The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-14
HUGE SCANDALS
IN INDIAN LANDS
La Toilette Hats Move in Con-
gress to Dispose Of Rich
Coal Fields.

get possession Of $780, 900 worth Of
Indian lands in which relatives Of Of
ment are directly implicated, was
brought to the attention of the senate
late yesterday. 1t will be investigated
showing. a colossal conspiracy, to rob
the Indians are certain to follow.
The lands in question are In the Choc-
taw and Chickasaw nations OF the ln-
dian Territory, and the senate bill pro-
viding for the closing up OF the affairs
Of the five civilized tribes was all
ready to be reported by, the committee
lette Of Wisconsin asked a few ques-
tions that brought the entire matter to
standstill.
Prominently mentioned in connection
with the deal is the Choctaw, Okla
bona & Gulf railroad. This company is
said to control a majority Of the leases
covering 107 900 acres of tho coal lands
in the neighborhood Of South McAles-
ter, I..T. AS operated at present, these
lands are netting the Indians about $l4
an acre year, and, according to state
ments made before the committee, will
net at a low estimate 5000 an acre be-
fore exhausted.
Lands Were to Be Sold.
BY the terms Of senate amendment
put into the Indian bill as passed by
| the house, these lands were to have
been sold to the lessees under an ap,
praisement made by a board appointed
by the secretary of the interior and the
lessees, these two to- choose a third.
| vided that g in making such valuation
| said appraisers shall not consider any
| Increased values Of the lands caused
by improvement and developments by
| said lessees.'
charged by attorneys for the Indians
that it would have given the lessees the
the appraisement would have been
based on the value Of the land twenty
years ago. This would have netted
! the Indians only ST. an acre for land
which at present is paying them $l4 an
acre on an is per cent royalty basis.
La Folette's Bomb.
The first intimation that there was
anything wrong with the Indian bill II
the committee came when Senator L.
Toilette asked for information as to the
rule under which the Indian coal lands
were to be sold. He announced thai
the bill in the light of any subsequent
information he might receive, and re
fused to be bound by the committee I
action. ~
!: This resulted in calling James Nc
. Murray and other attorneys for the In
: dams before the committee. These rep
resentatives insisted that the only fai
, way to dispose Of the Indian coal land
would be to put them on the marke
. and sell to the highest bidders.
During the discussion that follower
Senator Clark Of Montana said that o.
r the present lease under which the land
| were being operated, they were wort
: at least $50, 100000 and would eventual
ly be worth over l$100,Oo0,0oO.
Senator Longs Scheme.
On the vote for the adoption of tn
e senate amendment to the house bill
9 was lost and Senator Long proposed thu
q the lands be put up at auction and tina
l, the lessees be allowed to buy them at tn
highest bid. This was objected to, g
it would discourage anyone else BIT
the lessees from bidding on the lands
8 . Senator Clark then moved that til
l. matter be taken out Of the hands {
8 Secretary Hitchcock and the interit
', department. and be placed in the hant
70 Of a committee Of appraisers appointe
3 by the president. This was sdefeate
by tie vote, Senators Clark, La Fo
10 lette, Sutherland, and Teller voting f,
2 it and Senators Clapp, Warner, Io1
4 and McCumber against it.