The Tomahawk., 1924-07-03
any such suit or SUITS
kC: foon

port ana clVlllZatlOn' or the Cnlp
pewa Indians of Minnesota. The
total annual appropriations made
under this designation aggregate
millions of dollars. The greater
portion of these appropriations
have been expended in the pay
ment of salaries of the agents and
employees of the Indian Bureau,
and for the upkeep of the agency
buildings and property. The In.
dians, at best, have derived only
incidental benefits from these sp
preparations, yet uDder the terms
of Mr.. Knutson's bill every dollar
of this money so expended could
be pleaded as an off set to any
claims the Chippewas might es-
tablish against the United States.
This provision would in effect pre-
vent the courts from inquiring
into the expenditure of the moneys
appropriated under the heading of
Support and Civilization 1t
would be manifestly unjust to per-
NIT the deduction of the vast sums
appropriated and used for the
maintenance of a part of the In
dian Bureau from the amount
found to be due the Indians of
Minnesota for violations of their
treaties and agreements. To per-
NIT such deductions would not
only be unfair, but would reduce
the ultimate judgments to the ex-
tent of millions of dollars.
"Another provision in the bill
introduced by Representative
Knutson confers upon the Secre.
tary of the Interior, which of
course means the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs, as the recommen-
dations of the Commissioner would
be followed by the Secretary, the
power to name and employ large
number of attorneys to prosecute
the claims of the Indians. Tne
thought of permitting the officers
of a bureau of the government
against whom suit is to be brought
for an accounting to name and
employ the attorneys to bring the
suit, must be repugnant to any
fair mind. Could the Indians
hope to obtain justice under such
an arrangement They are not to
be consulted as to the attorneys to
be employed to represent them in
the prosecution of their claims,
Dor as to the nature of the suit or
suits to be filed. l would not
knowingly do my colleague an in
justice, and l therefore quote lit
orally section 4 of the bill:
| Sec. 4. The attorney or attorn-
eys selected to prosecute the claims
of the Indians in any suit, cause
or action hereunder shall be en-
ployed under contract to be exc
cuted and approved 10 accordance
with existing law: Provided, That
if the Indians fail within a reason
able time to agree in the selection
of suitable counsel in any case, the
Secretary of the Interior shall
select a proper attorney or attorn-
eys for the tribe or band in inter-
est: Provided further, that no at
torhey or firm of attorneys shall
be allowed more than one contract
hereunder.
The fee to be paid the attorneys
shall be stated in such contracts,
but in no event shall the fee in
any one contract exceed the sun
of $4,000 per annum, and shall be
paid from the tribal funds of the
Chippewa tribe of Indians of Min
nesota. and the Secretary of the
Interior Is hereby authorized to
pay the fees of attorneys so em.
ployed out of the tribal funds on
deposit in the Treasury of the
United States to the credit of the
said Indians of Minnesota. In
addition to the fees herein pro-
vided for the attorney having an
| a pprnved = contract in anv omit