The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-12-04
Sen. Butler Has Resolution
 To introduce; Progress of
 Alaska Is Being Retarded
By CHARLES D. WATKINS

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4-lPi- Legislation to rescind creation of Indian reservations in Alaska and take away the Secretary of the Interiors right to establish any in the future was ready today for in- troduction in the Senate.
 Senator Butler (R-Nebr), chair man of the Senate Public Lands Committee, said he would offer resolution to make the changes which he said are needed to en- courage private enterprise to de- velop the Territory.
 No private interests will risk the financing of any new enter prise so long as Alaskan lands re- main i'll their present uncertain condition of turmoil and confus- ion, Butler said in a memorandum attached to the resolution.
 Resolution High Points
 Buffers resolution recites that aboriginal titles to land in Alaska were extinguished by the treaty with Russia under which the United States purchased the Terri tory. It said the United States had never recognized native rights based upon use and occupancy ex- oept in certain individual cases.
 The resolution says that. act ing under the Wheeler Howard Act of 1856, the Interior Department has created number of reserya- tons and plans to create others and that such action is retarding the settlement and growth of AL aska. The uncertainty as to the status of lands in the Territory, which has retarded it's development, It continues can only be removed Ey annulment of the orders of the Interior Secretary and repeal of the section Of the law granting him the authority to make reservation.
 Rescind Reservations
 It adds that the Indian Claims Commission and the Court of Claims are available for adjudica- tion of any claims asserted by the Indians
 The legislation provides that the orders creating the reservations of Akutan. Karluk, Wales, Unala- kleet and Venetie or any other Indian reservation in Alaska "are hereby rescinded" and repeals the grant of authority to create reser- vations.
 Dangerous Grant
 Butler said the law gives the Interior Secretary "a dangerous grant of authority under which the Secretary may at his own dis cretion set aside vacant and un- occupied public lands dor reser- vations) limited only by his conscience and requirement that 30 percent of the tribe must ac- cept the proposal
 Six reservations have been ere ated, he said. totaling l.540,000 acres for total population of 1.423 Indians. They are. Akutan, 72,320 acres for 88 Indians: Karluk, 35,200 acres for l85 Shishmaref, 3.200 acres for 247 Wales. l,200 acres for 194; Unalakleet, 960 acres for 334; and Venetie, l,408000 acres for 400 Another reservation, White Mountain, of l,200 acres. was re- jected by the natives.
 More To Be Created Proposals for the creation Of additional Indian reservations in Alaska by virtue of the power and authority of the said Wheeler Howard Act the memorandum said, "totaling millions of addition al acres. are now under consider ation by the Interior Department. The Wheeler Howard Act as administered by the Interior De- partment has not only retarded, but actually has prevented the de- velopment of Alaska The Indians have exclusive use of the reserved lands but are not limited to them under existing law. Other citizens are strictly limited to lands out side the Indian reservations.
 Furthermore the Secretary of Interior may under the authority of the Wheeler Howard Act re- serve practically all of Alaska for the exclusive use of the Indians. That he has set out to do this lis evidenced by the many millions of acres already set apart for In- dian use by him and the many millions of acres now in process cf hai,,u saf aeida far Indians