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Show ~ & O REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. Subsistence of superintendent's team ....................... $104.19 Repairs to harness, etc ..................................... 30.60 Printing and advertising ................................... 181.98 $71,876.69 Set proceeds .................................................... 203,123.31 Of which one-fifth is, by tho terms of the act, 8ubJeot to be used for the benefit of the Indians, at the discretion of the Seoretary of the In-terior, viz .......................................................... -40,6-24.66 Balance placed to the credit of the tribe, to bear 5 per cent interest, s ~ c h interest to be paid to the tribe per capita or expendedfor their benefit, at the discretion of the Seoretary of the Interior .................... 162,498.65 \ Thus a f u ~ i~s dye arly and rapidly accumulating to the credit of the Menomonees in the United States Treasury. As noted above, aud as stated in last year's report, these Menom-j onees, ia 1891, claimed that they were in need of some means of I earnillg a livelihood in addition to that obtained from handling of their timber under provisions of the act; and they mere allowed to market the tops aud b~l t t sof the trees which they had cut for use as shingle bolts. But when they were snspected of cntting standing trees for that pur-pose contrary to law the sllingle timber which was being removed was seized by the agent and the proceeds of its sale, amounting to $494.25, were held by him awaiting instructions. The mdtter having been referred to the General Land Office, as required by law, the Oommissioner replied, June 6 last, that owing to the insuflicieucy of the appropriation at his disposal it would be impos-sible for him to make any early investigatiou of the matter. In an earlier colnmunicatior~ of the subject, dated Nay 20, 1892, he had said: You aro advisetl. honever, that where the agent has any reasonable doubt as to whether the timber was unlawf~~lolyu t, the Indians sbonld have the benefit of the doubt. The attention of the agent having bee11 called to this and his opinion asked he replied June 19: The nasistant anperintendent of logging not now being in Government employ, and in the &ba,bsenoo of positive proof as to the ohar,mcter of the timber and the nncer-tainty of proving that there was illegality in the cutting, I would respeotfully recommend t h t the Indiana be given the benefit of the doubt (as reoommenrled), and that I be authorized to pny the money, :bmoauting to 1649P.25, to those entitled to it. In view of all the facts he was authorized to pay the money over, and the General Land Office was so notified. The ageut and leading Indians having given assurallce that if the privilege of marketing this class of refuse timber was renewed no wrong advantage would again be taken of it,, the Departmeut, on rec-ommendation of this office, under date of February 3, 1893, rel~ewed the authority of October 7, 1891, adding the following provisions: That the agent and logging anperintendent be required to enforce ssoh rules and regnlations ax will effeotually prevent any illegal cutting. That the shingle bolts are to be sosletl by properly qn~,lifiesdo nlers. |
