Evening star., 1933-12-17

Exile Fife, the rich Indian girl uhose
troubles include being named three
times in alienation of affections IaiO
suits.
KLAHOMA'S wealthy Indians who
got rich when vast oil pools were
discovered and tapped under the
grass-covered hills of the old
Indian Territory. have drawn the
attention of the Great White
Father once more.
They have come to his attention-or, to be
strictly accurate to the attention of the Fed
eral officials who are his eyes and ears in such
matters-because Indians and large sums OF
money never seem to mix very We'll
For quarter of century the Federal Gov
which the oil wells brought them just about as
they pleased The Tulsa and Seninoie neiaS
made many Indians rich. and the Indians pro-
ceeded to squander their fortunes
As a remedy Government officials established
the Five Civilized Tribes Agency, at Muskosee'
and empowered the agency to hire guardians Tor
many of the wealthier Indians.
This step, however, wasn't an unquahhed
success.
The guardian of rich Indian girl got as
his compensation a percentage of the funds
lie handled. The more his Indian spent, the
,,ore money the guardian pocketed' As
-,atural consequence, a lot Of guardians were
ess interested in conserving their wards Ior-
tunes than in seeing to it that they spent
money freely.
A PLAN offered by A. NJ Landman, super
y intendent of the Five Tribes Agency would
seek to conserve the fortunes of the rich In
dians and at the same time would attempt to
provide generously for the Indians who are
not rich.
MIR. Landman has recommended to John
Collier. United States commissioner of Indian
affairs, that the money OF the rich Indians De
handled for them by the agency, and that the
Indians be assessed certain sums Tor TINS
service, the money thus obtained tc be spent
By the agency for the less fortunate Indians.
He pointed out that there are about $50
indians in the big money" class, and that they
have fortunes which total about $28,500000.
Thus he says, they would well be able to pay
ieasonable fees for the agency's service
The Indians should either pay for this priv
.Iege or properly safeguarded trusts should be
created so that the Office expense money could
be used for the benefit of thousands Of INDECENT
Indians badly in need of social services" he
said.
"The average American citizen has but
hazy idea of the Indian situation. He reads in
the newspapers of the extravagant spending
of these people, and he assumes that all Of the
Indians have gushing oil wells and fat bank
accounts.
But as a matter of fact, only about 1000
of these 101 900 Indians have so much as a
comfortable living. 1t Is at great expense that
The Government feeds and clothes those in dire
need"
One of the measures suggested has been that
the Government buy the segregated coal and
asphalt lands belonging to the Choctaw and
Chickasaw Indians, which are valued at So
600 900. This money would be placed IN
trust fund for the education Of the Indian
children of the two tribes.
/ AEANWHILE the extravagances OF the few
lVl wealthy Indians and the misfortunes that
their money often brings them, continue to be
cited as examples Of the poor way in which the
traditional system Of safeguarding the Indians
interests has worked out.
Indians are much poorer managers than
white people" says Mr.. Landman. "Give an
Indian a fortune and he will have little OF
it left after couple Of years, unless steps are
taken to protect it."
Such Indian playboys and playgirls Ekie
Fife, Eastman Richards and Katie Fixico have
caused Government officials no little trouble
in recent years because Of their inability to use
their money wisely.
Richards has been married and divorced
no less than four times during the last Is
years. He does not know how rich he Is, but
he thinks he has something like 100000 on
deposit at the agency.
His latest appearance in court came year
bar charging that he had lived with her as