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Show - w OOMMIRBIONE OF INDIAN 'AFFAIRR. 7 have been constructed, keep them in repair, and plant wherever water can be had. (tila River (Pima) Eeservation, Arb.-The unfortunate condition of the Pima Indians on this reservation, owing to the scarcity of 'water for irrigation, has recently attracted such great attention and excited so much sympathy, especially in the official boards of the Presbyterian Church, which has long supported missions among the Pima, that I deemit advisable-to make a somewhat lengthy statement of the efforts of this office to maintain the rightsof the Indians and to devise some practicable method of increasing their supply of water. Before the country in the vicinity of the reservation had been set-tled toany considerable extent the Indians were able to obtain a suffi-cient water supply to irrigate so much of their reservation as would enable them to iaise crops enough for their support. As the country became settled, the supply in the Gila River was.appropriated by the settlers above, so that on the reservation the river became almost dry during the irrigation season. In a report dated March 1, 1886, this office invited the attention of the Department to a letter from Agent Wheeler, stating that there was a project on foot to take the water from the Gila River, at a point about lamiles above the townof Florence, by means of an irrigating canal in such quantities as would practically destroy the farms of the Indians. It was suggested that the subject be referred to the Attorney-General with request that the United States attorney forArizona be instructed to take such steps under the Fedsral or Territorial laws as might be necessary to protect the Indians in their rights. March 2; 1886, the subject was referred by the Department to the Attorney-General, who directed the United States attorney to take steps to protect the lndians from the effects of the projected canal. The report of the district attorney, forwarded by the Attorney- General June 4, 1886, stated that a stock company with acapital of $1,000,000 had been organized for the construction of a canal. As be did not know what effect a canal or dam would have on the river below he suggested that aa the dam would not be constructed before October, 1886, sulZshould not be brought until more facts had been obtsined by some one charged specifically with the matter. . . July 6,1886, this Office recommended that the Director of the Geo- I' logical Survey be instructed to detail a competeut man from that Bureau to investigate whether the effect of the proposed canal would be likely to prove disastrous to the Indians, and whether the canal company could and would construct suitable ditches and connect the canal with the reservation and supply the Indians with a sufficiency of water. The investigation waa made by the Geological Survey, and it established the fact that the construction of the proposed dam and canal would result disastrously to the ludiahs. The report of the |