Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1919-10-24
Plan to Tax
Leased Lands
Movement to Assess the Lease
Money Received from Whites
for Benefit of Roads.

CO-incluent win the WORK OF the
commission now sitting at Lapwai
to establish the competency of the
NeZ Perez Indians, comes another
movement among the whites to Sc
cure some plan of assessment
whereby the Indian lands which fare
not patented will contribute their
share towards the highway i'm
Droyements in the districts In which
they are located The plan was
brought up at a meeting held at
GranSeVille last week al which
Miles Cannon. state commissioner OF
agriculture was present, although it
had been unhHr discussion previous
/ ly among men If anairs in This sec
ton. 1t is proposed to have the
citizens of Idaho, Lewis, Clearwater
and Nez Perez counties join in the
/ movement and early action will be
| taken SO that proper presentation
may be made coincident with the
action by the department to extend
the trust period for the Nez Perces.
People in these counties are quite
agreed that the trust period should
be extended for such Indians as are
not qualified to handle their own
affairs, and readers of the Progress
themselves know of a large number
of the Kamiah Indians, who would
suffer serious trouble if their lands
government without the protection
of the Indian department and its
agents. There is no thought OF
levying taxes on the homes of the
incompetent ones, but plan is
favored by which certain per cent
of the revenue derived from the
rental of Indian lands to white
farmers shall be set aside by the
Indian agent for highway improve
ments in the district in which the
land is located.
The present treaty with the Nez
Perces will expire in June of next
| year and under the terms of the
treaty all Indians shall receive their
patents in fee, become tull citizens
and have their lands placed on the
assessment rolls. 1t rs generally
, realized however, that quite num-
ber of the Indians are not qualified
to take charge of their own affairs
| and if the government supervision
was entirely withdrawn, such In
dians would become public charges
tax for their support would devolve
upon the tax payers or the four
central Idaho counties. AS a re-
suit of this condition, a government
commission is now engaged in con-
Quoting Investigations on the Nez
Perce reservation. the purpose being
| to investigate each individual case
SO that report can be made to the
commissioner of Indian affairs as TO
the Indians who are competent and
to whom patents in fee shall be is
sued and also as to such Indians
who are incompetent and over
whom trusteeship should continue
to be exercised.
| The four central Idaho counties
are equally interested in the dis
position of the Indian question and
each of the counties has experienced
the difficulty of highway improve
ments in those sections where lie
extensive Indian holdings. Much OF
the best farm land of the four
counties is held by the Indians and
for many years high rentals have
been paid by the white settlers.
The development of these communi-
ties has been retarded because OF
the small amount of money avail
able for highway improvements
The valuation of the Indian lands
has not advanced in the same. pro
portion as have the valuations In
like districts where good highways
have been provided.
] The Kamiah Highway district Is
a good example of this and isseri.
ously handicapped in making high
way improvements by the fact thai
nearly half of the real estate value
of the district is in Indian lands anC
therefore yields no taxes. The dis
tricts on the prairie are in the same
condition. but to a less extent. but
the fact is that whatever lcad i'm
provements they have made have
been done at the expense of the
white land owners. although tn,
Indian lands have been benefited
just as much as the decided lands.