The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-08-12
FIGHT STILL WAGES.

That portion of the Jones bill pro-
viding that Indians may sell 60 acres
of their S0-acre allotments bids fair
to become dead letter by reason Of
the fact that the interior department,
the Indian department and the recla-
nation service do not get together
on the matter of the Wapato project,
and it now looks as though it would
take at least one more session of con-
gress to untangle the various prob
lens confronting the different
branches of service, says the Wapato
Independent.
The Jones bill provides:
Sec. 8. That if any lands hereto
fore allotted or patented to Indians
on said Yakima Indian reservation
shall be found irrigable under any
project, the secretary of the interior
is hereby authorized, upon the re-
quest or with the consent of such
allottee or patentee, to dispose of all
land in excess of 90 acres in each
case, in tracts of an area approved by
him and subject to all the provisions
of the reclamation act, to any person
qualified to acquire water rights I'M
der the provisions of the reclamation
act, at a price satisfactory to the al
lottee or patentee and approved by
the secretary of the interior, or 1t
public sale to the highest bidder. The
payments shall be made in annual
installments, the number and terms
being approved by the secretary CT
the interior. Such payments shall be
in addition to the charges for con-
struction and maintenance of their
rigation system, made payable into
the reclamation fund by the provis-
ions of the reclamation act. In case
of failure to make an payment for
such lands when due, or the charges
under the reclamation act, the secre-
tary of the interior shall have power
to cancel the entry and the CORE
spending water right and again dis
pose of the land in the manner here
inbefore provided.
Sec. A. That from the payments
received from the sale of such indi-
vidual Indian lands there shall be
covered into the reclamation fund the
amounts fixed by the secretary of the
interior as the annual charges on ac-
count of the land retained by such
Indian for the construction and main
tenance of the irrigation system as
required under the reclamation act.
The balance, If any. shall be de-
posted in the treasury of the United
States to the credit of the individual
Indians. and may be paid to any CT
them II, in the opinion of the secre-
tary Of the interior. such payments
will tend to improve thte condition
and advance the progress of said In
dams, but not otherwise.
Sec. 5. That the secretary of the
interior is hereby authorized to cover
into the reclamation fund from the
money of any such Indian, either
from his individual credit or from
the general Yakima Indian fund, for
the payment of charges for the con-
struction and maintenance for the
water rights appurtenant to the land
retained by him, or for the annual
maintenance charges payable on ac-
, count of such water rights after the
construction charge thereon has been
paid in full. After unconditional title
in fee has passed from the United
States for any lands retained by suchl
Indians. the water for irrigating such
lands shall be furnished under the
same conditions in all respects as for
other lands under the project. Pro-
vided. that any Indian taking advant-
age OF this act shall have perpetual
water right so long as the main
tenance charges are paid. whether ne
uses the water or not. and the secre-
tary OF the interior Is hereby author
lied to use the funds Of the tribe to
pay such maintenance charges when