The Tomahawk., 1918-02-14
LEGISLATIVE C0MMITTEE OF the GENERAL
COUNCIL ACCOMPLISHING SPLENDID
RESULTS AT WASHINGTON.
James Cofey Continuing His Opposition To All Legislation
For The Benefit OF The Chippewa Indians

authorizes the Court when The
litigation is ended to make the
attorney reasonable allowance for
his fee. No court in the world
would allow an attorney fee of a
million dollars no matter what the
recovery was. Cotfey knows this
bus in order to create dissention
among the Indians in Minnesota is
sending this and similar false state
ments broad cast. lie is becoming
a joke, and would be Il joke if it
were not for the fact that what he
is doing is so prejudicial 10 the
interests of the lndians
The Department will renew its
efforts next week before the Sen
ate Committee to secure an ap
preparation of S1S5, 900 out of the
trust funds of the Chippewas to
pay the salaries and expenses Of
the Indian Bureau officials and en-
! pIoyees in Minnesota. The House
beat tie same provision when the
matter was up before that boo v,
and it is certain that the efforts of
the Department will meeS like
fate at the Senate side. The Courts
have held that Congress could not
/ lawfully use the trust funds of the
t EChippewa Indians for such pur
poses. The delegation will again
insist, ;stt it did before -the&I 4eaas.
iConmittee, that Congress cannot
lawfully appropriate the trust funds
of the Indians for such a purpose;
that as the officials and clerks, in
Minnesota form an interGral part
of the Bureau OF Indian Affairs
the money appropriated for that
service should come out of the
Treasury of the United States and
out of the public moneys and from
the same source that similar ap-
preparations are made for the pay
of the salaries anu expenses of TIE
officials and clerks on all the other
Indian reservations throug hout the
country.
The Department will probably
oppose an appropriation for the
General Council, but it is certain
! that the delegation will secure it.
Congress is beginning to realize,
for the first time, that the General
Council is a great aid to the Chip
pewa Indians and is doing more to
straighten out their affairs and to
secure honest and efficient admin
istration than the Indian Bureau
has ever done.
The delegation will endeavor to
secure the inclusion of the jarisdic-
tional bill in the Indian appropria.
ton bill. Such a provision would
be subject to point of order, and,
therefore, it could only be includ'
ed by unanimous consent. 1t is
possible that Coffey may get some
body to object to this. If the juris-
dictional act is included in the ap-
preparation bill it is certain to
become law at this session. If it
is treated as separate bill it is
doubtful whether it will be en-
acted into law at this session.
Tie Legislative Committee will
save the Chippewa Indians this
winter at least $780, 900 of their
trust funds, and break up the prac
tice of using these funds in the
| future, thereby preserving the
trust fund of S6,OOO,OOU, which
! if encroached upon year after year
as it has been in the past would
soon be exhausted. The delegation
therefore will in fact have saved
to the tribe the entire trust fund
of Sc. 100000. Fine work for =
delegation during single session
of Congress.