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Show xl FIFTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF grazing privileges; and so long as there is no law authorizing such ar-rangements the Department can give no approval thereof. Consequently such, leases, althoiigh they involve large property interests and often-times closely affect the welfare of the Indians, have no legal standing. I therefore recommendlegislation that will authorize sach leases. Many tribes would be benefited thereby. They would thus derive a revenue from their surplus grass, which would lessen their dependence upon Government appropriations. LOGGING BY INDIANS. La Pointe Agency, Wis. Dnriug the season of 1887-'88, nnderDe-partment authority of September 28, 1882 (full particulars of which will be found in the aunual report of this office for 1884), 731 contract8 for the cutting, sale, and delivery of pine timber were made by indi-vidual patentees of the Lac Court, d70rielle, La Pointe or Bad River, Lac du Flambeau, and Fond du-Lac Reservations, severally attached to the La Pointc Agency, Wis. Under these contracts there were out and banked 190,20(i,080 feet of timber, wbich was sold at prices vkryiug from $4.75 to $7 per 1,000 feet, according to quality. The net gain to the Indians, after paying all expenses of cutting and bankiug, was $428,221.41 (au increase of $154,759.99 over the preceding season), of which sum $149,637.64 was taken out in merchandise and supplies fnr. nished by the contractors. Cf the net gains- Lea Court d'oreilles Indians received .................................. @18,671.77 LB Pointe India08 received ............................................ 58,494.44 Fond da Lac Indims reaei~ed.. ....................................... 84,582.38 Leo du Flambeau Indians received .................................... 66,472.ff2 428,221.41 The average net gain per 1,000 feet was $2.25, against $2.110 the pre-oeding season. . Some of the contracts have not been completed ; but the Indians have all been paid for the timber actually cut. On March 5,1888, tbe Senate adopted the following resolution : halved, That the SeleotCornrnittee an InditsnTrsders bedirectedta'inquire into the method of alIott,ing lauds in severalty to Indians upon the Court d1OreiIIe, Lsadu Flambeau, Bad River, Fond dn Lac, sndother Indian reaervetions in the northern por-tions of Wisooosin and Minnesota, and into the agstem nuder which Indiana to whom lands have been allotted are allowed to sell the timber thereon ; snd especially to in-quire whether or not adequattaprioss sre secnred to the Indians under suoh sales; end that for the purposes of this resoluGion the oommittee he authorized toexeroise a11 the powere heretofore oonferred upon the committee by the Senate. In view, probably, of the implication of t,he above-quoted resolution, the following telegram was sent to Agent Gregor~o n March 13,1888: You will immediately put a stop to the onttiug sod felling of treeaonall,~~eservations under your charge, whether nnder enistingaoutracts with Indians or otherwise. |