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Show 68 REPORT OF THE CiOXMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. logging operations. It had, however, developed that there was but little dead timber on those reservations, and as large quantities of green timber had been cut and sold as dead timber under previous logging, the office did not promulgate this authority. Logging operations were, however, carried on by the General Land Office on the ceded lands of the various Chippewa resei~ationsin the State of Minnesota under regulations prescribed by the Secretary August 26,1898. The Indian appropriation act approved March 1, 1899 (30 Stats., 92&929), directed the Secretary of the Interior-to cause an investigation by an Indian inspector and a special Indian agent of the alleged cutting of greentimberunder contract9 for cutting "dead and down" on the Chippewa ceded and diminished reservations in the Sta.te of Minnesota; and also whether the present nlm of estimating and examining timber on said lands and sale thereof is the-best that can bedevised'ior protection of the interwts of said Indians; and also, in his discretion, to suspend the further estimatin-x. , a-pp.r ai~inge, xamining, and cutting of timber and the &le of the same, and also suspend the sale of the lands in asid reservation. March 30,1899, the Department, acting under this authority of law, directed.this office to suspend all timber operations pertaining to the cutting or sale of timber from the diminished reserves of the Chippe-was in the State of Minnesota, and also directed the Commissioner of the Geneid Land O5ce to suspend all further operations touching the estimating, appraising, examining, and cutting of timber, as well as the letting of further logging contracts, on the ceded Chippewa lands in the State of Minnesota and the sale of lands in that reservation. As it was represented that there was a large amount of dead timber standing or fallen on the Red Lake and White Earth diminished reservations which should he cut and disposed of, this office, November 1, 1900, recommended that Department letter of March 30, 1899, directing the suspension of timber operations on reuervations in the State of Minnesota, he modified so as to allow the logging of dead timber standing or fallen on the White Earth and RedLake diminished reservations, under theclause in the act of June 7, 1897, above quoted. November 2,1900, the Department approved the recommendation, and December 21 it approved the regulations to govern logging opera-tions on those reservations and a form of contract to be entered into hy purchasers of logs, which had been submitted by this office November 16 and afterwards recalled and amended: These regulations required that Capt. W. A. Mercer, acting United States Indian agent for the Leech Lake Agency, personally supervise and manage the logging operations to he conducted on the White Earth and Red Lake diminished reservations. November 19,1900, I recommended that the authority of November 2,1900, be extended to the ceded lands of the various Chippewa reser-vations in the State of Minnesota not theretofore offered for sale or |
