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Show 11a aEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. lots. Many suits had been brought in the United States courts for the Indian Territory, but before they could be brought to issue, the United States courts for the Indian Territory went out of existence and the cases were transferred to the Oklahoma state courts, whence they passed later to the United States court for the eastern district of Olrlahoma. The delays incident to these transfers have prevented the final hearing and determination of any of the cases. Zota on coal lands.-Section 13 of the act of April 26, 1906 (34 Stat. L., 137), provides: That all coal and asphalt lands whether leased or unleased shall be reserved from sale under this act until the existing leases for con1 and asphalt lands hare expired, or until such time as may he otherwise provided by law. A good many towns had been established on the segregated coal lands and the departm~nth eld that under that act no further pay-ments could be accepted from the town-lot holders and nothing could be done in the way of conveying title to the lots until further legis-lation could be had from the Congress. Section 14 of the '' restric-tions act " reads: That the provisions of section thirteen of the net of Congress approved April twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred and six, * * shall not apply to town lots in town sites heretofore established, surveyed, platted, and apprrtlsed under the direction of the Seeretnry of the Interior, hut nothing herein contained shall be Construed to authorize the conreyanee of any interest in the coal or asphalt underlying said lots. This law renders it possible for the department to accept flnal pay-ments on town lots in the segregated coal lands and to issue tribal patents covering the ownership of the surface, which will afford a great relief. Since the creation of the original towns, others have sprung into existence in the neighborhood of the mines, and the towns already established have spread beyond their original boundaries. Valuable improvements have been erected and it was felt that some consideration should be shown to occupants of the new lots. In the act of May 29, 1908 (35 Stat. L., 444), generally known as the L' ~mn i bIun~d ian act," section 7 authorizes the Secretary of the Inte-rior to segregate, survey, and schedule such other towns, parts of towns or town lots as are now in existence, or which he may deem it desirable to establish within the coal and asphalt lands of the Choc-taw and Chickasaw nations. The Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes has been directed to carry out this provision of law. Uartxhorne.-The people of the town of Hartshorne, Choctaw Nation, complained that the lots within their town site had been appraised at much more than their real value. The "restrictions act " authorized a reappraisement, which has been made and approved by the department. |