The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-01-24
IL rAv,ltI Til ..,J|Ako
Governments Endeavor to
q Make Them Good Citizens,
LAND DEALING LAWS
Leases Expire at End Of Five Years
D.spensation of Proceeds of Sales
Becoming Averse ~ mortgage
and Notes Considers CAREFUL
Before Entering Into Contracts.

0SIOTe Entering tHtO S0utIdCtS.
/ Probably the most efficient system
in the world OF projecting me Indian
In his rights is maintained by the
Union Indlan agency at MuskOgte,
which administers the laws OF Co..,
gress and the regulations vi the Sec
reIary OF the lnlerlOr tor The purpose
ct keeping the tu1lpioOd in possess4oI
OF his worldly goOdS, says TIE Kans4s
CITY Journal. livery loot OF land Lne
fuIIbloOd sells must be alienated With
the consent of the Interior Depart
ment, either through the IemOI al Of
tls restrictions OF the posting uf his
land to be sod to the nlgnest bidder
through the Greek Iand sales division
VI the agency, the IuiIDloOd cAnIlot
sell nor lncumbeT mis- homestead lor
a period Oh twenty-five years. aid
can only ALLEVIATE the OLner portion OF
Ills allot1uenC WltR the consent az
.nder the Supervision OF the Govern
len. He is not allowed to lease ms
and for agricultural purposes Tor
4 period Oh over uve Yeas, and ne
~annot lease it Tor mineral purposes
except with the al.prOvaI OF the lnJe-
nor LeparIn4euL anG upon proof being
submitted Ina. ne is receiving ace.
Quale compensation Tor the lease.
At present the only tu44DlOods who
can sell Their Ian0 at all are citizens
III the Creek Nation. IN the CheiO-
hee, Choctaw and Chickasaw nations
Tie delivery OF aeeds TO alIOtters has
not been competed, and therefore
Indian lands there are not yet alien
aole. At present from 5000 to 5000
acres of land a month are sold through
the Greek land sales department OF the
Union agency at prices ranging from
$12 to $50 an acre for raw upland
farms.
BY this system the fullblood Indian
gets the greatest possible protection
he must first Tie a petition with the
Indian agent for the sale OF his land
He must stipulate how much land ne
desires to sell, and what he intends
to do with the money. He is also
asked about his age, physical and Il
thugs are taken into consideration Dy
the Government before action is taken
upon his petition. If the Government
believes IL is to the best interest OF
the Indian to sell portion of his
surplus holdings, his land is posted
tor sale and sealed bids are received
Upon it. At the expiration of sixty
days these bids are opened and the lana
is sold to the highest bidder If, how
ever, the Secretary of the Interior be-
lleves that the compensation is MOI
large enough, the bids are rejected
and the land readvertised.
1t would naturally be supposed the
protection to the tullblood would stop
here, but it has only begun. The Gov
eminent next aScertalnS through the
Indian agency how much OF tie money
the Indian owes, if any, and how much
of the money he receives from the
sale of his land it is necessary tor
him to have Immediately. This is paid
over to him in casa, usually a small
sum, and the rest of it is held in
trust for him at the local United States
depository in Muskogee. According to
the rules of the Secretary, he is al
lowed to draw upon this sum at the
rate Il $50 month.
The fuliblood, before he is allowed
to sell his land, is usually compelled
10 promise that he will use most OF
the money in building improvements
upon his homestead. AS soon as he re-
ceives his first payment he is instruct
ed to go ahead and have the improve
mtnts mLde. He secures carpenters
and has buildings erected, and some
times has a few acres of his homestead
Lroken for cultivation. When it is
all done 81 Government inspector goes
TO the place and inspects the improve
ments and ascertains if they were
properly made. The fullblood is then
acquired to send the bills submitted
by the contractors and others who
have done the work, as well as the
bills for material, to the UNION agency
where they are reviewed, and if the
Indian has been overcharged they are
cut down. They are then approved ana
pd1O Out VI Tic luAuS IOdllU6O lIOm Zig
sale Of the Indians land which are
being held in trust for him. If any one
has a bill or note against the Indian
representing debt contracted before
the land is sold, these are sent to the
Union agency, where they are review
ed before the money is checked out to
the Indian SO he can settle the obn-
cation.
In going ahead and engaging his own
labor, buying the material and super
intending the WORK of having his I'M
provements made, he is given all the
advantage of managing his own al
fairs without being subjected to dam
ger of being grated in the proceeding.
Indian agency officials say that a
fullblood seldom breaks his promise
to use and make improvements as
agreed when he is allowed to ALLEVIATE
his land. Another admirable trait in |
the fullblood is that he seldom SCENTS
to the agency for a monthly INSTALL
ment of the money due him in advance |
OF the stipulated time. and if he is not |