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Show 34 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. improve his allotment, or any part tbereof, the samemay be leaned upon auch terms, regulations, and conditions as shall be preaoribed by suoh Secretary, for a term not exoeedinpthree yeara for farming or grazing or ten yeara for mining purposes: Provided, That vhero lands aro occupied by Indians who have bought and paid for the same, and whiob lands are not needed for farming or agrin~lturslp urposea, and are not desired for individual nllotments, the aame may be lessed by authority of the council speaking for auoh Indians, for a, period not to exceed five years for graz-ing or ten years for miniug purposes, in such quantities and upon such terms and conditions as tho agent in charge of euoh reaervstion may recommend, subject to the approval of the Secretnrr of the Interior. The law as amended by the act of August 15? 1894, reads as folloms: Thst ~tvheneveri t shall be made to appear to the Secretary of the Interior that, by reason a€ age, disability, or inability, my allottee of Indian lands under this or I former acts of Congress can not personally and with benefit to himself oocupy or improve his allotment, or any part thereof, the same may beleased upon auchterma, regulations, and oonditions as shall be prosaribed by the Secretary, for a tern, not exceeding fire yeara for farming or grazing purposes, or ten years for mining or business purposes: Provided furthw, That tbo surplua lands of any tribe may be lessed for fanning purposes by tlie coul~oiol f anoh tribe under the same rules and regulations and for tlre aame term of years as ia now sllowed in the ease of leases for grazing purposea. The amendment, by the insertion of the words c'or inability," enlarges the class of allottees who may lease; it increases to five years the period for which allotted lands may be leased for farming and grazing purposes (before it was three years); it enables allottees to lease for business purposes, and authorizes the lea,sing of tribal lands for farming purposes under the same rules and regulations and for the same tern1 of years as was.formerly allowed in the case of leasing for grazing purposes. During the past year the leases of allotted lauds have been executed under the amended act. The amended rules and regulations will be found in the annual report of this office for 1894, page 421 et seq. As stated in my last report, the indiscriminate leasing of allotments will not be permitted. The agents in charge of reservations where alloted lands are situated are expressly instructed not to permit any allottee to lease his lands unless he clearly falls within the provisions of the lam <(byre ason of age, disability, or inability," as defined in the amended rules and regulations. It has been thought that the indis-criminate leasing of allotments would defeat the very purpose for which they were made. If an allottee has the physical and mental ability to cultivate his allotment, either personally or. by hired labor, he should not be permitted to lease it. ALLOTTED LANDS. Since the date of the last annual report the following leases of allotted lands have been approved: Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservation, 0kla.-Eleven farming and grazing leases. The length of term is generally three years. The cash consid- |