Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-26
LANDS OF INDIANS
FIELD FOR LOOT
Tribes Occupying 1877 ReServa-
tions Own Property VAL
ued at $638,92O,631

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25.-Added sig
nificance is given to the frequent at
tempts to loot the property of the
American Indian when the extent of
the wealth of the redskinned brother,
improperly dubbed Poor Lo, is once
realized. According to figures which
have been made public by the office
of Indian affairs, the total value of
lands belonging to the Indians is more
than $576000,000 and the amount of
actual cash held is over S62,000,0 900.
The figures of r. G. Valentine, COM
missioner of Indian affairs, who sue
ceeded Francis E. Leupp, show that
the tribal property of the Indians is
valued at $251, 1852, 348, of which amount
$189, ,76S,7 ,79S is held in lands and SCI $685.
$50 is in timber The individual prop
erty held by the Indians is even great
er. amounting to 5000, 356, POL of which
$3.50, ,306,751 is in land and 29,049, 450 is
in timber. Besides this real estate
"Poor Lo" has $56, ,2O4, ,65S in cash in the
United States treasury and funds in
banks amounting to $6,514.371. Fig
ures for the present fiscal year will not
be compiled for many months from
now and they will perhaps show that
the Indian is worth even more. The
total value of all the Indians real
property, when Commissioner Valen-
est figures, was $576, POI, ,2S0, which, with
cash amounting to $62, 2,719,371, gives the
enormous total of $63S, ,92O,651.
INDIANS INCREASE
The popular opinion is that the In
dians are a rapidly disappearing race
and that they will soon become eX-
tinct. Figures do not bear out this
theory and the Indian office statistics
show that the birth rate last year was
334 a thousand, while the death rate
was only 31.2. The Indian population
of the country is about 100000, scat
tered throughout twenty-siX states, on
1877 reservations, with an aggregate
area twice the size of the state of New
York. Poor Los per capita wealth
is approximately S2130; that for other
Americans is only little more than
$1,000.
The lands owned by the Indians are
rich in natural resources of all kinds.
Many of the tribes own some of the
best timber land there is in the United
States. The value of the agricultural
lands also runs up far into the mill
lions. Much of the land in the vari-
Gus reservations is valuable for oil
and gas and coal deposits. The ranges
support about 100000 sheep and cattle
owned by lessees, bring in revenue
of more than $272,000 to the various
tribes and besides provide feed for
more than 100000 head of horses, cat
tie, sheep and goats belonging to the
Indians themselves. Practically the
only asphalt deposits in the United
States are on Indian lands. In addi-
tion to this wealth of natural resources
and In funds, the Indian has appropri-
ated for him about $15,000,000 a year
by congress for education and I'M
provement.
The publication OF these facts and
figures relating to the wealth of the
Indian at this time serves to empha-
size the fact that, outside of Alaska,
the Indian lands offer the most prof
liable field to loot. Those best ae-
uuainted with the Indians affairs say
that unless sweeping reforms are
brought about in the handling of their
business and the protection of the In
dian from unscrupulous land lawyers
and schemers, these millions will pass
into other hands.