The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1911-02-10


a petition was circulated among
the residents on the Flathead
reservation asking congress to
pass some measure to dispose of
the lands classified as timber
lands" by the appraisers appoint
ed under the act opening the res
ervation to settlement. This pc
tition received numerous signat-
ures and in due course of time
was forwarded to Senator Dixon
for presentation to the senate.
Under a recent date a reply was
received from the Senator, of
which the following is a copy:
Gentlemen:
have just received yours Of recent
date, enclosing petitions from va:ious
citizens regarding re-classifcation of
some of the lands on the Flathead res
ervation that are at present classified
as timber lands, and which they believe
to be more valuable for agriculture
than for timber.
In reply would say that am aware
that in the classification of great area
of country like the Flathead reservation
that it was impossible in the beginning
to foresee all of the conditions that
might arise, and l am sometimes sur
prised that there has not been more
mistakes made than there has been.
Under the overwhelming sentiment
that is pervading the country, and es-
pecially the eastern section, regarding
the disposal of climber lands," have
felt that it was impossible to hope for
any legislation that would give timber
lands to homesteaders, as the whole
policy of the government at this time is
to segregate the timber from the farm
ing land before homestead entry can be
made. At the same time, realize that
much of the land on the Flathead res
ervation that was classified as climber
land" wh.n cleared, will make valua-
BILE agricultural lands for bona fde set
tiers.
With this end in view, and after con-
sul,ing with the Indian office, something
like two years ago l introduced and
succeeded in passing bill regarding
the timber lands on the Flathead reser-
Walton that are really agricultural in
character, which reads as follows:
"Act March 3, 1909; Section II of
the original act as amended.
"That all merchantabe timber on
said lands returned and classified by
said commission as timber lands shall
be sold and disposed of by the secretary
of the interior, for cash under sealed
BIDS or at public auction, as the secre-
tary of the interior may determine, and
under such regulations as he may pre-
scribe; Provided, That after the sale and re-
moval Of the timber such Of said lands as are
valuable for agricultural purposes shall be sold
and disposed Of by the secretary Of the inter-
ior In such manner and under such regulations
as he may prescribe"
This being the short session of con-
gress, it is almost impossible to hope
for any general legislation along these
lines. The secretary of the interior
has the power under the amended act
above quoted, and is directed to sell
the timber and then dispose of the ag-
ricultural lands. have rently brought
the matter to the attention of the de-
partment and have urged that this tim
ber be sold so that we can secure a
greater amount of money for the con-
struction of the irrigation systems, and
as soon as sold, the lands can be put on
the market.
will, instead of presenting your pc
titon to the senate, use it as a further
argument with the Indian office to ex.
pedite the sale of the timber and the
disposition of the lands.
In this connection, would also state
that in the omnibus Indian bill, which
was approved June Is, 1910, the follow
ing paragraph occurs:
"That the secretary of the interior
be and he is hereby authorized to class
ify and appraise, under such rules al
he may prescribe, all the vacant, unal
lotted and unreserved lands of the Flat
head Indian reservation, in the state O
Montana, which have not been classified
and appraised as provided for by tn
act of April %, 1904, and the classified
ton and appraisement made hereunde
shall be of the same effect as provide
for in said act; and the secretary
hereby authorized to dispose of all land
classified as "barren," burned over,
and containing small TIMBER" unde
such rules and regulations as he ma
orcscylhe at not less than their nr