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Show 144 REPORT OR THE 0 0 ~ 8 8 I O N E R OF INDIAN AIWA~S. canceled. This company, through its agent; made application for a renewal of the temporary permit, and produced a contract signed by the Creek citizen in possession of the lands in which it was set forth that he claimed these lands as his allotment. The eompany also showed that since the date on which the permit was originally granted it had expended in the construction of its plant about $35,000; that to stop the work would render the plant of little value; that the mining theretofore carlied on had all been surface mining, and alleged that it would be detrimental to the interests of the Indians as well as to the company to cease taking out coal. After a careful consideration of the matter, in a report dated Sep-tember 10, the oftice recommended that the inspector be authorized to grant the company permission to continue mining operations on the land in question, and that the contract between it and the allottee be construed as the consent of the allottee to the coal being mined. It was further recommended that the royalty derived from the coal mined be paid to the United States Indiin agent and by him placed to the credit of the land and so held until such time as a final distribution of the Creek estate should be made. September 11 the Department con-curred in office recommendations and advised the inspector accordingly. COLLECTION OF REVENUES. Under the laws of the different nations noncitizens residing and doing business within the limits of any nation are required to pay certain taxes for the privilege of so doing. Failure or refusal to pay such tribal tax by noncitizens subjects them to removal by the Department under the provisions of section 2149 of the Revised Stat-utes of the United States. The refusal of noncitizens to pay this tax has caused considel%ble friction and because of their refusal many noncitizens have been removed from the different nations. The only tax or royalty collected by the Department in the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations is that arising from coal and asphalt. All tribal taxes are collected by the tribal authorities. In the Creek and Cherokee nations all taxes are collected by o5cers of the Depart-ment. Prom July 1, 1900, to June 30, 1901, the sum of $30,827.60 was collected for taxes and royalty of all kinds in the Creek Nation. In the Cherokee Nation the total amount collected during the same period was $19,392.65. TOWN SITES. In my last annual report mention was made of the appointment 9f four town-site commissions, one for the Choctaw Nation, consisting of John A. Sterrett, of Ohio, and Mr. Butler S. Smiser, of Atoka, Ind. T.; one for the Chickasaw Nation, consisting of Samuel N. John- |
