The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-01-06
TRIBES
DIVIDED ON
THE SALE

McAlester, Okla, Jan elf col
gress pays no more attention to TIL
memorial the Choctaw and Chick;
saws VIII present for safe Of all thei
tribal property save the mineral.
than President Taft did to the prt
test against approval of certain act
OF the last Choctaw council, ther
viii be no marketing this session @
the segregated surface in the miner
al belt. Congressman have announc
ed their willingness to pursue reas
enable course, providing the Indians
are able to agree upon one, and whil
the surface sale this year comes for
ward with newly acquired recruits
there is the same old division anon:
the tribal members notwithstanding
this. and that the mass meetings a
McAlester and Chickasha had slim at
tendance, members OF the Oklahoms
delegation in congress promise some
relief in the surface sale, since the
governments openly avowed policy
is adverse TO sale Of the mineral.
Governor Locke and his followers
whose recent legislative acts and an.
polntments have, according to the
newspapers, received the President &
sanction, resist the sale of any por-
tion of the property by itself, for the
treason that would only tend to pro
long the agony. Disposition of every
stick OF timber, every ounce of coal
and every rod of land they say, is
and has been uppermost for fifteen
years
Viewed from the other side, or that
OF the so-called progressives, theirs
| is plain business proposition. AT
ter enormlty of the land and mineral
holdings from a commercial view.
point, and that while the tribes
might be able to sell their ground
timber. etc, there is no possible op.
Iportunity to sell the minerals unless
it be al a 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
paratiyely short time, but, as explain
ed by w. A Durant at the recent Nc
Alester meeting, it is doubtful if the
government, or the Indians them
selves, foresaw conditions or reaiized
the enormity of the enterprise. The
value placed upon the coal by Sen
ator La Toilette ran to $150,100 900. |
Others value the coal at 5000 0e0,
and some as low as half that sum.
Peter Hudson, former tribal delegate
to Washington, pointed out that the
timber first believed worth S14. .00O, 900
had ghrunk TO S3,000,000 as shown in I
the last reporf He said it was no /
wonder the Indian had become con
fused vet for himself was prepared (
10 hold to the first figures.
Durant asked the Indians to look at I
the proposition as one of business. /
The tribes had $4,000 acres segre- I
gated for coal and asphalt The 5Tsi
mine was opened forty-two years ago
and up to date but 1000 acres had
been developed ~ mined How long
he asked would it require to mine
the remainder? ROYALTIES the last
few years have amounted to S250.099
per annum.
This is per cent on $1,000, 500"
said nproat How many business
men would be willing to purchase
, nen we ask many times that sum
and take the hazard on so small a
Where can YOU find a
nan or set Of men willing to pay what
t is worth2 Ballinger said he would
1ot sell it for as low as $4,000 900
The department would not do so to-
lay"
Competition With Oil and Gas
Durant explained that from ten to
fifteen years was the life OF oil and
Jas fields. When that time limit ex-
,ired he thought conditions would be
hanged and then the Indian might
10 able TO do better. or the federal
government would take over the coal
md mine it either under the Leupp
dea of a great federal corporation III
which all members OF the tribe would
,e stockholders. or to continue the
easing of it as at present
One Indian, speaking through an in
erpreter, opposed the sale Of the sur
ace without the mineral. In home
Y way he likened it unto. the sale
i a COW, saying the hide might be
purchased by Smith who would not
uy the meat Later the meat would
le sold to Jones, and then Smlth
night return and want the meat as
veil as the hide. The tribe would
ave to admit. he ventured. that the
ide had been sold to Jones and
mth would want to abuse or cHt up
he hide in order to exercise his op-
iortunity with the meat, and there
tould be no end Of trouble, he said
n view of the Indians troubles in
he past this speaker favored the
ale of eli or none. yet intimated that
the meeting cared to 30 on record
therwise he would not be heard TO
bject
The McAlester meeting was called
upon the assumption that
he federal government would not
ONE to the Indians views on the
ubject. therefore it was better for
he Indian 10 harmonic his wishes
18th what the government was will
,g 10 do No question involving the
,fricacies of one people dealing with
mother presents a more important
spect to a large section OF Eastern
iklahoma as does the sale of the
irface land
II Towns Are Hebbled SS
Towns over here are Denned up and
II will he imDOsgible. for