Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1906-08-17
WHAT THE SENATORIAL COMMITTEE Will DO
Something Will Probe the Affairs of the Five Civilized Tribes
After Fall Eecto-Cos Railroads. Etc to Receive Attention

! their divine duty to look after the
affairs of the red man and TO protect
him from his own infrmities. When
he goes down INTO Indian Territory
and learns for himself tho conditions
existing there it il expected that he
will return with broader and more
liberal ideas relative to the affairs Of
these people.
Senator Henry M. Teller is un-
doubtedly the best posted man on
Indian affairs in the United States
if not in the world. For twenty years
he has served as member OF the
senate committee on Indian affairs !;
for three years he was Secretary OF
the Interior lie is a brilliant law
yer, quick of PERCEPTION and honest
to a fault. If there is anything rot
ten in connection with the affairs OF
the Five Civilized Tribes the guilty
ones may expect no aid or comfort
from him, If, on the other hand,
there is no truth in the charges made
against certain officials and thye can
demonstrate that fact clearly, they
will have no greater friend or sup
porter in or out Of congress than
the veteran statesman of Colorado.
Senator Teller's services were par
tieulary desired by the committee
and his acceptance Of the appoint
ment was in line with the many per-
sonal sacrifices he has made in the
past in the interests Of the people OF
ihe west and the national govern
meht.
The selection of Senator wv A.
Clark, of Montana, and his consent
to serve on the committee, was not
only wise selection, but one that
will be of great advantage to both
the committee aud the people whose
interests are affected, and his con
sent to serve upon the committee,
considering the magnitude Of his d.
versifed interests illustrates the un-
selfish and public spirit of the man,
Ii was Senator Clark who first dl-
rected attention of the senate com
mittee on Indian affairs last year to
the great value Of the coal
deposits in the Choctaw nation.
1t is estimated that the plan submit
ted to the committee, which it was
about to adopt, would have netted
lthe Indians approximately five mil
Ilion dollars. When the Montana
senator announced to his colleagues
during one Of the sessions Of the
committee, that he would be very
glad to purchase the entire coal
fields in the Choctaw Nation for fifty
million dollars and that under the
plan the committee was then serl
ously considering, the lands would
not net the Choctaw and Chickasaw
Indians more than five million dol
lars, the various members com
menced to sit up and take notice
The Interior Department was called
upon for all the information 1t had
in its possession and distributed
throughout the Indian bureau, the
geological survey and the general
land office When this data was
received it disclosed condition OF
| affairs known to possibly only one
member of the committee. Govern
ment publications showed that GER
tain railroad companies, among them
being the Rock Island Railroad com
pany and its branch and auxiliary
lines, the Santa Fe Railroad COM
pany and its branch roads, either
held leases in the name of the rail.
road companies or in the names OF
their stockholders and officials, Gov
ering practically all of the ther
known valuable coal deposits. These
leases had yet to run for periods
ranging form twenty to thirty-hvt
years. No other company or individ'
val could purchase the property
covered by these leases and acquire
title thereto, until the expiration oi
the lease. Thus the only persons OF
companies likely to submit bids fol
the purchase of these coal lands
we're the railroad companies and
their officials.
Those who are familiar with the
debates in congress last winter OF
the railroad rate bill well remember
the sensation produced in the senate
when Senator LaFollette of Wiscon
sin revealed these facts to the sen
ate and further pointed out that
practically all of the then knowr
valunhlr coal deposits in the United
States were either owned or con
trolled by the great railroad com
panies. As result of these disclos
ures an amendment was included II
the railroad rate bill providing that
all railroad companies doing an inter
state business should by sale oi
otherwise dispose of their coal lanC
holdings and 90 out of the coal pro
dueing business and thereafter con
fine their operations exclusively t
| the business of n common carrier b.
January |, 1909. These disclosure
resulted in the investigation of tn
operation of the Pennsylvania Rail
road and the Reading Railroad II
their control of the anthracite Goa
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