OCR Text |
Show COMMISSIONER OB INDIAN AFFAIB8. 3 1 sales. The evils growing out of this practice are well known. The amendment restricted the beneficiaries to the expenditure of only $10 per month unless otherwise specifically authorized by this Office. This amendment was promulgated without previous notice, and nipped in the bud many schemes for despoiling the Indians. The new conditions were not accepted without a struggle. Claims against Indians, the bendciaries of these moneys, have flowed into the Office in a constant stream, and in many instances claims have been filed against individual Indians aggregating much more than the total amount derived by them from the sale of their lands. Efforts to adjust these accounts are in progress, but much difficulty is experienced in separating legitimate claims from those of ques-tionable character. Many complaints of delay are received from alleged creditors of the Indians; nevertheless it is thought better to proceed slowly and authorize only the payment of those claims which appear to be free from any taint of misdealing. The restrictions imposed by the amendment of September 19,1904, as further amended on March 21, 1905, have checked the reclrlessness of the Indians and afforded them protection against unsc~pulousp ersons. Soon after assuming charge of this Bureau I ascertained that the moneys derived from this source and held under Governmental con-trol, were deposited in certain national banks, which were also United States depositaries, but without other security than that given to individual depositors. It seemed to me that these funds, which are in a sense trust funds, should be so deposited as to avert as far as practicable any danger of loss, and I accordingly recommended that the banks receiving the deposits be required to furnish satisfactory bonds. This recommendation was given effect in an amendment to paragraph 1 of section 1 of the amended rules of October 4, 1902, approved March 21,1905, and reading as follows: Owners of such inherited Indian lands desiring to sell the same may petition the Indian agent, or other oflicer having charge, within whose territorial jnrls-diction the land is situated, praying that the land therein described may he sold under said act In accordance with the regulations, and agreeing that the proceeds to be derived therefrom shall be placed in one or more national banks, to be designated by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and which said banks shall furnish satisfactory bonds to guarantee the aafety of such deposits, to the credit of each heir in proper proportion, subject to the check of such helrs, or, in case of minors, subject to the check of their recognized guardians, for amounts uot exceeding ten dollars to each in any one month when approved by the agent or other o5cer in charge, and only when so approved, and for sums in excess of ten dollars p r month upon the approval of such agent only when specitlcally authorized bj the Commissioner ot Indian Main. The petition shall he signed by all the lawful helrs, and, in case of minors, by their legal representatives, and shall set forth every materlai fact necessary to show full title nnder the laws applicable. |