The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-04-22

The above figure illustrates the
amount PER year the White Earth In
dams get as annuities. This is some.
where near the average for the last
ten.year period previous to this year.
The annuities this year are in excess
Of nine dollars, the Indian Bureau
having managed to increase it, no
doubt, on account of the present asi-
tetion of White Earth matters.
This is all the mixed-bloods get.
Some of the full-bloods get the rations
when the agent thinks they are in
need. a.'. 1872 49,
The mlxed-boods are self-support-
ing, absolutely, and have been for
many years, and the $685. per year is
merely an incident It does not help
them much, and the loss of it would
not make any difference in their style
Of living. Most of the full-bloods also
support themselves by hunting and
fishing, and the $5.35 annuity has
usually come in handy to buy some
cheap clothes.
So that the theory which prevails
that the government supports the In
dams is clearly mistake.
Instead of that the Indians support
a horde of officeholders saddled on
them by the government.
On the White Earth reservation
there are ninety-one government en-
ployes drawing salaries at the pres
ent time, in the regular establishment
and eighteen in the Burch corps.
These figures may not be absolutely
correct, but are near enough. Many
OF these are necessary, and many are
not. For instance there is a superin-
tendent of a saw mill that has not
turned wheel for three years draw
ing 1925 per month; there is farm
or" who has not been known to work
for months, drawing 500 per month,
etc.
=. Besides the regular force the Burch
corps has been on the reservation for
three years, headed by Judge Burch,
who draws $4,000 per year, and con-
tains amcng others Judge Burch's
nephew, Arthur M. Seekel, who draws
$3.50 per month for doing abstract
work that competent help could be
secured for at SIS per month. Even
the judges adopted son, boy of four
teen or fifteen, has managed to con-
meet with the government payroll at
SIS per month.
There were NINE MILLION DOL
LARS in the Chippewa Indian funds.
At THE PRESENT TIME THERE
- LESS THAN $4,ooo,ooo.
The difference of $5,000,000 repre-
sents what has been spent "for the
relief and civilization of the Indians"
And right here is the big issue in
the fight about White Earth reserva-
ton affairs
No itemized statement of who this
money has been paid to has so far
been obtained from the Indian Bureau.
Congressman STEVENSON has for
several years tried to obtain such
statement, but has so far been unable
to get it.
serious objections to giving out such
a statement. Can it be that this al
legged investigation of the Indian Bu-
reau, by confusing the issue, is de-
signed to protect it from the necessity
Of having to make such a statement? 2
WHAT HAS BECOME OF THE
FIVE MILLION DOLLARS?
No amount of welding of the slush
bucket by the government lawyers;
no amount of sensational trembling
for his country by the chairman of the
committee; no amount of effort to dis
credit Senator Clapp and Mr.. STEINER
son by the administration at Washing
ton will be satisfactory as an answer
to this question the Indians are ask
ing, and the answer to which they
have a right to know.
There is a feeling among the In
dams that any of their money that
goes into the government treasury
will never come out again except in
the form Of salary checks to white Of
fcials. This feeling is justified by
bitter experience, and is back of the
unanimous demand for such legisla-
ton as the allotment acts, the Clapp
act, and the present demand for the
distribution of the tribal funds.
The Chpp act was not a perfect
law. It had serious defect in that it
did not provide for an official roll of
mixed-bloods and full-bloods before the
restrictions were removed But it was
what the Indians wanted, and had the
Indian Bureau kept liquor off the
reservation, as the law provides they
should do, and for which they are
paid big salaries, it would have been
q success.
AS it is many of the mixed bloods
have spent the money they got for
their lands. Others have it or its