The Parker post., 1913-10-18
COULD NOT
VISIT HERE
INDIAN COMMISSION WOULD
HAVE HEARD PARKER DELEGA-
TON IN PHOENIX HAD WIRE
REACHED HERE ON TIME.

An effort was made Saturday to
secure the presence here Of the Uni
ted States Joint Indian Commission,
which is touring a portion Of the
west investigation the sanitary con-
ditions of the various Indian tribes,
and with a view of determining
ways and means for the eradication
of trachoma and tuberculosis among
the redmen.
The commission consists of Sena
tors Townsend of Michigan, and Rob-
inson of Arkansas, and Congressman
Burke of South Dakota, Carter Of Ok
Texas. The latter gentleman is chair
man of the committee on affairs in
the house, and is personally repre-
senting the commissioner of Indian
Affairs.
Last Saturday the local board oi
trade wired the commissioner on be-
half of the citizens of Parker to Wis
| it the Colorado River Indian reserva-
tion, urging that personal investiga
ton Of conditions here would have
important bearing upon pending leg
islation in congress providing for the
opening Of this reservation.
/ The message was sent to Los An
geles, and a reply was filed in the
Cotton office of the Western Union
by Joe Robinson, secretary Of the
commission, sometime Sunday after
noon Mr.. Robinscn's reply, which is
published below, was not received un-
| til Monday morning, too late for a
delegation from the board Of trade
/ to meet the commission in Phoenix,
as requested Following is the mes
sage:
Cotton, Cal, Oct. IL, 1913.
q. B. Flanagan, Parker, Ariz.
Replying to your telegram to Ste,
phens Commissioner cannot visit
Parker this time. Will arrive Phoe-
nix 7 a. M Monday and will be glad
to confer with you then if you dc,
sire,
JOE ROBINSON, U. S. S."
Ii this message had been received
| Sunday night it would have enabled
the board of trade to send a dele
cation to Phoenix on the early morn
ing train, but it was not received III
the local office until 12; Is a. IN. and
was not delivered until o'clock a. m
Soon after it's receipt wire was
sent to G. w. Mckee of Phoenix ex-
planning the matter, and asking Mr,
Mckee to arrange for a conference
on Tuesday, provided the commits
! sion would remain over another day,
and in event that such conference
could not be arranged for Tuesday
he was requested to muster what as
sistance he could and urge upon the
commission the necessity for opening
the reservation at an early date.
Late Monday night a wire was re-
ceived from B. F. Fugua and C. w.
Mckee, stating that the commission
was leaving Phoenix that night for
the east.
Wednesday morning a letter was
received from Mr.. Mckee stating that
the message sent from here early in
| tha mcrnipo had not haan raonivod
until afternoon (another instance Of
the rotten service the Western Union
is furnishing Parker) AS a conse-
quence, Mr. Mckee stated it was too
late to get a chance to talk to the
commission, but added that if the
message had been received sooner
they could have arranged for con-
ference.
The board of trade spent some
thing like $4.OO in messages, all Of
which were delivered too late to do
any good. i is almost useless to
use the Western Union lines when
ever time is essential to success,
as the service in many instances is
not as quick as the mail. All mes
sages received and sent from Par
ker office must be relayed to- Prescott
where they usually lie in the morgue
until resurrected by some sleepy op-
crater
|