Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-11-17

who would then order the Tribal
Treasurer to make the loan.
(6) The Special Agent found that
the bonding company which was on
the bond of Stuart Hazlett, Chair
man of the Tribal Business Council,
had asked for cancellation of the
bond. Mr.. Hazlett was unable to
furnish information concerning this
request or as to the status of his
bond.
CD The Special Agent found that
in violation of the corporate char
ter, on frequent occasions the tribal
funds on deposit with the First Ma
tional Bank of Browning had ex-
ceeded the $4,000 limit of Federal
deposit insurance.
(8) On the date of the audit, the
Special Agent found that funds not
accounted for, not deposited, and
not officially receipted for made up
a total shortage of S45225.
(9) The Special Agent discovered
numerous other irregularities in the
handling and deposit of funds. For
example, checks received as adj
vances on wool made payable to In
dividual Indian and to the Black
feet Tribe were taken to the First
National Bank and cashed. Certain
payments due individual Indials
were paid in cash and the remain
der was deposited as currency and
silver to the credit of the Tribal
Treasurer Payments to creditors
were then paid by check on the
bank account. No official receipts
were issued for these collections.
Q0) At the meeting of the Tribal
Business Council on September %,
charges were made that, despite the
fact that the tribal sawmill had
been shut down as an economy
measure it had been reopened in
order to favor relatives of one of
the members of the Council The
summary of receipts and disburse-
ments of tribal funds made by the
Special Agent covering the period
of June l, 1887, to July 81, 1899,
showed that receipts from the saw
mill totalled $1,022,42, whereas dis
bursements on account of sawmill
salaries and wages totalled $780,
OF, representing loss to the tribe
on account of the sawnill operation
of S1,807.60.
must say to you frankly that
these disclosures of Irregularities
and of an actual shortage in the tri-
bal funds have disturbed me very
much. 1t was obvious, of course,
that certain members of the Coun-
Gil were more to blame than others;
they were actively responsible,
while other members after seeing
their protest go UNDECIDED remain
ed passively acquiescent or took the
attitude of washing their hands" of
the matter. AS to those actively re-
sponsible, was disposed to seek le-
gal action against certain members
of the Council
AS the elected representatives of
the tribe vested with control over
tribal funds, the members of the tri-
bal Business Council act in the ma
ture of trustees, c3i the tribal funds
should be as inviOla.e and as care
fully controlled as trust funds. Had
any Government employee mis-
handled Government funds as the
tribal funds have been mishandled
by the Tribal Business Council,
there is no doubt abount it that
they would be in danger of severe
punishment. AS l say, I was at first
disposed to press for drastic legal
action, and to that end placed the
case in the hands of the Solicitor of
the Department of the Interior,
looking to the eventual presenta-
ton of the case to the Department
of Justice.
Then on October %, I received
letter of October Is from Superint-
endent Graves. His letter informs
me that furthur audit and search
of the accounts has accounted for
some Of the shortage, leaving only
S154.35 still unaccounted for.
Mr.. Graves furthur reports that
meeting of the Council on October
10 certain resolutions were adopted.
Resolution No. 30 authorized the
transfer of tribal funds from the
First National Bank of Browning to
a special individual Indian money
account at the Blackfeet Agency
where tribal funds can be under the
scrutiny and control of the Super
intendent. Resolution No 81 pro-
vided for special effort to be made
to collect delinquent loans of tribal
funds and if collections could not be
had, to turn over the cases of delin-
quentS to the tribal court for coll
ection. Resolution No. 80 puts a
stop to all furthur loans to members
of the Tribe out of tribal funds.
Mr. Graves furthur showed that
Mr.. Levi J. Burd has made good the