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Show Indians. At the same time a new system for keeping in touch with holding banks was instaued. TKis system requires a report to this 0Ece on a specified form, by national banks when a call is made by the Cbmptroller of the Currency and by State banks when a call is made by the State banking departments. Deposits of tribal and individual Indian moneys at the close of the Gcal year 1913 amounted to approximately $15,000,000, held in 450 depositories under surety bond. Two failures occurred among hold-ing banks, but in each case the surety promptly paid to the Govern-ment the amount of the deposit with interest to and including the date of payment. j SALE OF INDIAN LANDS. The acts of Congress approved May 27, 1902 (32 Stat. L., 245), March 1, 1907 (34 Stat. L., 10151, May 29, 1908 (35 Stat. L., 4441, June 25,1910 (36 Stat. L., 855), and February 14, 1913 (37 Stat. L., 678), provide for the sale of allotted and inherited Indian lands. During the heal year 317 sales have been made, involving 31,576.74 acres, consideration $6'92,413.28. Some criticism has been made by purchasers of Indian land on account of delay in the approval of sales. The chief cause of delay is the complications which arise over the heirs of the deceased dottee. ' In many cases the determination of the heirs ie a difEcult and wm-plex question. Recently changes have been made in the depart-mental practice in sales cases, which will permit of sales being ap-proved more expeditiously than formerly. It is believed that this will have a 'tendency to increase prices and to popularize sales of Indian lands. MINING ON INDIAN LANDS. Oil and gas mining operations on Indian lands in Oklahoma have been increasingly active during the year. A productive oil pool discovered near Cushing, Okla., stimulated leasing in the Five Civil-ized Tribes to approximately 50 per cent over last year. Many leases of allotted lands under the Sac and Fox, Ponca, Pawnee, and Kiowa Agencies have been taken, and some development work has been done. The price of crude oil advanced from 70 cents per barrel on July 16, 1912, to a maximum of 88 cents per barrel on June 30, 1913. Discovery of oil in the State of Washington has resulted in3the filing of many applications for permission to negotiate leases of lands on the Quinaielt Reservation. A thorough investigation in connec-tion with the acquiring of leases in this field was begun, pending which the approval of leases was suspended. At the present stage of development, prospects for &ding oil in paying quantities on this reservation can only be conjectured. |