| OCR Text |
Show REPORT OB THE OOXMISSIONEH OF INDIAN AFFAIR8. 161 and stated that to set aside land for park purposes in towns in the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations would seem to be a violation of the terms of the Choctaw and Chickasaw agreement. The Department, however, by a letter of July 10, took the position that there was sufficient authority of law for the setting aside of lands for park purposes in towns in these nations, and directed the inspector to instruct the said town-site commissions to proceed accordingly. July 19,1900, the inspector requested to be advised whether land set midc for park purposes should be paid for at the rate of $10 per acre, or whether it should be appraised by the commission and pur-chased by the town at that valuation. The office expressed the opinion that it should be paid for by the inhabitant+ of the town at the rate of $10 per acre. The Department concurred, and, July 27, directed the inspector to instruct the town-site commissions accordingly. The inspector reported August 1, 1900, that the principal chief of the Choctaw Nation insisted that the land set aside for park purposes should he appraised by the commission and sold in accordance with the law relative to the sale of unimproved lots, and that the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations would not agree to have any tract of land within any town donated for park purposes. With the inspector's report was inclosed a communication from Mr. Smiser, of the Choctaw town-site commission, in which he stated that the chairman of the com-mission was of the opinion that the commission could set aside any amount of unimproved land which the inhabitants of the town deemed necessary for park purposes, and the citizens of South McAlester asked that 150 acres be so set aside. This office reported, August 9, that it knew of no reason why the Department should not adhere to the position theretofore taken, that land set aside for park purpoaes should be paid for at the rate of $10 per acre, but that only a reason-able amount should be so set aside, and the Department, by letter of August 13, concurred in that view. August 8, 1900, thk inspector again reported relative to the price to be paid for land set aside for park purposcs.in towns in the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, and the Department, by letter of August 23, to the inspector, held that it was not the intention of the law that every town should have a park, and that when it should bc considered necessary that land for park purposes be set aside, in most cases 10 acres would be sufficient. Lots of excessive size.-The action of the Department, through the Chickasaw town-site commission at Ardmore, in regard to lots of exces-sive size, has already been given. June 28, 1900, the inspector for-warded a communication, dated June 5,1900, from Mr. F. S. Genung, of South McAlester, and also a report, dated June 22, 1900, from Dr. Sterrett, chairman of the Choctaw town-site commission, relative to allowing Mr. Genung, as one lot, an area in the outskirts of the town of 6266 --I1 |
