Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-16
CONDITION CALLED PITIFUL
Declared to Be Menaced by Greed
and Inefficiency.
MAJ. MCLAUGHLIN CRITICISED
Result of Investigation Submitted to
the House-Committee Urges
That Remedy Be Found.

A report charging that frauds have
been committed in great number against
the Indians on the White Earth reserya-
ton in Minnesota: that their physical
and material condition "is pftiful." and
that Maj. James Mclaughlin, Indian in
spect' :, did not properly guard the In
dians interests in the allotment of lands.
was made to the House today by Chair
man Graham of the committee on ex-
pendtures in the Interior Department.
The report asserts:
Unless some thorough, honest and
comprehensive movement is speedily in
augurated it will soon be too late to save
these wards of the government and their
vast interests from the grasping greed
of traders. and the incompetence or in
efficiency of the Indian bureau
Result of Investigation.
The report is the outgrowth of the in
vestigation made by members of the COM
mittee last year, when Representatives
Graham and George conducted special
hearings at Minneapolis and at Detroit.
MINI. The committee recommended that
some remedy be found by Congress for
the present anomalous situation" by
which the commissioner Of Indian affairs
has complete control over property
worth 81 COO. 100000 belonging to Indians
of the various tribes in the United States
AS result of its Investigations In
Minnesota the committee declares that
the Chippewa and other Indians were de-
frauded of great sums in the sale OF
lands and standing timber on the White
Earth reservation. A big sale of timber
in 1900 the committee finds from undis-
puted authority was fraudulent In the
details of it's accomplishment.
The committee further charges that
fraudulent partiality' was shown py
Simon Michelet Indian allotting agent. In
allotting the Indian timber under the law
of 1905
THE best and most valuable pine al
lotments fell into the hands OF those VINO
were intended in advance to receive
them," says the report.
Investigations following these acts. the
committee says, resulted in the senoins
out of an Indian agent named Thomas
Downs, who found the proceedings par
| tial, unfair and unjust.
"Thereupon the paid agents of the lum-
| ber companies, who claimed rights them
| selves Indians, and who would OF
| beneficiareS of the allotment fraud, re-
| monstrated to the Interior Department.
| through Senator Clapp. and requested
| that another agent be sent to ascertain
| the wishes of a majority Of the Indians
/, respecting the setting aside OF the pro-
| ceedings.
The absurd contradictions pervading
| nearly all governmental management of
| Indian affairs is here clearly illustrated.
| The Indians were held legally incapable
| of handling their own affairs, but stimuli
| taneously were required to deal with
| their inheritance in a mass meeting under
| the distracting influence Of the more ex-
perienced and unscrupulous men among
them, those who were receiving large
salaries as agents of the lumber COM
panies and land grabbers, and all the
money thus wasted came out of the funds
of the Indians
Maj. Mclaughlin Criticised.
The committee report declares that
Mai Mclaughlin, the second agent sent
out, refused to allow the full blood In
dians to send out runners to bring in
the people: made false reports as to the
number of full bloods present, and gave
no ADEQUATE notice to the Indians Of the
mass meeting.
I'm effect. this was council of lumber
companies says the report.
Mai Mclaughlin was duly notified
that his conduct as an official had been
called in question: but did not appear
before the committee. the report states.
Francis E. Leupp is also criticised on
the ground that he prevented full state
ment of the Indian complaints to Pres
ident Roosevelt.
Despoiled Of Their Heritage.
'rrhese White Eearth Indians. the rem
nants of the once powerful Chippewa ma
ton, are rapidly succumbing to the ef-
fects Of extreme poverty and the white
mans diseases. and betrayed by their
lawful guardian and their mixed-blood
relatives, are now despoiIed OF their
heritage adds the report.
ut is, indeed, sad commentary upon
the administration of the Interior De-
partment and more particularly upon the
Indian bureau, that notwithstanding the
fact that they have about $4.O00OO I'm
the United States Treasury and that mil
lions of dollars of their own money have
already been spent, ostensibly for their
relief and civilization, the condition OF
very large part of the tribe is far worse
than when the first treaty was concluded
with it at Fort Mcintosh in 1885"