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Show REPORT OF THE OOMMSSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 85 amended, Creek citizens were permitted to sell their alienable lands to whomsoever they pleased. It was required that the deed be submitted through the United States Indian agent, Union Agency, and that the value of the land be shown by the a5davits of three disinterested per-sons who had knowledge of land values in the Creek Nation. The regulations also declared that no deed purporting to convey land would be approved where the consideration was less than the appraised value shown by the records of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes. It was provided, however, that the appraisement as made by the Com-mission would not in any way be binding upon the Department in the matter of the approval or disapproval of deeds. The supplemental agreement fixed the maximum value at which lands in the Creek Nation were to be appraised by the Commissior, at $6.50 per acre. A great deal of the land was appraised-in fact, a large majority of i k a t less than$6.60 per acre. Investigation showed that Creek allottees were willing to sell and were selling their lands for less than their reasonable value. In many imtances they sold their lands for the appraised value, as shown by the Commission's record. This appraised value was not supposed to be the true valne of the land, but was a valuation given to it for the purpose of distributing the Creek landed estate. The highest valne that could be given to any land under the law being $6.50 per acre, other lands were appraised in accdance therewith and values placed upon them proportionate to the maximum value. As under this method of selling Creek lands the Indians would not receive the true value of their alienable lands, the Department July 10, 1903, amended the regulations. As ameoded they require that Creek citizens desiring to sell their lands shall apply to the Indian agent by petition. Such application must contain an accurate description of the land and the improvements thereon. The petition is made in dupli-cate and the duplicate copy immediately forwarded to this Office. On each Monday morning the agent posts in a conspicuous place in his office for a period of sixty days a list of the lauds described in the petitions filed with him during the week preceding such Monday, and on each Monday morning he forwards to this Office a complete list of the lands posted and offered for sale. During such sixty days the listed lands are advertised in a newspaper published at Muskogee--at present the Mnskogee Phoenix. The Indian agent, or an employee of his oBce, is required to visit and appraise each tract offered for sale. The appraisement is not made public, but no bid for less than the appraised value will be considered. Sealed bids are received by the agent for the listed lands. &ch bid must be accompanied by a certified check payable to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 20 per cent of the amount offered, as a guaranty of the faithful performance by the bidder of his proposition. If a bid |