Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1923-06-02
ANNUAL INCOME TWO MILLIONS
Forests Conducted by Indian Forestry
Service According to Advanced Prln-
ciples-Administra Costs
Indian Only 10 Per Cent.
Dc you think Uncle Sam Is
making up for the past wrongs
zone the red brother7 This
story gives an interesting In
sight into what paternal gov
eminent now is doing for him.

I :
Nashington.-Sentim consid
red. 1t Is generally conceded that Lo,
the poor Indian. is right in the midst
of the pauper class; but when his
material assets are considered he be-
comes the richest of Americans, pOten-
TALLY and percapitally speaking; in
deed. the richest of all humans. If
the individual Indian could cash in
on AN equal distribution basis his
share of the lands. live stock, minerals
and forests at their present valuation
he would be UNNECESSARILY better off
than the average white American,
says the forest and lumber informa-
ton service of the National Lumber
Manufacturers association, which has
been making a study Of the Indian
forests, and incidentally reports that
as against the average white mans
$1,000, the red man would possess
about $2,4OO; for the total Indian
estate is $727.OOO,OO0 and there are
but about 100000 Indians.
One of the richest of the Indian as
sets Is not often brought to public
attention. viz. the Indian forests. As
q lumberman. the Indian Is collective
ly an exceptional magnate. The 3OO.-
OQO-odd Indians own 35,OOO,O 100000
feet Of merchantable timber-an i'm
pOrtant factor in the American supply
of forest products-worth today at
least $1OO,OOO,OOO; and the young
growth in these forests and the land
they stand on represent $3O.OOO,OOO
more. If this forest wealth were d.
vided equally, every Indian In the
country would have about $430 Of
forest wealth.
Awake to Value Of Timber.
The Indians began to realize about
25 years ago that trees represented
real wealth, and the last clash Of any
consequence between the military and
Indians was in northern Minnesota in
1898 when the Leech Lake Chippewas
literally took to the tall timber in full
fighting strength when they concluded
that loggers who had been allowed the
privilege Of removing dead and down
timber from the reservation were not
finding anything in the woods that
wasn't dead and down, at least when
they got through with 1t. 1t cost the
lives Of eight soldiers Of the Third
regular regiment and the w0unding Of
about rs others for the Indians to i'm
press on the government that they
were right on the job Of looking after
their timber. This was not an Indian
uprising in a proper sense but was
Just resort to arms, as the Indians
saw it. to protect their established
property rights. Whether this demon
stration Of force had anything to do
with 1t or not, 1t Is a fact that the
systematic forestry and business man
agement of the Indian timber lands
began at about that time.
The Indian bureau Of the Depart
ment Of Interior asserts that during
the last quarter of the Nineteenth
century many millions Of feet of tim
Der were removed from Indian reserva-
lions in the states of Wisconsin and
Minnesota without proper supervision
Of the cutting and without adequate
protection of the interests Of the In
dams. Congress provided no funds for
protection or for the development Of
q system of merchandising timber.
The first general act Of congress
dealing with the timber on Indian
reservations. was in 1889 and author
ICED the sale Of dead and down tim
Der by the Indians of any reservation,
and one Of 1897 specially authorized
the sale Of such timber on the lands
of the Chippewa Indians in Minnesota.
The Indian service considers now that
both were unsound in principle as
they encouraged deliberate injury Of
the timber by fire. to make it dead
and down." and surreptitious cutting.
1t was not until 1909 that congress
gave authority for the development
within the Indian service of q regular
organization for the efficient admin
istration of Indian timber lands. AT
that time 100000 was appropriated
y.
In the meantime there is no doubt
that large part Of the forest wealth
Of the Indians was dissipated. Since
1909, however, the forestry branch Of
the Indian service has been building
up an efficient system Of administer
ing timber lands in accordance with
the basic principles Of the science Of
forestry. In 1910 congress authorized
the sale of mature green timber for
the first time. It then became possible
not only to protect the Indian timber
lands from fire and trespass, but also
to derive from the forests an income
that has financed much Of the recent
general industrial development on In
dian reservations.
The Indians own altogether 7,OOO.-
200 acres of commercial forests in ad-