OCR Text |
Show 16 COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. The restriction against alienation of the allotted lands of indi-vidual Indians was removed from 135,960.46 acres, involving 1,778 applications for removal of restrictions. A-Federal income tax of $514,386.25 was paid by 340 restricted Indians, as compared with $351,148.18 paid by 243 of this class in the preceding ear. At the Leal, county, and district fairs last. year restricted In-dians won the following prizes: One hundred and thirty-six first, 48 second, 6 third, and 1 fifth; at the Hughes County Free Indian ' Fair they won 61 first and 37 second, and at the Oklahoma Free State Fair, held at Muskogee, they won 4 first, 4 second, 4 third, 1 fourth, and 1 fifth prizes. OIL AND QAS IN THE FIVEC IVILIZEDT m~s.-The abrogation during the fiscal year 1920 of the 4,800.acre limitation in the Five Civilized Tribes permitted all lessees holding the maximum acreage to obtain other leases and tended to increase oil and gas activities during the first half of the fiscal year 1921 resulting in an increase in revenue to the Indians during this perio$. However, the recent drops in the rice of oil resulted in g~nerald epression of the, oil industry. 011 fanuary 1, 1921, the pnce of mid-continent crude oil was $3.50 per barrel and reductions were made until it had reached $1 per barrel. In February a number of pipe-line companies cut their runs 30 per cent, so that it was necessary to authorize the storage of oil taken from departmental oil and gas leases. The depression in the industry and consequent suspension of new operations has naturally had its effect upon the income of the Indians ,derived from payn1ent.s of bonus, rents? and royalties, the revenue from this source beinq considerably reduced. Most of the pipe-line com-panies are poxr taking 100 per cent of the oil from leases to which their uine lines are connected and the ~roswects are brighter for the A * - cominL tear. On %ay 10, 1921, the Su reme Court of the State of Oklahoma, in the case of Winon 'a! OCil o. u. Barnes, rendered an ppinion which is to the effect that extensions of leases made by guarhans of mlnors are invalid if made without corn etitive biddin . On May 10, 1921, the United &ta' tes 'District 8o urt for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in the case of Pearl Chisholm et al. 9. Creek and Indians Development Co. rendered a decision holding that the spouse must join with the aliottee in the execution of leases and modifications thereof in cases where such inherited tribal or allotked lands constitute the family homeshad. OIL AND GAS OUTSIDE THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES AND OSAGE NATION. 1 In February, 1921, oil was discovered by the Western States Oil & Land Co. in section 34, township 6 south, range 32 east, Crow Reservation, Mont., the well having a flow of approximately 200 barrels of heavy black oil. The new strike caused considerable ex-citement and interest and stimulated oil and gas activities on the reservation. Under section 7 of the act of Congress approved June 4,1920 (41 Stat. L., 751-753), mining leases on lands of the Crow Indians re-quire the authorization of the tribal council, and on February 17, 1921, the business committee of the Crow Tribe of Indians revoked |