The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1929-07-26

vailing fits the Indian to earn his
living. The senators inquired in
to various complaints against the
agency, most of them affecting
the administration of a former
superintendent, P. P. Mueller.
Howard Bogart, watermaster for
the reservation, and Eggers both
feel that the irrigation projects,
of which there are four ON the
reservation, should be abandoned
unless the government supplies
the needed water. 1t developed in
their testimony that the construc-
ton charges and other costs which
have accrued exceed the value of
the land. Eggers said the CROP
raised last year by the Indians
was less than the interest due the
government. The superintendent
admitted that an engineering
blunder was committed originally
III LllC builuinS VI lht plOJCClos
Bogart Characterized the efforts of
the Indians to make a living on
the reservations as slow starva-
ton. He said that of the 10000
acres in the Poplar creek unit not
more than 1000 acres can be ir-
rigated even when there is water.
Would Cancel Charges
The four units cover $4,000
acres. Bogart believes the con-
struction charges should be can
celled, for he cant understand
how you ear assess a man for
what he doesn't get" Eggers and
were taken over the ir-
rigation quest in great detail.
They maintained that the Indians
are willing workers. Eggers said
that by no means all Indians made
good farmers and that provision
should be made to train these
along industrial lines, The sup
erintendent said that call revenues
give the Indians about 5000 each
annually" Whether leases of In
liam lands to the Frye company
nave been to the Indians disad-
vantage was gone into. Senator
Wheeler using the report of fed
9ral Investigators as the basis of
lis questions. One point raised
~ the senator was whether check
.r-boarding was resorted to by the
concern, whereby Indians
Who would not give leases were .
urrounded by land leased by the
rye interests so that the Indian
ad to fence his land to protect it.
Wheeler also inquired concerning I
he clause in the lease agreement l
thereby the Indians bore the cost '
f fencing the grouped leases and \
S to whether abandoned home I
and patented land in the {
rea was exempt from this fenc- I
cost. The Indians complained I
f checkerboarding and of the I
clause.
Would Help Aged :
Interrogations by the senators
ldicated consideration of a plan
hereby aged Indians can be |
individual family homes at
lie agency Eggers and Bogart
alieve this practical if carefully
orked out. Eggers suggested
lat some of the old Indians are
D attached to their homes that
1ere might be difficulty in per- d
them to move unless a r
olony of them were established. g
Eggers has been superintendent D
nee April, 1927. Allegations as il
j, agency actions discriminatory Fl
!, the Indians interests, based on T
. Investigators report, related to A
period prior to Eggers taking C
large. He was disinclined to u
anne Mueller, his predeseccor, for F
conditions on the ground |;
at Mueller had insufficient office T
clip at that time. W
Senator Frazier was especially r
)ncerned oven the educational S
.cilities. Eggers believes that a S
BOD agency school is the most
ltisfactory. Many of the Fort h
eek children attend the public b.
.hools. P