The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-12-04

IN effect 10 restore the Indian agen-
cies which the democrats abolished
las. season and the inauguration Of
great reclamation works On Indian
lands. which would throw those
lanas upon the market aod the in
sisrence Gpon tho payment OF claims
which congress mas persi5tently re-
fused to allow.
The effort TO restore the Indian
agencies IN an indirect manner Is
a request for 100000 for revising
sllotments." and protecting Indians
against frauds" The provision is so
worded that the money could be
used for salaries for new men acting
in the capacity Of Indian agents.
Another item which the committee
will blue pencil, is an appropriation
Of $3.50 300 20 leach Indians stock
raising and agriculture in addition to
the allowance 1lreajy made. The
committee estimates that the depart
ment's program IN this respect would
open the way for Appropriately 100
office holders.
The famous West claim from Oh
lahoma Is left our the estimates,
but practically all Of the other big
cialg are again presented Among
these is the Yakima Indian claim
for 100000.
Reclamation Work.
A large part Of the proposed in
crease is found ia the recoIHnenda-
ton for the great Blackfoot Indian
irrigation project and similar recla-
nation work on other Indians lands.
According to Representative Ste
phens, the chairman Of the commit
tee, the democrats are willing u
recommend irrigation projects for
the immediate use of the Indians
themselves, so as to give them ap-
proximateiy fifty acres OF irrigated
land for each family, but the com
mittee is not willing to authorize
great reclamation projects upon In
dian lands that would throw these
lands upon the market in competi-
tion with the lands which the recla-
nation service has put on sale.
In this connection it develops that
the government is not doing rush
ing business in disposing CT its great
tracts of irrigated lands out west
and that the reclamation service Is
showing considerable concern over
the slowness OF sales or occupa-
ton. This is Offered by members OF
the Indian affairs committee as an
additional! reason why the big irri-
CATION projects recommended by the
interior department should not be
undertaken at this time.
In addition to the foregoing rec
concentrations tIe department asks
for s25O,O0O TO educate the Mojave
Indians. Chairman Stephens says the
committee in the ensuing bill will
devise way of educating these In
dians but not by a lump sum ap-
preparation of quarter of a million
dollars.
The Mojaves, says Judge Stephens
are, in some respects the most in
teresting Indians in America. They
are pure nomads, living scattered
over part of Arizona and part of New
Mexico, with their wandering herds
of sheep and cattle. They 0ress bet
ter than the average Indian. They
are self sustaining and last year
sold 100000 worth 0f blankets from
the wool of their sheep, which the
woman wrought into the famous
Mojave blankets
About the time the Mojave Indian
boy gets to be about five years o.
age, he IS turned out on the plains
and becomes shepherd. The whole
tribe is constantly on the move ana
in order to spend a quarter of a
million dollars to teach them the ru-
diments of learning, the little shep
herds would have to be kept corral
ed.
Would End Wanderines.
The committee proposes to edu-
cate these Indians by first laying
the groundwork of breaking up their
nomadic life. II proposes to make
them allotment3 of land, whereby
communities of rot less than thirty
families will have fiNeg obodes from
which they can ply their trade of
sheep raising and blanket making
With the Indians thus settled the
committee would provide school