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Show RZPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN APFAIRS. 39 old channel to the Gulf of California. Indeed, he goes so far as to conclude that but for the services of the Indians the undertaking could nodave been carried to success. He found the Indians thor-oughly acclimated to the desert, apparently working with no discom-fort with the temperature at 120°, and, under a foreman who under- , stands their character, the most efficient laborers obtainable in that region. SUGAR BEET CULTURE ON FORT BELKNAP RESERVATION. 7 The act of Congress approved,March 1, 1907 (34 Stat. L., 1016 & 1034), provides, in p a r t That the Indians of the Fort Bemnap Reservation in Montana may lease thelr lands, both allotted and tribal, not to exceed twenty thousand acres, for the cnl-tare of sugar beeta and other crope in rotation, upon such terms, regulations, and conditions as ahall be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior, for a term not exceeding ten years. Under this authority, the business council of the Indians and the superintendent of the reservation entered into a, lease with David Eccles, Henry H. Rolapp and Matthew S. Brown~ngfo r the cultiva-tion of 5,000 acres of sugar beets annually, the lease to run for ten years fiom December 31, 1908. It was dated October 7, 1907, and mas approved by the department on February 11, 1908. This lease coven 10,000 acres of land, of which 5,000 acres are to be planted annually in crops which the superintendent decides to ha suitable for rotation with sugar beets, the entire proceeds of such crops to belong to the Indians of the reservation. The lessees are ta build, within reasonable hauling distance of the lands, a factory plant of sufficient capacity to manufacture all the beets that may be raised wch year. It is intended that the Indians shall do all the labor in connectim with the cultivation, harvesting and delivery of the sugar beets, for ' which they are to receive $4.50 a ton delivered at the factory. In order to enable the Indians to cultivate and deliver the crop the les-sees agree to make certain advances to them from time to time, as follows: -1. For plowing and preparingland, $1.50 an acre. 2. For thinning the beets, $6 an acre. 3. For irrigating, hoeing and c~~ltivatinbgee ts until ihey are lais by, $4 an acre.. 4. For plowing beets up at hamest time, $1.50 an acre. 5. For topping and loading beets into wagons, $10 an acre. 6. For hauling beets to factory, $0.75 a ton, provided the haul does not exceed 5 miles from field to factory, and 10 cents per mile for each additional mite or fraction thereof. |