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Show REPORT OF THE OOMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFPAIRS. 167 and from the information obtained from other sources, the office became convinced that the removal proposed had developed into a ~iluchla 'ger undertaking, as well as a more expensive one, than had been antici- 1 pated. It is believed' that it will he best to allow a considerable majority of these people to remove, including even some of those who now have lands, especially where the land ia undesirable and ill ~uited for Indian homes. Most of these Indians are very poor, and while the office feels that assistance by the Govcrnment'in connection with the removal should be restricted to absolute necessities, it is realized that in most cases they must be provided with snbsititence during a portion of the first year and that some farming implement%, utensils, and material# for fences and houses m u t be furnished. The o6ce has not had sufficient funds at ih disposal for this purpose. It is now puiposed to ask Congress at its next session for a small appropriation to defray the expenses of removing these Indians and establishing them on the Colville Reservation. Agent Anderson wau instructed, June 7, 1901,to visit Mission and Wenatchee, Wash., for the puipoae of ascertaining the real condition and needs of the different families so far as piwticable. to find out what ones should be removed, and obtain data upon which to base a detailed estimate of their requirements. He was told to submit his report in time for ti%nsmission to Congress at an early date. YAKIMA BOUNDARY CLAIM, WASHINGTON. The Crow, Flathead, etc., Commission, as stated in my last annual report, wab instructed to negotiate with the lndianb of the Yakima Reservation, Wash., for the adjustment of their claim to lands adjoining their reserve on the west excluded by the Government boundary survey of 1890. After.negotiating for several weeks the commission, August 14, 1900, repoited its failure to secure an agree-ment for the reason that the Indians demanded a larger snln for the dis-puted tract than the Department had authorized or was willing to pay. May 22, 1901, Inspector .Jame.i McLaughlin waa instructed by the Depaitn~ent to proceed to Yakima and if possible secure an agree-ment with these Indians for the adjustment of this claim. July 13 he reported that three days were spent by him in traveling over the di-puted tiltct. He found the soil throughout to he light, porous, and composed of volcanic ashes, the climate arid, and, owing to the eleva-tion, so cold that none of the cereals could be matured, thus making farming unremunerative. The entire tract is covered with a scattered growth of timber, most of which is too small for profitable milling. There is very little undergrowth and only a scant stand of grass. On the southern three-fourths of the tract over 75 per cent of the timber is dead and decaying iltpidly. |