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Show 24 OOMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. to the post office bill will to some extent remedy it. Congress is now being asked to close up this gap in our otherwise effective liquor laws. Owing to the advancement to the Chippewa Indians of one-fourth of the amount which would now be coming to the Indians under a pro rats distribution of their permanent fund under the treaty of February 22, 1855, a troublesome condition has been created. There is a large element withi this area which has been accustomed to obtain liquor freely, which, coupled with the desire on the part of others to reap large profits from the illegal introduction and sale of liquor, has caused the liquor suppression o5cen a great deal of trouble, although their work has mainly been very satisfactory. The di5culties experienced by all who are engaged in the work of suppressing the liquor tra5c among Indians have been great and have been carried on with many legal battles. The legality of these opera-tions and the actions of the officers have frequently been called into question into the courts, but in the face of all obstructive measures substantial progress has been recorded. Instances are known where liquors under th? titles of "near been" have been shipped into treaty territory and a market established. Afterwards the percentage of alcohol would be increased until in some instances real beer was going m the place of the "near beer" and under its guise and label. To minimize this, an order was issued prohibiting the introduction of malt liquor, which immediately brought the question into the courts for restraining orders to prohibit our officers from interfering with these shipments. It is gratifying, however, that the action taken in the State courts was to promptly dispose of the case by refusing to grant the restraining orders. Many prosecutions were instituted and are now pending in the Minnesota judicial district. An interesting case arising out of the enforcement of treaty provi-sions is now pending before the Supreme Court of the United States wherein the John Gund Brewing Co. seeks to compel the Great Northern Railway Co. to accept a shipment of beer and other fer-mented malt liquors to persons residing within the treaty territory where purchased for and intended to be used personally and for the private consumption of the consignees. Because of the importance of this question in connection with this work in Minnesota the Cbvernment has intervened and the outcome of the case is being awaited with interest. An important decision has been rendered by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of denying the authority of Federal courts to suspend sentences, etc. This decision will prove of inesti-mable value to our service. Many reports have been received from the officers of the liquor service in which attention was invited to cases where a minimum sentence of 60 days in jail and the payment of a fine of $1,000 was suspended upon the payment of a h e of $25. |
