The Tomahawk., 1924-03-27

Iaiueu III Gne lnQlan bureau, OUT is
one of the employees in that
Bureau, high in the favor of Com
missioner Burke. 1t was also
apparent during the hearing that
Mr.. MACPHERSON is cooperating
with the Department of JUSTICE in
the prosecution of the Swamp
Land Case, before the Supreme
Court of the United States, which
fact alone detracts from the good
faith of the Government in the
prosecution of that suit.
William Butcher, Frank Smith,
John Frank, Peter Graves, and
Charles Wakefield, were each
separately heard by the Committee.
1t was apparent from their state
ments that they knew nothing
about the matter under consider
alton, and were unable to give the
Committee any information except
that they each and severally stated
that they and the people they rep.
resented were willing to accept the
provisions of the two bills as full
and complete settlement with the
Government, except as to the
Swamp Land selections. These
statements created the impression
that a majority of the Indians are
IN favor of the bills.
Mr.. Daniel B. Henderson filed a
brief, the..contents of which was
not disclosed at the hearing.
Webster Ballinger explained to
the Committee that be appeared
for and on behalf of the GENERAL
Council of the Chippewa Indians;
that the Council for which he ap.
peared represented the great ma
jority of the Chippewa Indians of
Minnesota, and included within it's
membership the intelligent class.
He stated to the Committee that if
the appropriations contained in the
two bills under consideration we're
designed and intended as a COM
plete and final settlement with the
Indians for the lands and timber to
be taken, the Indians were unal.
terably opposed to them; that if
on the other hand they could be
considered as pay nents on account,
and it was distinctly understood
that these payments on account
were not to operate as a bar to the
assertion by the Indians of their
claim for compensation for the
lands, the Indians we're perfectly
willing that the bills should be
enacted into law.
Mr.. Ballinger pointed out that
the equities the two bills proposed
to settle were iuconsequential when
considered in the light of the
real equities of the Indians. He
pointed out that under the agree
ment of 1889, this land was to be
put up and sold at public auction,
to the highest bidder; that none of
the land proposed to be taken
would sell, if put up at public
auction, for less than $500 per
acre, and that some of it would
sell for as high as S2500.00 per
acre. He called attention to the
fact that . part of the land within
the Minnesota National Forest Re-
serve was highly mineralized; that
it was sot far removed from the
great iron section of Minnesota
and that if Put up at public auction
it would not only bring its true
value for agricultural purposes,
but in addition thereto the artificial
speculative value. Mr.. Ballinger
pointed out that under the Act of
1908. creating the Minnesota Ma
tional Forest Reserve this land
was taken at the. arbitrary price
of 81. .25 per acre, which was not
compensation but con6scation. He
pointed out that the Indian Bureau
had asked for no appropriation to
compensate tie Indians for the
great losses which the Indians
n