Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1917-02-23

NJ SALARY OF P%U,OOO u ICdr, uut
Government Refuses Approval;
Fight On for Reservation Opening.
Big things are doing in Indian af-
fairs all over the west. Tom Arthur
of Billings started it, through his eff
forts to bring about the opening of
the Crow Indian reservation, n
of the garden spots of south
eastern Montana. The PROPOSE
ton to open the Crow reservation
to settlement was instigated by the
Billings Chamber of Commerce some
time ago.. In this movement practi-
cally every commercial organization
of southeastern Montana and north
eastern Wyoming joined An ex-
haustive report was prepared by Sec
rotary Fowler of the Billings Cham
Der of Commerce, and placed in the
hands of the Montana delegation in
congress.
A few weeks ago Tom Arthur went
to Washington with blood in his eye.
He laid before the secretary of the
interior certain protests against the
administration of Indian affairs by
Commissioner Cato Sells. These pro-
tests were supplementary to the de-
mand for the opening of the reserva-
ton. They were SO broad, however,
and so impressed the secretary that
the head men and chiefs of numer-
Gus tribes were called to Washington
to discuss Indian affairs.
Public Hearing Held.
A public hearing was held in the
| oFfioo oe tbn ~ ~ socinnnn uyhorn
blanketed chiefs, some of them Car
Isle graduates, sat in council with
men versed in Indian affairs. Most
of the talking for the Indians was
done by the Montana man.
Arthur made a great impression
!, on the Indians, and the upshot of the
conference was an offer, on behalf
of the Crows as well as numer US
other tribes, to him, that he take
a over the management of their af-
fairs. With the offer went the ten
: der of a salary of 100000 a year, to
be paid out of the various tribal
funds. The offer was made contigent
, upon the approval of the government,
which, of course, was not forthcom-
: ing.
4 This big pow-wow vas held some
weeks ago, and while no action has
been taken by the government the
leaven is working.
The Associated Press report of a
6 few day ago carried a story from
! Washington bearing on the situation.
= 1t is as follows:
Protesting hat their people are
= starving to death in the midst of
wealth locked up by bureaucratic red
tape, representatives of the Crow In
dians of Montana appeared before
u the senate Indian committee and tes-
. titled against the proposed opening
g of the Crow reservation to white set
tiers. and also against the senate bill
authorizing the proposed power and
u irrigation dam to be erected in the
Big Horn River canyon without re-
y compense to the Indians who
the power site.
Enormous Power Possibilities
r The Big Horn project is n of the
e largest water-power possibilities in
the west. The dam is expected to de-
n velop 1884, GOO horsepower and the
v project is said to be included in the
general scheme of electrifying the
! Burlington railroad. The senate bill
k taking this valuable property away
from its Indian owners divides the
payment for the site and the future
q lease revenues equally between the
state of Montana and the United
states reclamation service.
The session was one of the most
picturesque and pathetic held by the
committee in years. A dozen stall
wart Crows, chiefs every one, dele
gated by their bands to come to
Washington, unable to speak Eng
Il lish for the most part, poured out an
l. epic tale of wrongs at the hands OF
IS the white mans government. The
most interesting witness of all vas
the wife of Chief Spotted Rabbit,
the first reservation sqaw who has
e appeared before a congressional COM
O mittee in many years.
It She wore the most valuable and
least admired gown of any of the
n women in the committee room. 1t
Y was sleazy of red cloth, but thickly
studded with genuine elks' teeth
d representing in itself a small for
n tune.
Would Prefer Former Hardships.
Much as l hate the wars and hard
= ships of the old hunting life," she
said through the interpreter. 81
would prefer that today to the life
we are forced to lead under the pres
ent system" Cross examination
could not shake her from this posi-
x ton.
More Crow Indians died from the
lack of nourishment and proper pro-
visions during the three weeks pre-
ceding Christmas than at any similar
time in the reservations history"
said Russell White Bear in a previous
statement to the committee.
This testimony was c~orroborated
by Thomas Arthur, vice-president OF
the Billings Chamber of Commerce,
who also said he knew of one Billings
citizen who sent $500 worth Of food
and clothes to the suffering Crows
during December.
Without questioning the good in