Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-10
BIG YEAR FOR INDIAN LAWS
Commissioner Lsupp Reports Congress Has
Been Active.
ONE RECOMMENDATION THAT FAILED
New Plea f. Made for Authority to
Make Longer Leases of Indian
Lands SO as to Permit sugar
Beet Raising.

WARRINGTON, Dec. ESPECIAL mo
congress- venture to say" asserts Francis
=. Leupp in his annual report, has ina
single session passed so much legislation of
vital Importance to the Indian population
Of the United States. and that part Of the
white population whose interests are more
or less bound up with those OF the Indians
as the Fifty ninth congress In its long
session" Commissioner Leupp says:
Besides several very generous appropria-
tons out of the accustomed order, 1 might
ship OF an Indian allottee till he receives
his patent in Zee, authorizing the issue Of
such patent to any allottee who satisfies
the secretary Of the interior Of his com
potency to take care Of himself, and pro-
vding a friendly and inexpensive proceed
ing for determining heirships among In
dams; the authority conferred upon the
president to extend the trust period OF In
dian allotments at his discretion; the eN-
tension Of the ration privilege under GER
tain conditions to mission schools; the pro-
lection Of allOtments released from trust
tenure against liens for debts previously
contracted; the allowance Of interest on NIL
nors' money retained in the federal treas
ury; the grant to this Office Of the where
wlthal to wage effective warfare upon the
liquor traffic in the Indian country; the
provision enabling Indian allottees to be-
come sharers in government reclamation
projects, and many other general enact
ments Of far-reaching effect.
Long List of Special Laws.
Then comes a long catalogue Of special
or localized legislation highly important
IN the regions concerned, such as that
for final disposition Of the affairs Of the
Five CIVILIZED Tribes in Indian Territory
for the opening Of the Usage reservation,
the Occur d'Alene reservation, the closed
half Of the COlyille reservation, part OF
the Lower Brule reservation and the big
pasture reserves Of the kiowa, Comanche
and Apache tribes; for the settlement Of
a number Of long-staHding controversies,
like that between the factions of the
StOckbridge and Munsee Indians, between
the klamath Indians and the government,
between the same Indians and the Califor-
MIA and Oregon Land company, and be-
tween the Sisseton and WahpetOn Indians
and the government; for the correction Of
past errors by such undertakings as Civ
ing the Jicarilla Apaches permission for
the sale Of their timber, the establishment
! or an indian toWnsite on the Bad River
/ reservation, the re-enrollment Of the POta-
/ watomies Of Wisconsin and the provision
of homes for the homeless Indians in Cali
/ foTnia; and measures intensely radical
/ though of doubtful wisdom, like the eman-
cipation Of the White Earth mixed blOods
/ and the emigrant kickapoos and allied In
While inviting attention to this unex-
| ampled record, ! cannot forbear to express
my great disappointment at the failure OF
I one item Of legislation, which l had ear
! nestly recommended both in formal re-
ports and in oral conversation with sena-
tors and representatives. 1t was a pro-
vision to authorize leases Of Indian agri-
| cultural lands, In certain circumstances,
/ TOT longer PERIODS IMAM the ANC years "
which they are limited now. The leases
were to be kept still subject to the control
| Of the secretary of the interior who was
as now. to lease the tribal lands him
! self, and to supervise and approve the
leases made by Indian allottees.
Sugar Beet Fields for Indians.
The purpose underlying this amendment
was to promote the training Of Indians
/ in sugar beet culture and in work in the
| sugar factories. The office is today IN
Z touch with men Of large means and abund-
ant business experience who are willing
\ to set up a great sugar plant on the edge
! Of one of the allotted reservations take
leases of all the tribal lands and of such
parts Of the allotted lands as the depart
| ment is willing to let the Indians rent
| out; enlarge and improve the irrigation
| system now in operation on the reseFva-
ton until all the available land is under
| an adequate water service; bring in many
| families of thrifty white working people
| organized under superintendents anc
| bosses thoroughly skilled in the art OF
| sugar beet culture; be answerable for this
! moral conduct Of these employees; instrU =
( the Indians in beet culture side by sic,
| with the white working people, give In
dian labor the preference wherever 1t car