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Show REPORT OF THE COMMIS8IONER OF IAN AFFAIRB. 85 operation& which had been begun in fulfillment of oontracts upon ap-proved allotments, should be permitted to be resumed, subject to the approval of the contracts thereafter, with such modifications as to price as might be found necessary. Subsequently (February 14, 1889), the Department authorized an investigation by Special Timber Agent W. A. Roberts, and Mr. J. F. Allen of this office, into the fairness and reasonableness of the prices stipulated in the contracts, and as to whether any timber had been out upon lands not allotted to Indians, or where allotments had not been approved ; and, if so, the amount cut on each tract, the persons by wh6m the cutting was done, the reasons or excuses for the trespassing, etc. This investigation was d u l m~ a de, and as a result thereof some 211 contracts for the sale QE pine timber on the Lac Oourt d'oreilles, Bad River, and Lac du Flambeau Reservations were approved by my im-mediate predecessor in April last. Fnll settlement baa been made nn-der these contracts, of which the following is a detailed statement. TALIL14~. -81~Mdng *mti@ of timber out in 1888-'89 om msenraDions attaahed to tk Lo Pointe Agency, Wis., an& approved contracfe, elo. The average net price per 1,000 feet was $2.03, against $2.25 received the preceding year. The falling off in price was dne to fact that the quality of much of the timber was inferior, and also that it was taken from lands that had been cut over several times previonslg. Some 13,000,000 feet of pine timber was cut on the Fond du Lac Res-ervation by Messrs. Hynes and Gowan, for all of which they had eon-tracts for the season of 1887-'38, which had been approved by the agent bnt not by this Office. Said contracts had expired by limitation, and with two or three exceptions were not renewed by the Indians for the season of 1888-'89. In many cases; however, advances were made which they accepted. With ten exceptions, the allotments frum which this timber was cut had neither been approved by the President, nor by this Office. March 19,1889, Special Agent R. 8. Gardner was direeted to take charge of the LaPointe Agency, and on the next day instructions were given him looking to the protection of the interests of the Government and the Indians in the matter of the timber upon reservations. April 8, 1889, he reported that suit had been commenced in the 1 Unitad States circuit court for the district of Minnesota against Patriok |
