The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-12-07
PAYNE IN FAVOR OF
OSAGE EXTENSION
Thinks Time Not Ripe for
Matching Their Wits
Against Whites.
UNJUST TO INDIANS
Scheme to Terminate Trust
Period Means Victimizing
Reds Millions of Dollars.
NV BAsCOM n. TIMMoNS.

BY BASCOM y. TlMMONS.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 6.--An end
10 the policy OF fee patents to In
S,,ns for their land and an exten-
s,on Of the Usage trust period, were
The two outstanding features as re-
CARDS oklahoma in the annual re-
mort Of secretary OF the Interior
Iohn HartoI Payne In his annual
,epor, transmitted to the president
OF congress today.
payne said he does not believe
the indian had advanced far enough
in commercial business methods to
allow him a free hand In his prop
= srty As to Usage trust period he
St,srgd that Indians In .hc Oslge
had sold their land too cheap ana
were the fee owners allowed 10 take
fuu possession of 1t In 1881 tae
osages would be victimized to the
exteI. Of millions OF dollars.
The policy of issuing fee pat.
e,,s 70 indians for their lands and
thus placing them in position to
sell is. In my judgment, fraught
with the gravcst danger land VIII
inevitably pauperize thousands
PAYNE said. Every Indian family
should own hop~~. This is essen
,Ial for their ultimate independence.
until the Indians are educated and
by long experience become accus-
toned TO the business methods OF
The whites they will not be In
position 10 deal with the whites on
avon terms. The experience OF this
department is full of evidence that
,he Indians are likely to speedily
lose their larlAs by selling them for
a wholly Inadequate consideration
then improv!dently spending the
proceeds.
"To place all Indians on n plane
Of business equality with the whites
will take generations, and those
good people who by legislation Gr
other artificial means seek to un-
duly hasten this period and thrust
the responsibility upon the Indian
OF dealing with the white man be-
fore he Is able to do so are doing
the Indian q serious injury. This Is
no reflection upon the capacity OF
the Indian as such; but 1t takes
time for any race Of people. how
ever strong intellectually, to know,
understand and appreciate CONNER
cial business me \ods. There are
exceptions, but not enough on which
to rest a legislative program
In recommending an extension OF
the Usage trust period, Secretary
Payne said.
"under the act OF June 2S, 1906.
the land on the Usage Indian reser-
walton. aggregating l.465,000 acres.
was allotted to enrolled members or
the trbe--except some 10000 acres
for railroads, town sites, etc.-and
all minerals under the lands re-
served TO the tribe for a period OF
Is years, after which-unless the
trust period was extended by con-
gress-the minerals became the
property OF the individual owner OF
the land.
Meantime many of the Indians
have sold the surface OF the land to
settlers for SO per acre or less; ana
unless congress acts the persons
who own the surface will In 1881,
become the owners In fee OF the
lands for this inadequate considera-
ton. which, of course, would carry
with 1t the ownership OF all min
erals. oils, etc. 1t was clearly the
understanding when the lands we're
sold that the purchasers acquired
only the surface rights.
similar lands which were sold
In fee carrying mineral ana oil
righ.s sold for 800 or more per
acre and averaged $95 per acre. Out
Of the total of i,+65,000 acres, ap-
proximately 100000 acres have
been leased for oil or minerals,
leaving about 1000 acres still az
fected by the trust period. The In
c!ans urge that the trust period be
extended by congress so they may
not be deprived OF their property
rights
This. in the view Of the depart
ment, is plainly Right; and. as stated
70 the chairmen OF the committee on
Indian affairs in the senate and the
house March 20. 1920, in letters
then written. / again strongly urge
the extension OF this trust period.
objection Is made by persons who
bought the surface rights. Should
they succeed In defeating the ex-
tension they would be getting some
thing for nothing at the expense OF
the Indians"
Indians in Oklahoma constitute
nearly One-third of their race in the
United States, Secretary Payne said,
and about flve-sixths OF the Okla
homa Indians belong 10 the five
nHrN A1@- -1l1Auu/