| OCR Text |
Show - ' I 88 REPORT OF THE CO&IMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. The Acting Commissioner of the General Land Offices uggested '%hat the attention of the Indian Office he called to the 'immense amount of . waste timber' left on the ground by the choppers in order that the same may be disposed of for the benefit of the Indians." This suggestion had been anticipate+ June 6,1892, the agept for the La Pointe Agency submitted a lease entered into between Indians of the Fond du Lrtc Indian Reservation and one Alford W. McDowell, in which it was proposed to lease to Mr. McDowell a portion of the Fond du Lac Reservation, upon which to establish a shingle and lath mill to utilize the waste timber there. The agent and the farmer in oharge of the reservation, Mr. Roderick McLennan, who was appoiu~ted' to succeed Mr. Stack, both urgentlyrecommended the approval of the plan, so that the Indians could be permitted to engage in preparing the timber described and to sell the same. The plan of leasillg the reservation could not be carried into effect for the reason that there is no authority of law under which such a lease could be made; but upon recommendation of the Department and this office, the President, July 14,1892, granted authority for the In-dlans to engage in the business and for the erection of the mill, and approved the regulations which had been formulated to govern.the Indians in the work. Agent Leahy was notified accordingly, July 22, 1892, and was directed to inform Mr. McDowell thereof, if he thought . him the most suitable person in the vicinity of the reservation to whom. authority for the erection of the mill could be granted. He was also directed to receive applications from other parties who might desire to - erect the mill and engage in the business, and to submit all applications . to this office. No reply has yet been received from the agent. The regulations under which this business will be conducted are as follows, viz : 1. That no timber on the Fond du Lac Reservation a h d l be c~zfto r the purpose of : sale under any pretence whatever, exoept the 'Ldown and abandoned" timber, left on the reservation by 111mbermen or others who have heretofore logged on the said raservation, and it shall be the duty of the farmer in charge thereof to see that no other timberis out andaald under these regulations. 2. Thelabor neoessary to prepare said timber for market llnd for hauling same to the mill shall be performed exclusively by the Intliam entitled to be on thereserva-tion; provided, that if peraona of sufficient knowledge and skill for foremen and blacksmiths (if any shall be required in the oondnct of the work) can not be found among the Indiana, whitemen for those positions may be employed with the consent of the agent for the La Pointe Agency, and upon the recommendation of the farmer in charge of said Fond dn Lac Reservation. 3. The timber out by the Indians under these regulations may be sold by them , to suoh mil1 owner or mill owners la6 shall be snthorized to establish shingle and lath milla on the rasemation at such prices as shan be approGed of by the Indim agent, md all money paid them by said mill owner or owners shall be paid and re-eeipted for in th6 presence of the Govmment farmer, who shall, under the direotian , of the agent, superintend the work of the Indiana in the cutting end sale of the timbr. |
