion tons of coal, while the
government mining inspector for the terri
tory placed the amount at a billion and a
quarter tons. The Secretary regarded the
latter estimate as more nearly correct. He
added that a fair price for the mineral
rights might be arrived at upon the basis
of the royalty of cents a ton, the amount
the Indians now receive under coal land
leases.
The Secretary expressed himself against
any present sale of the coal lands, saying
he believed it would be impossible to get
anything like fair price for them in view
partment had made in that connection.
Senator Brandegee remarked he had
heard four billion dollars was to be Of
fered for the lands.
Il would accept that offer in wink" re-
sponded Mr.. Hitchcock.
The Secretary advocated the present sale
of the surface lands over the coal de-
posits, saying the way to accomplish this
was by the sealed bid system.
Standard Oil Methods.
He approved generally a plan proposed
by the commissioner of Indian affairs that
the Indians incorporate and lease their coal
lands. Discussing the oil production In the
territory, Mr.. Hitchcock asserted that the
Standard Oil Company had a monopoly by
controlling the pipe lines by means OF
which the price of oil had been forced
down to "a cents a barrel and, that but
90, 900 barrels day were being produced
whereas 200, 600 barrels day could be OBJ
tanned should the field be worked to Its
normal capacity.
The Secretary said he was doing wha
he could to encourage the independent pro
Queer, but that the only possible chance
of success would be by the construction o.
Independent lines. There was proposition
on foot the Secretary said, to pipe natura
gas from the Usage nation to st. Louis
where the company proposed to reduce the
price of gas from So to 35 cents per thou
sand. The Secretary said he had refused
to approve this plan unless the price pait
the Indians for gas well leases should b.
placed on a more equitable basis for tn,
Indian than the small price per well nov
paid.
The committee adjourned until Tuesday
next, when Director Walcott of the geo
logical survey will endeavor to give an est
mate of the value of the lands in question
Forefather's Day.