| OCR Text |
Show COMMISSIONER INDIAN AFFAIRS. 73 in harmony with rules of probate procedure adopted at a conference of the county judges of eastern Oklahoma, and recently adopted and promulgated by the justices of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma. . The Indinn bill also carries $100,000 to support a widespread and aggressive campaign for the suppression of the liquor traffic among Indians. The bill also provides for six confidential inspectors. I t is ex-pected that this appropriation will result in thorough investigations being made on Indian reservations, and throughout the Indian coun-try generally, so that the office may be advised of the actual condi-tions, to be used as a basis for effective reforms. The bill provides for the consolidation of the offices of the Five Civilized Tribes and Union Agency, effective September 1,1914. The controversy regarding the enrollment of the Mississippi Choc-taws was compromised by omitting the Choctaws of Oklahoma from the per capita payment made to Chickasaw and Cherokee Indians of $100 and $15, respectively. The long contest regarding the water rights of the Yakima Indians was finally settled by giving these Indians a free water right to 40 acres of their allotments in perpetuity. Another question which has been in dispute for a number of years was settled by the provision in the Indian bill providing for allotting the remaining unallotted Indians on the Bad River Reservation and the distribution of the proceeds of the sale of the remaining tribal timber to the Indians in question. There is appropriated out of the funds of the Confederated Bands of Utes, in Utah and Colorado, about $800,000; $100,000 for the pur-chase of stock for the Navajo Springs Band of Indians in Colorado; $200,000 for the Uintah, White River, and Uncompahgre Bands in Utah; and the balance to be expended among all of said Indians for the promotion of civilization and self-support among them, one of the chief purposes of which is to protect the water rights of the Ute Indians from being forfeited within the period fixed by law, and all of which is to give them much needed help in industrial pro,press. There was appropriated $100,000 for determining the heirs of de-ceased Indian allottees, so that the title to inherited Indian lands may be definitely determined. The foregoing refer to the more important problems handled by this bureau during the past fiscal year. I have necessarily omitted from this report a reference to many minor activities of the Indian Service. . Very truly, yours, Cam SELLSC,o missiolter. The SECRETAROFY T HE INTERIOR. |
