OCR Text |
Show REPORT OH' THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 57 An Indian's per capita share was to be applied as far as it would go to the payment of his debts pro rata among the traders to whom he had been found to be justly indebted. Any surplus was to be paid to the Indian; any deficit was to be made up at subsequent payments to be made "whenever pasture moneys and accumulations of interest other than regular annuities shall amount to the sum of $100,000." I June 30 and July 7 the Department formulated detailed iustru'~ iot'n s relative to the manner in which these accounts should be paid, and on July 15 a roll was forwarded to the agent for the Osage Agency, containing the names of all Osage Indians alive up to and including May 31, 1902, the annuity roll for the third quarter 1901 being used as a basis. The rent of pasture lands and accumulated interest amounted to $395,000, or $34,596.32 less than the amount necessary to make the payment as awarded. July 8 the Department detailed Mr. James F. Allen, of this office, to represent the Department at this payment, his duty being to hear and determine the validity of disputed claims, with a view to rejecting or suspending payment of such claims as wereobjected to by the Indians, and, as the representative of the Department, to stand between the Indian and the trader in the settlement of diuputes. The payment waa commenced on July 29, and was practically closed August 9 so far as the Indians were concerned. There was no dis-turbance of any kind, and it was universally remarked that the pay-ment was the most quiet one that had ever been made, and so far as can be ascertained both Indians and traders were well satisfied with 6 the The following is an approximate statement of payment: Available for payment .................................. $395,000.00 Paid traders ............................... 5207.286.96 Paid Indians ............................... 187,713.04 395,000.00 Alloved traders. ....................................... 429,596.32 Paid traders ........................................ 207,286.96 Balance due traders .................................... 222,309.36 One more modification of Osage trade was made by the act of March 3, 1901. It provided that after July 1,1901, any one who is consid-ered by this office to be a "proper person to engage in such trade" shall be permitted to carry on business among the Osages. The large cash annuities of that tribe have always attracted many traders to the reservation, and theeffert has been there, as elsewhere, to license as many as could clo afairly profitable business and secure the Indians the benefit of competition. How many or how few that may be is not an easy thing to decide, with reservation and nonreservation conditions varying in every loaality. This legislation simplifies the matter for the Osages. |