OCR Text |
Show IV REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. This total decrease of nearly $120,000 in the estimate for the fiscal year 1889 is madein the face of a very considerableincrease in some of its items ; such increase, amounting to nearly'$200,000, being found mainly in the items of support of schools, survey and allotments, additional farmers, and transportation of goods and supplies. The necessity for in-creasing the transportation item is the immediate result of the interstate commerce law. It is gratifying to know that the cost of 'the Indian service is dimiuishing, notwithstanding the fact that a much larger number of children are being eared for in schools than ever before, and that the expenses incident to the execution of the allotment act are necessarily hea.7-y. ALLOTMENT OR LAND IN SEVERALTY. t The general allotment act, the plan of which was first suggested in the annual report of this office for 18'78, became a law on the 8th of February last.' I ha& deemed it a matter of public iuterest and con-venient reference to submit ic this report not only the full text of the act, which will be found on page 274, but also an abstract of its pro-visions, which are as foliows : The President may, in his discretion, haye any Indian reservatiop or any part thereof sur~eyedo r resurveyed, and the lands of such reser-vation allotted in severalty to any Indian located thereon. The size of the allotments shallbe: to each head of a family, one-quarter of a section; to each single person over eighteen and each or-phan under eighteen years of age, one-eighth of a section ; to each other single person born prior to the date of the Presidential order di-recting an allotment of lands upon the reserve,, one-sixteenth of a sec-tion. If the reserve is too small to allow the giving of allotments as above, the size of allotments shall be reduced pro rats. If any treaty or act has provided for larger allotments on an+ reservation, the provisions of such treaty or act shall be observed. If the lands alloLted are valuable only for grazing, the size of the allotments shall be doubled. If irriga-tion is necessarx, the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe rules for a just distribution among the Iudians of the water supply. Selections of allotments shall be made by Iudians, heads of families selectlog for their minor children, but agents shall select for orphans. The la~lds selected shall embrace the improvements made thereon by the respective Indians. If on oue legal subdivision of land two or more Indians have made im-provements the tract may be divided between them and a further assign-ment of lands bemade to them to complete the amount towhich eaehis entitled. If withiu four years after the President shall have directed allot-ments on a reservation any Iudiau belonging thereto shall have failed |