Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-02-19
INDIAN RACE NOT DYING
OUT HASKIN DECLARES
DAILY Letter by Frederic j.. Haskip

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-The In
dams in the United. States can no
longer be called a vanishing race.
Figures presented to congress during
the present session by Charles H.
Burke, the commissioner of Indian
affairs, show that the Indian popu-
lation has materially increased dur
ing the past ten years. There are
now about $4,000 Indians in the
country, half of them full bloods,
and one-third of the rest more than
half-bloods.
Slowly but surely science and care
full medical attention is cutting down
the heavy mortality which for SO
many years the Indians suffered
after coming in contact with the
! diseases of the white men. Ten years
ago the milan death rate annually
was 1924 per thousand; in 1920 it
was 22.3S. The birth rate is now
more than keeping pace with the
death rate.
At the beginning of the present
century the government had provid-
ed only five hospitals for the whole
Indian population. Today there are
rs Indian hospitals, and the gov
eminent is giving medical treatment
TO more than 20, 900 Indian patients
every year. The red mai is particu-
larly susceptible to tuberculosis, 25,-
900 of them being more or less al
fected with it. An wen greater
number have the disease Of the eyes
known as t~rachorna. Ten years ago
the government spent $4,000 a year
in health work among the Indians.
This year the medical'and health APP
preparation is $4,000.
The Indians of the United States
are also rapidly becoming indepen-
dent citizens, losing their status Of
wards of the government. One-third
of them have been released entirely
from the supervision of the Indian
Bureau, while still another third are
citizens with full voting rights, al
though the guardianship of the gov
eminent oVer them has not been re-
linquished.
Nearly 100000 acres of land are
now being farnled by about $4,000
Indians Both the area farmed and
the number of Indian farmers have
nearly doubled in ten years. Fifty
thousand families are now living III
houses of permanent construction,
while only 10000 families still cling
to their tents. tepees and wickiups.
Indian Rarely Retrogrades
Commissioner Burke disputed the
common idea that after an Indian
has been given an education he
promptly goes back to the r~eserva-
ton, drops his civilization along
with his store clothes, and promptly
resumes the blanket. The commits
stoner is a man of long experience
with the aborigines, and he declar-
ed that the Indian who retrogrades
is a rarity,
The wealth of the Indians is now
close to $1,000, 600, 900 or almost
$4,000 per capita. Their tribal and
individual protected funds deposited
in the treasury or in banks amount
to $50, 600, 600. The Osages consti-
tute the wealthiest tribe, for on
their lands in Oklahoma is located
the richest oil field in the United
States.
The Cherokees originally owned
this land. Away back in 1883 when
automobiles were not yet invented
and the demand for petroleum was
small. the crafty Cherokees thought
they had turned a neat piece OF bust
ness when they succeeded in selling
this area to the Osages for $1.25 an
acre. After the purchase was made,
all mineral rights in the lands were
reserved to the Usage tribe as q
whole.
When oil was discovered in the
Usage country. the individuals q
this tribe, whether they individually
happened to be occupying oil land
or not, Immediately grew rich. Every
Usage shares equally in the royaltie;
ana bonuses paid by the oil opera,
tors. Last year alone each enrolled
Usage received $4,000 in royalties
and certain large families with mum.
erous children. drew an income a.
high as $4,000 for the year. on
sale Of oil leases brought the tribt
S7,0O0,000 in bonuses at rates rang,
ing mp to $4,000 an acre. and the,
Will draw royalties on every barrel %
oil produced under the leases. Th'
total oil production on the Osag,
Reservation last year came to 20,
100000 barrels.
Other Indians in Oklahoma die
not ecure to their tribes the miner
al rights of their lands, but let then
% IA tAe taaixldAa1 Lpdiana n KhoH