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Show REPORT OF THE 00MMI8SIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIBB. 85 the past year. Having determined the question of looation, the sev-eral companies projecting lines of railroad through this section appear, as a rule, to have proceeded with the work of actual construction, and more mileage was probably completed in these Territories during the past year than ever before in the same lenkth of time. The desire to occupy the several promising fields led to an aggressive and lively com-petition between many of these companies. The differences, however, seem to have been satisfactorily adjusted, but to this competition may be attributed, no doubt, the acquirement by the Chicago, Rock Island and Paci6c Railway Company of the property and franchises of the , Choctaw, Okl%a oma and Gulf Itsilroad Company, which transfer has recently been made public. The operations of these companies, with but few exceptions, have been conducted with a proper observance of the laws, and the &mpa-nies have, as a rule, evinced a desire to conform to the regulations of the Department. NEW LECIISLATION. Probably the most important action affecting the operations of rail-road companies in the Indian Territory and Oklahoma with respect to Indian lands is the passage of the act of February 28,1902 (32 Stats., 43), which will be found on page 480 of this report. Sections 1 to 12 relate to the granting of a right of way to the Enid and Anadarko Railway Company. Sections 13 to 23 relate to the grantingof rights of way for railway, telephone, and telegraph lines to any railway company organized under the laws of the United States, or of any State or Territory which shall comply with the provisions of the act. Section 23 repeals the act of March 2,1899 (30 Stat., 990), so far as it applies to the Indian Territory and Oklahoma, and all other acts or parts of acts inconsistent with the act of February 28, 1902, it being provided, however, that such repeal shall not affect any company. whose railroad was at the time of the passage of the act being actually constructed, or any rights which had already accrued. GENERAL REVIEW. Following is a summary of the action taken since the date of the last annual report with respect to the several railway companies acquiring rights of way and constructing railroads through Indian lands: Arkansas and Choctaw Railway Company.-In the last annual report mention was made of the contention of this company that the Choc-taw and Chickassw nations had not within the time prescribed by law dissented from the statutory allowance of $50 per mile compensation for right of way as provided in act of January 28,1899 (30 Stats., |
