The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-10-16

a n or the house In the fifty
sixth congress the public land laws
settlers, in cases of commu- i
tation Of homesteads Wess of the Mis-
souri, river, to pay in addition to the
Irdian price of the land, s1.25 per
acre. He introduced and passed a
bill so amending the law as to re-
lieve settlers from the payment of
$1.25 per acre, requiring them to LAY
only the Indian price. in case of COM
mutation, which, with a few excep-
tons made the price fifty cents per
acre. This, with the free homes
legislation, brought about the settle
men of that section of the state, as a
result of which the Chicago, Milwau-
kee s. st. Paul Railroad company
extended its line from Chamberlain
to Rapid City, and the Chicago &
Northwestern railroad from Pierre to
Rapid City.
Public Lands.
Another important law passed as a
result of work done in part by Repre-
sentative Burke was that relating to
school and indemnity lands. South
Dakota was short several thousand
oStSo vi SAlS CldSS vi ldIlOS. Inc
Burke bill empowered the state to
select such school and indemnity lands
west of the Missouri river. He also
passed a bill giving all settlers who
mad committed upon homesteads be-
fore the passage OF the free homes act
the right to make an additional entry.
Here is a list of reservation lands
opened under the terms Of measures
that were either introduced or sup
ported by Representative Burke:
Rosebud Gregory county, 500, 900
acres.
Rosebud (Tripp county, 1000, 900
acres.
Lower brule 100000 acres.
In a bill introduced by Mr.. Burke
$4,000 acres In the Lower Brule reser-
walton were authorized to be sold, the
price to be fixed by appraisement, and
the lands disposed Of under the home
stead laws.
Representative Burke always in
sisted hat congress should make APP
preparations for sections 16 and SO
in each township, n that such
townships should be granted to the
state for school purposes.
Indian Legislation.
AS a member Of h committee on
indian affairs Representative Burke
secured liberal appropriations for all
OF the Indian schools in the state. He
had h capacity of the schools at
Rapid City and Chamberlain doubled,
and the buildings at both places
greatly enlarged and improved. For
the Pierre Indian school he secured
an appropriation for the purpose of
a farm, appropriations for new build
ings. for an irrigation plant, and other
needed extensions.
The Indian asylum for Indians at
Canton, S. D., has been a bone of con-
tention for many years. Representa-
dive Burke prevented the abandon
ment of the institution on a number
occasions, and invariably secured
liberal appropriations for it's main
tenance.
The commissioner Of Indian affairs
had a practice for many years, in
making up his estimates. to fail to
provide for certain Indian agencies in
South and North Dakota, Iowa inc in
the southwest territories. If no APP
preparations had been made for the
purpose 1t would have meant the
adjustment of a number of important
Indian posts in South Dakota and
elsewhere. AS a member of the Indian
committee Mr.. Burke was always en-
abled to insert in the annual supply
dill salaries for the agencies which
The commissioner sought to have dis
continued.
The Burke Law
In his annual report Of the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1906, Francis E..
Ueupp. United States commissioner
of Indian affairs discussed at con-
siderable length what he referred to
as THE Burke Law" OF which the
member from South Dakota by that
name was the author. A brief explana-
ton should be made right here in
order that the wisdom of the Burke
law may be better appreciated.
The general allotment act of Feb
ruary 8. 1907. known as this Dawes
law, was the specialization of the
resolve OF the government that the
tribal relations of the Indian should
cease. The power conferred by it to
s%egregate the lands occupied by the
Indians and have them taken in
A"u 0SSA SASASAoSO " dS
great an extent as conditions seemed
to warrant. By its provisions the
lands allotted in ~severalty were to be
held In trust for twenty-five years,
and the Indians were to become citi-
zens of the United States and Of the
several state at the instance Of the APP
prevail of their allotment. The act
subjected the allottments to the local
laws Of descent and partition during
the trust period. This provision,
taken in connection with other laws,
authorizing the sale of deceased al
lottees lands. gave rise to a mass Of