The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-12-20
SOME INDIAN
LEGISLATION
BEING URGED
SECRETARY OF INTERIOR FILES
ANNUAL REPORT - WOULD
BRING INDIAN AFFAIRS TO
SPEEDY TERMINATION.

Washington, Dec. 19.-The annua
report of Secretary Lane calls at
tention 10 the interior department.
desire to terminate as speedily a.
possible affairs of the Five Civilized
Tribes in Oklahoma. and tells tina
considerable additional legislation il
needed for the bureau of Indian af
fairs. About 100000 acres of tn,
segregated surface in the Choctav
and Chickasaw nations are beinl
placed on the market in convenient
sized tracts under the act of con
gress OF Feb. 10, 1912. The de-
partment is on record for the dis
tribution of the minerals underlying
the surface, believed to be worth
many millions of dollars. The entire
tract embraces about 100000 acres
Secretary Lane says that provision
should be made for disposing of
the deposits.
Various schemes have been pro-
posed. At one time the state of Ok
lahoma was urged to purchase the
mineral area for benefit of its COM
mon school fund, and TO either lease
the mining rights to individuals or
go into the business itself, The
proposition was fought out in the
constitutional convention, and in the
first legislature, but abandoned on
account of the yastness of the pro-
ject. Indians, who became citizens
of Oklahoma with statehood, favored
state ownership. and Oklahoma could
have secured an option on the
entire mineral holdings of the two
nations at an advantageous figure.
Another scheme was organization of
a large corporation with wealth suf-
ficient 10 take over the property. In
this instance, as well as the proposed
state ownership, the extent in value
of the minerals was viewed as some
what questionable. The Indian own
ers, as we'll as the state. have been
anxious that the property not fall into
the hands of the so-called coal trust
Mining Under Leases.
In the absence of a buyer or fed
eral authority to sell the mineral
deposits, mining has been in oper-
alton by coal companies and individ-
uals under leases given by the In
dian tribes and approved by the
interior department. The royalties
have become part of the tribal
funds of the two Indian nations. The
Indian, however, is anxious to dis
pose Of all his common property, so
the proceeds may be divided per |
capita Another recommendation of |
Secretary Lane is that provision be
made for per capita payments from
the tribal funds as may be deemed |
advisable by congress. Affairs of |
the Cherokee nation are about con
cluded. The tribal government went
out of existence last June and all
that remains is the payment of tribal
money to its members, which Is
now in progress.
Last session OF congress per
capita payment of 800 was made to
members Of the Chickasaw tribe,
but none to the Choctaws on ac-
count Of the claim of the Choctaws,
who are now residents of the state of
Cato Sells, commission
er of Indian affairs, has recommend
ed to the committees that another
800 per capita payment be given
he ChicRasaws and that the Choc-
avs come in for 5000 per capita
Members of congress from Missis- I
'ippi will press their claim again this I
'ear, and endeavor to defeat the t
'hoctaw payment unless the Indians :
# their state are included. There
S more than $5,00OO00 in cash in
tate and national banks in Oklahoma
o the credit of the five tribes. The
interest on this fund amounts to
early $25O,OOO a year.
Many Restricted Indians. [
Termination of the tribal affairs of V
)kahoma. as a general term, does v
OF indicate that all of the Indians 7
here would be shifted from under Fl
he governments control OF the "
O1. 900 Indian population of the Five \
ribes, about $4,000 are within the
astricted class, or those who are
ominal wards of the government, II