The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-06-08
SYNOPSIS OF
HANNA BILL
Continued From Page one.

rlcultural purposes, is to be set aside
and reserved. ] am having this sur
vey made at this time so that the
settlers who file on land in this res
ervation, will not have any trouble
when the time shall come from them
to make their proofs and have their
proofs held up, as has been the case
with so much of the government land
in the western part of North Dakota.
The bill provides that the Indians
shall be allowed to take 100 acres
of agricultural land or 800 acres OF
grazing land in addition to the lands
previously allotted to them. These
allotments, however, are only to be
made in those townships east OF the
river in which they have previously
taken land and the balance of the al
lotments which are granted to them
under this new law. are to be taken
west of the river.
It further provides for the setting
aside as a place OF historical interest,
the ruins Of the old Fort Berthold
Indian village and the Indian burial
grounds adjacent thereto.
There Dis also reserved whatever
land may be necessary for agency,
school and religious purposes. These
lands are to be so reserved as long
as may be needed
There is further reserved an area
of land, not to exceed $40 acres, which
Is to be set aside for the purpose OF
establishing and maintaing a demon
stration farm for the benefit Of the
Indians and the bill appropriates $685.
600 for building the necessary building
and providing the necessary stock and
machinery. This is the first demon
stratlon farm to be established in this
way upon any reservation in the Unit
ed States.
All timber lands are to be set aside
and reserved for the use and benefit
of the Indians. There are some quite
| good bodies Of timber along the Mis-
souri, river.
Sections 16 and SO in every township
are given to the state of North Da-
kota for the benefit Of the common
schools and where any of these Sec
lions have been allotted to the Indians,
the state is to receive other lands in
leu for them and the government is to
pay the Indians for the school lands
which are given to the state and the
bill provides an appropriation for that
purpose.
The bill further provides that gov
eminent townsites may be located
upon the lands that are to be opened
and when the lots in these government
townsites are sold, the money shall go
into the United States treasury for
the benefit Of the Indians.
The lands to be opened are to be ap-
praised by commission of three per-
sons, consisting of a representative of
the department of interior, a citizen of
the state OF North Dakota and a MEM
Der Of one of the three tribes of Indians
the latter to act as representative for
the Indians
Ihere is no maximum or minimum
price on the lands whatever. The
lands are to be disposed of under the
provisions of the homestead and town
site laws Of the United States and will
be opened by a proclamation of the
president. The settler can live upon
the lands as under the homestead
law for five or seven years, and prove
up or he can commute at the end of
fourteen months, pay the govern
ment price and prove up If he so de-
sires.
At the time the settler files upon
the land he must pay one-fifth of the
price that has been set upon the land
by the board of appraisers The bal
ance is divided into five payments, one
due each year for five years, but this
bill provides that no payments shall
be required from the settler at the end
Of the first year, but that the five pay
ments which are still due, shall be
paid in two, three, four, five and six
years respectively. This is the first
bill for the opening of a reservation,
which has ever had a clause Of this
kind in it and it will be of great help
to the new settler, as it is we'll
known fact that when a settler goes
upon land, he is put to quite large
| expense in building buildings and
breaking up his land and as a rule
he does not get any crop from the land
the first year.
The deferred payments on the land
draw no interest whatever and this is
of help to the new settler.
All of the money received from the
lands is to go into the treasury of
the United States and the government
is to allow the Indians interest at
| the rate of per cent per annum upon
all moneys deposited and all of this
money to the credit of the Indians,
shall be subject to appropriation by
congress for the education, support
and civilization of the Indians.
The bill further provides that the
lands allotted, those retained or re-
served, and the lands sold or granted
to the state, or otherwise disposed of,
shall be subject TO all of the laws of
the United States, prohibiting the
introduction of intoxicants into the In
dian country.
The department of the interior in
form me, that the bill is model bin
an every respect; that 1t is fair to
the new settler, fair to the state,
and fair to the Indians.
The reservation cannot be openeI
before late next fall at the very earli-
est and when it is opened, it will be
opened under the lottery system as
all reservation have been opened for
the past few years. There will be
about 100000 acres of fine agricultural
land to be opened, making about $500
homesteads of 100 acres EACH.