Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-12-20
QUESTION OF LAND ALLoTnEN
Member OF Cabinet Did Not Ascertain
Whether He Had Any Right to Take
Action He Dds Senators Did Not
Mince Words With Him and He Had
Warm Time Of Il.
(By Assncinlol prossl

NsNHiiiNtIoN, ID. u, Dec. To-
Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock
was before senate committee today
TO explain why he had withdrawn MI
allotment of nearly four million acres
OF lands belonging To the five civiliz-
cd tribes In tho Indian territory, to
crcntinE Il forest reservation.
Secretary Wilson Of the Department
OF Agriculture was also present. They
cndcavored to Justify their course by
stating they had the hest interests OF
the Indian ut heart.
Senator Clark of Wyoming, Teller.
Long and l,rnndego declared TINT tho
Interior department had suspended n
statute of the United States without
authority AMI that II was the duty of
Secretary Hitchcock to- Immediately
rescind his order
The order withdrawing tho land
from allotment was Issued early I'm
The present month The pnrposc of
tho withdrawal was not stated public.
" NJ the time, but It dcveloped dur.
ms the earlier inquiries by the COM
mittee that the department intended
70 create II forest reserve within the
withdrawn lands which would contain
about 100000 acres These lands
would have to be purchased from the
ihdlans under some Dlau vet 10 he nrc-
sentcd and mn augmentation by Con-
eress would he required. !. +
Secretary Hitchc ,a:S .V.e,e first CALI.
cd TO the stand today. He SKI lstlsat
he had asked tho Forest service diyis.
lon of the agricultural departme emf to
report unbn request OF .Tack Cor
don. Of Pnris. Tcxns. and associates
that they be permitted to buy 100000
acres FOR game preserve. and that
IN making an adverse report on TINT
"roNos'tion the forest service had
asked for the withdrawal OF the lands
for forest reserve.
Mr.. Hitchcock's Defense.
MIR. Hitchcock said TINT I'm granting
the request he Ind only iomnornriIv
SUSPENDED the opera ton of the Inv re.
on'rinp that the lnnds In question bo
Tho tentative susuension he
said. was for tho purpose Of determin.
ing what was for the hest interest of
tho indians.
You have no rirht to sllsncnd tho
"norntion Of statute ono hour nor
ono minute" declared Senator Teller.
"f Won had tho rieht to tcmnorarilv
mold np the nnr?licntion Of - Inv. Won
could snsDnDd its operation for
month. wear or two wears" All or
Tho members ri tho committne took
"nrt IN condnmning tho action OF the
donnrtmcnt IN susnordinr tho Inv aud
'm'llv Sopntor Teller said. az chnl-
ienr" anyone to show INV stntuta
which nermittod the suaronsions Of
IN" allotment In question"
IF wn have vinlatod the law. am
sorry for It," said Secretary Hitch.
cock 's
Turning to Socrctarv Wilson. who
mad hecn nm Interested listener to the
rrraianmcnt Of his colleague in the
cabinet. Senator Lodge asked: I'VE
want to know under what authority
YOU requested the withdrawal of these
lands from allotment.
never looked Mt authority" re.
olied Secretary Wilson. az made nm
~" mind that we had better promo.
s'ticn fnr the Indian that to turn his
iahd INTO game preserve. The right
~ withdraw the lands was matter
FOR tho LAWYERS Of the Interior Depart-
mcnt to pass mDon. He made an in
""stigafinn and then recommenda.
lion. II is lin to Won gentlemen to saw
whether YOU take It nr not"
No" responded Senator Clark "it
IS u" tn the Secretarv of the Interior
20 do as the law tells him to do"