The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-01-01
INDIAN AFFAIRS
CHANCE NEEDED,
CONGRESS- TOLD
Legislation Suggested to
Remedy Present Evils
of Policy.

Bu Scripps-Hotcdrd NelcsDaDer Alliance
WASHINGTON, Jan. Sweep
ing changes in this country's policy
of dealing with it's Indians have
been proposed to the senate Indian
affairs committee by G. j. Rhoads,
commissioner of the Indian bureau,
and Ray Lyman Wilbur, secretary
of interior.
-Four letters, discussing evils in the
present system of administering In
dian affairs and suggesting remedial
legislation, have been sent to the
committee within the past two
weeks.
When congress reconVenes they
will be the basis of the most far
reaching study made of the Indian
problem in many years.
Most important of all is sug-
ing study made of the Indian prob
gestion that all reimbursable loans
by the government, which become a
lien on Indian lands, be discontin-
ued.
Indian allotted land nowiS bur-
dened with a lien in excess of $685.
100000, according to Rhoads, al
though the general allotment act
provides that at the end of the trust
period the United States will con-
vey the land to the Indian or his
heirs free of all incumbrance.
Indians Had to Repay
Until 1914, all expenditures by the
government for irrigation and other
improvements on Indian reserva-
tons were gratuitous. In 1914 Con-
gress provided that all moneys spent
heretofore or hereafter shall be
made reimbursable." The Indians
have had to repay sums spent by
the government many years ago.
In addition, bridges and public
highways have been paid for with
appropriations made reimbursable.
Where an Indian has sold his al
lotted land, the government reim-
bursement has been taken out OF
the money he received.
Rhoads questions constitutionalitv
of liens thus put on the land, and
points out that the courts have
never passed upon it.
The second problem discussed Is
this: Under the lew, Indian al
lotted lands must be sold at death
of the allottee. The result is that
second and third generation Indians
are landless.
Rhoads suggests that land might
be made to revert to the tribal estate
subject to reallotment, or that the
government might loan an heir who
wished to buy the rights of other
heirs to a piece of land, enough
money to make the property his.
Would Keep Control
What to do with the indivisible
tribal estate of Indians is the third
problem. Unless existing law is
changed, the government will still
have paternalistic control over these
lands a hundred years from now,
Rhoads says, and Indians will be
prevented from taking part in the
business life of the nation. Rhoads
asks the committee to study the
possibility of incorporating Indian
tribes or vesting tribal councils with
greater degree of responsibility
for managing their own affairs.
In the fourth place, every con-
gress deals with great number OF
bills involving Indian claims, be-
cause Indians have no right to take
their claims into any court. Rhoads
asks if it would not be possible to
create an Indian claims commission
with power to reach final settle
ments in these matters.
Lastly, Rhoads discusses the Diff
| f1culties of Indian irrigation under
a number of conflicting laws passed
! at various times.