The Tomahawk., 1918-02-21

. o1GJ1 OCLnO1 OO0bSJS "ssSss
then moved the adoption Of the
amendment asked by the Legisla-
tive Committee and the motion
prevailed.
The Senate Committee again re-
inserted in the bill the item appro-
priating 1856, 900 of the trust funds
of the Indians for support and
civilization. Senator Gronna Sc. :
cured amendment to the provision
whereby i: the court holds that this:
money has been expended 10 the
past without authority of law this
appropriation shall be reimbursed
Immediately to the Chippewa In.
dams. During the discussion
Webster BalIinger. who appeared
for the delegation, and Frank
Beaulieu, pointed out to the Com
mittee that the appropriation could
not lawfully be made, and if it
could lawfully be made there was
no necessity for such an appropri-
ton. 1t was pointed out to the
Committeeathat out of II 900 mem.
bers of the Chippewa Tribe not
over $500 of those who received
allotments or who we're entitled to
allotments in May, 1900, were
either minors, full-bloods or old
and INDECENT Indians, and that a
substantial part of the full b|oods
were fully competent to take care
of their property; that all of the
II, 900 with the exception of about
100 on the Red Lake Reservation
paid taxes upon personal property,
and that about IS per cent of che
allotted Indians paid taxes upon
their real property. The Chippewa
Indians of Minnesota, it was con
tended we're helping to support the
State Minnesota, aud it was farcial
for Congress to appropriate $780,
900 of their trust funds for their
support and civilization when as i
mater of fact they were not only
supporting themselves, educating
their children, but contributing to
the support of the State of Mime
sofa. It was admitted that there
were probably $500 members of
the Chippewa Tribe that needed
the supervision of the Government,
but it was pointed out that practi-
cally every dollar of the $1&, 900
was used in paying the salaries and
maintaining the employees Of the
Uuited States who we're being paid
out of the Chippewa funds and who
were denying to the Chippewa In
dams rights secured to them under
the law; that very little, if any, of
the $185, 900 was actually used for
the support and civilization of any
of the Indians. In view of the fact
that this service had been going
on for years and that it might
work a hardship upon some to
suddenly terminate it, the Senate
Committee deemed it best to COL
tinue the appropriation this year
with the provision that if the courts
held that the moneys could not
lawfully be used in the payment of
the salaries aud expenses of the
Bureau of Indian Affairs that it
should be reimbursed to the In
dams.
j. w. Broker, of Ponsford, ar.
rived this week and has joined the
Legislative Committee. His visit
to Washington was occasioned by
the false reports sent out to Pine
Point Indians by Coffey relative to
the work being done by the Legis
lative Committee. Mr.. Broker was
selected by the Pine Point Indians
to come to Washington and inves-
tigate Coffey's charges. He CAME
to Washington, made a careful
investigation. found every state
ment made by Coffey to be false,
and has endorsed upqualifiedly the
work of the Legislative Committee
and has Joined the Committee.
The DELEGATION has practically