The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-05-04
HITCHCOCK'S HOBBY
UNDESIRABLE, THEY SAY
Claim That Proposed Action
viii Ruin Twenty Towns
and People


Z Special 10 Daily Leader
1 Washington, D. c. May a. Legis.
llation drawn with a view of alleWat
ing conditions In Puahmaiaha, McCW.
tain and 3 part Of McCur;ain counties
which are inyeloped by the proposed
I Choctaw and Chickasaw forest reservo
and which would permit The purch. S.
OF these lands by the. state of Ok1r
homa is now receiving the attention II
the senate committee on Indian affairs
and indications are that tile removal
of restrictions bill when finally adopt
led viii carry a provision which 'will
save these valuable forest lands foni
the gfasping hands Of The federal
forest service. ii viii be remembered
that about 100000 acres OF these
lands have been withhold from ollo,-
ment by the interior department with.
out authority and It Is generally be-
iieyhd that Il is high tire that some
thing definite be done Concerning the
fate of these lands. Two years ago
former Secretary g. a. Hitchcock of
the interior department, was grillcd
by the senate committee on Indian az
fairs for his action in The premises.
His only explanation for rcser ing the
lands in gnrstion from allotment was
that he wns lntic atine action Il this
kind from congress ani trspged the
discretionary powers icdeCd in sec,
retary OF ,hc interior justified his ac-
lion. Furthermore he said that ne
acted at Tie request Of thc department
Of agriculture, en- IN ulhCr words Cif-
ford pincnol the federal forester. VIII
has charge of the forests OF the nation
Towering altogether considerably more
than 5000 900 acres
But Hitchcock and his successor I'M
office Garfield, have brought aboir
no change in the status of those lands
and the GOO or more Choctaw and
Chirkasaw Indians who have set 10
take alloiments and who would like T.,
take them In these forests they learned
TO love while still young have beer
denied this privilege, although guar
anieed that right by the Atoka and
supplemental agreements which spe
officially provide that all enrolled Ia
dians may select land of any char
Iacter or description not previously 81
lected. This OF course included tbs
forest land upon which SOME Of them
actually settled The interior depari-
ment, however, soon discouraged them
in taking their allOtments in the tim
her regions and finally put up a sigu
OF keep OUT TO keep this much CO.
veted land inviouts Mr.. pinchoi. a.
Is claimed bad pr, fionsly sent some
.of his inspectors on The scene who Ia
turn sent back information TO Wash
ington that the timber sharks of tie
country We're plotting to get possession
lot this land and that much timber had
.already been cut and sold for ridicul-
.cusly low prices
The fact that the future of two and
possibly three counties together with
twenty or more growing cities and
towns in the vicinity of the proposed
reserve hangs In the balance haas
prompted the oklahoma congressional
delegation to get busy and TO see VIII ,t
really can be done 10 protect thc inter
ests OF millions of dollars worth cf
property In ihe three counties Merch-
ants In these twenty towns are afraid
that they viii be driven ont at bust
ness q q forest reserve is proclaimed
10 their vicinity and the constant fear
that some action of TINS Kind win be
taken by the government sooner Dr.
later has retarded the development 81
this particular part of the state Tor no
one can be- found who is willing to De-
so ioolhardy as 10 invest and risk
money Ia view of unsettled conditions
These towns and these people win ha
ruined NJ This reserve Rs created" d
the way the people down there and
who are directly Interested pui a. The
question of taxation also enters lare3.
7 Is into the question because no less