The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-12-12
TRIBES DIVIDED ON SURFACE SALE:
SOME OPPOSE, SOME FAVOR MORE

McAlester. Okla. Dec. II. If con
gress pays no more attention to the
memorial the Choctaws and Chcka-
saws will present for sale of all their
tribal property save the minerals, than
President Taft did to the protest
against approval of certain acts of the
last Choctaw council, thre will be no
marketing this session of the segrega-
ted surface in the mineral belt Con
Igressmen have announced their willing
ness to pursue reasonable course.
providing the Indians are able to
agree upon one, and while the surface
sale this year comes forward with
newly acquired recruits, there is the
same old division among the tribal
members. Notwithstanding this. and
the mass meetings at McAlester and
Chickasha had slim attendance. mem
bers of the Oklahoma delegation in
Congress promise some relief in the
surface sale, since the Governments
openly avowed policy is adverse to the
sale of the mineral
Gov. Locke and his followers. whose
recent legislative acts and appoint
ments, have, according to the news
papers, received the presidents sane
tion, resist the sale of any portion OF
the property by itself for the reas on
that would only tend to prolong the
agony. Disposition of every stick of
timber, every ounce of coal and every
rod of land they say, is and has been
luppermost for fifteen years.
Viewed from the other side, or mat
of the so-called progresSives, theirs is
a plain business proposition. After
enormity of the land and mineral hold
lngs from commercial Viewpoint,
and that while the tribes might be
able to sell their ground timber, etc,
there is no possible opportunity to
sell the minerals unless it be at
great sacrifice.
Proposition is Big
Practically every one agrees that
the Indian holdings comprise a very
big proposition. When the Atoka
agreement was ratified, the Federal
Government promised to have the
tribal business closed within a com
paratively short time, but, as eX-
planned by w. \. Durant at the recent
McAlester meeting, it is doubtful if
the government, or the Indians them
selves, foresaw conditions or realized
the enormity of the enterprise. The
value placed upon the coal by Senator
La Toilette ran to $l50000 600. 9th
els value the coal at $75,00O,000, some
as low as half that sum. Peter Hud-
son, former tribal delegate to Wash
ington, pointed out that the timber
first believed worth $l4,000,000 had
shrunk to $3,000,000 as shown In the
last report. He said it was no won
der the Indian had become confused.
yet for himself was prepared to hold
TO the first figure.
Durant asked the Indians TO look at |
the proposition as one of business. /
The tribes had $4,000 acres segrega- |
ted for coal and asphalt The first |
mine was opened forty two years ago
and up to date but 1000 acres had /
been developed or mined. How long, !
he asked, would it take to mine the
Royalties the last few
years have amounted to $2jO,O00 per !
annum.
This is per cent on $4,000, ,OOO,"
said Durant. How many business ,
men would be willing to purchase
when We ask many times that sum
and take the hazard on so small a per
centage. Where can you find a man
or set Of men willing to pay what it
is worth? Ballinger said he wOul F.
not sell it for as low as $4,000, 600. |
The department would not do 50 f.
today"
Competition with Oil and Gas
Durant explained that from ten to 7.
fifteen years was the life of oil and /
gas fields. When that time limit eX |
pired he thought conditions would |
be changed and then the Indians |
might be able to do better, or the |
federal government would take over .
the coal and mine it either under |
the Leupp idea of great federal .
corporation in which all members OF /
the tribe would be stockholders, or .
to continue the leasing of it as at .
present
One Indian, speaking through an ,
opposed the sale Of the
surface without the mineral In a |
homely way, he likened it unto the
sale of a COW, saying the hide might |
be purchased by Smith, who would |
not buy the meat, Later the meat |
would be sold to Jones, and then
Smith might return and want the
meat as well as the hide. The tribe
would have to admit, he ventIred, /
that the hide had been sJld 10 Jones +
and Smith would want to abuse or H
cut up the hide in order 70 exercise
with the meat, and there
would be no end of troub'e e. Re sad.
In view of the Indians troubles in
the past. this speaker favored the
sale of all or none, yet intimated tnat
if the meeting cared to go on record /
otherwise he would not be head 10
object.
The McAlester meeting was called
upon the assumption tnat Il