Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-07-25
PROTESTS MOVE
TO INVESTIGATE
INDIAN LEASE SALE
CONTINUED from Page One)

I AENEAAN eAA4C was hANkf%AA N1AA1A~N~~-
The department sent France x
Browning on its own initiative and the
request for investigation was not filed
until after his return to Washington
Following is the text of the two
letters referred TO:
Shelby. July %. 1912
Montana Oil g. Gas Producers Assn
Shelby, Montana.
Gentlemen:
MY attention has been called to the
front page article which appeared IN
the July 10 issue OF the Montana on
Journal, relating to the protest which
your association has filed with the
Department Of the Interior in regard
to the sale Of Blackfeet Indian on
leases held at Browning on June 8,
1912.
If your association Is responsible for
the statements contained in the article
! above referred to, desire to call your
attention to the fact that several OF
these statements are wholly false and
wholly mwarranted
In the article referred to there ap-
pears the following statement:
THE association alleges that the
leases authorized by the Tribal Coun-
Gil were not In conformity with the
provisions of the call for bids"
That statement is entirely false and
an examination Of the published call
for bids win show that it is false. If
you have any desire to be fair about
this matter, you will publicly retract
the above statement. The article re-
ferred to contains the further state
ment:
1.-The leases written provided un-
usual terms, with TIA percent royalty
to the Tribe"
The officers Of your association
know that the Indian leases which
were sold at the sale held NOV. 5, 194l,
all called for royalty of 17a percent,
payable to the Tribe The royalty pro-
vided for in leases recently sold merely
followed that precedent. Your state
ment that there was something I'M
usual about this is therefore unwar-
ranted and misleading.
The article contains the further
statement that:
THE Hanlon leases provide that the
Tribe, in lieu Of cash bonus, would
participate in Is percent of the net
profits"
This statement is at least so percent
false. The provision Of the lease which
allows the Tribe to participate in IS
percent of the net profits was not
inserted lin lieu of a cash bonus"
but is in addition to the cash bonus
which was bid and paid.
In the same article there appears
the further statement:
ut is alleged that the full fees were
not paid, and the fee for well sites
was changed after bids were awarded
from 500 to $50 per well Site"
This statement Is wholly untrue. The
fact is, that the full fees were paid,
In accordance with regulations, and \
the records of the Tribal Council win
show this. Your statement in this re-
gard is entirely false. Likewise the
statement that the fee for the well
;iteS was changed after bids were
awarded, is also false. In the adver-
,isement for bids the fees per well
ute were specified to be $50 per well
lite. The bid was made on that basis |
md accepted on that basis, and the
ease provides for a well site fee Of
so, In accordance with the advertise .
nent, and In accordance with the bid
I, therefor, demand of you that you ]
make a public retraction Of the above
tatements. Unless your association is
organized for the purpose of putting !
,ut false and malicious statements.
rou will not hesitate to correct the
injury which you have done me, when
on have definitely ascertained by the n
of the public records that 8
"a ofofavr4n re ORG xryfrn1Iu Folua =
Very truly yours,
w. M. HANLON.
Browning, Montana, 4
July 81, 1912.
fontana on Journal,
treat Falls, Montana. N
hear sir:
There have been news articles APP
caring in your paper in regards to 8
ne last sale Of oil and gas leases on
ne Blackfeet reservation, and we are
sQuesting the names Of the parties 3.
for such misleading state
tents. !,
In the recent issue Of your paper
ated July IS, 1912, there was an ar m
Gle in regards to the Montana OIL r.
roducers association submitting
Irmal protest against the recent sale, I
nd we certainly welcome such an in
in fact, we are today also
aking a similar request. not that we -
lie Blackfeet Council or the success
i bidders at this particular sale were
Iilty Of any irregularities, but for B
lie purpose to find out who is re- y
'onsible for such misleading state
entS as has appeared in the Mon B;
ma OIL Journal s7
Hoping for your cooperation In this
after, you may use this letter as an
lswer to the recent article that has u
,en covered in the Journal.
Respectfully yours,
RICHARD GRANT, SIR. 81
LEO M. KENNEDY =.