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Show - - - ~ --- - REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 33' leaving the net aereage ceded 1,116,500. Of the latter area200,OOO acres, lying along the Big Horn and Yellowstone rivers, are said to he susceptible of irrigation, the balance beiug excellent grazing land and containing some timber. The agreement provides for the use of abont one-half the purchase money for the completion and maintenance of the irrigation system; for the purchase of stock cattle and sheep; for a l~ospital and its ~naintenance; for schools; for fencing the reservation; for mills, etc. The balance of the principal sum is to be placed in the Treasury of the United States as a trust fund, the same to bear interest at the rate of 4 per cent per anunm, such interest to be added to the principal each year. A cash annuity payment of $12 per capita is to be made to all the Indians having rights on the reservation. The agreement must, of course, be ratified and confirmed by Con-gress before it becomes effective. As stated in my last report,'this commis~ionw, hich has been in the field continuously since its appointment, August 31,1896, concluded two agreements last year-one with the Indians of the Fort Hall Reservation, Idaho, dated February 5,1898, providing for a cession of a portion of their reservation to the United States, and one with the Indians of the Uiutah Reservation in Utah, dated January 8,1898, providing for the ees s io~of~ lauds for allotments to the Uncompahgre Utes. Both of these agreements were transmitted to Congress, with recommendation for favorable action, but neither of them has yet been ratified. (See Senate Doc. No. 169, Fifty-fifth Congress, first session, for Fort Hall agreement, and Senate Doc. No. 80, Wifty-fifth Congress, second session, for Uintah agreement.) Appropriations for the payment of salary and expenses of this com-mission and provision for its appointment and continuance have been - made by Congress as follows: Indian appropriation act approved Jnne 10,1896 (29 Stab., p. 341), $10,000; Indian appropriation act approved June 7, 1897 (30 Stats., p. 86), $10,000; Indian appropriation act a,pproved July 1, 1898 (30 Stats., p. 692), $15,000; deficiency appro-priation act approved March 3, 189S (30 Stats., p. 1235), $14,500. Total amount appropriated for the commissiou, $49,500. Of tlie last appropriation of $14,500, a balance of about $6,500 remained Jnly 1. It is estimated that this amouut will be exhausted about December 1 next, although the act itself says the commission shall continue until April 1,1900. This would require a deficiency appropriation of at least $5,500, making a total for this eommission of $55,000. The personnelof the commission remains uuchauged, the same beink composed of Messrs. Benjamin F. Barge, chairman anddisbursing officer, Charles G. Hoyt, and Jas. H. McNeely. Chippewa Commission.-In previous annual reports may be found state-ments of the progress of the work of the Chippewa Oommission. 8896-3 |
