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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. DEPARTMENOFT T HF. INTERIOR, OFFICCEO MMISSIONOEFR. I NDIAAFNF A ~ , Rra8hington, September $'I, 1914 SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith the eighty-third an-nual report of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, covering the period from July 1, 1913, to June 30,1914. GENERAL STATEMENT. In the beginning of my report of last year, written within a few months after assuming the duties of my office, I set out some of the more important problems confronting the Indian Service. In view of the magnitude of these problems and the fact that many of them yet remain at least partially unsolved, I deem it of su5cient interest to quote from last year's report the following: 1. It is estimated that under the act of June 25, 1910 (86 Stat. L., 855) there are now pending at the various agencies throughout the Indian country, awaiting the determination of the heirs, about 40,000 heirship cases, which represent inherited lands valued at approximately $E0,000,000. There are pending in this office about 1,500 heirship cases on which flnal action has not been taken. A large appropriation 1s needed in order to enable the office to bring this work up to date. Wheo the heirs are determined the inherited lands will be available for sale and the proceeds can be used to improve the allotments of the heirs. Expediting the work of determining the heirs of deceased Indian allottees is one of the urgent necessities of the Indian Service. 2. The allotting of lands to Individual Indians has been continued ever since the enactment of the general allotment act of February 8. 1857 (24 Stat. L., 358). It is estimated that there have been allotted to 150.000 Indians about 34,000,000 acres and there remain to be allotted about 39,000,000 acres. There are nearly 120,000 unallotted Indians. There has been expended for alloh ment work heretofore completed about $4,500,000, and it is believed that it wiU require at least $3,000,000 to complete the allotment work. * . * * , * 8. The timber holdings of the Indians have stumpage value of more than $80,000,000. Approximately one-seventh of this value is in timber upon allotted lands. The greater Part of the unnllotted timber is upon nonagrieultural lands in the Rocky Mountain and Pacific States. The timber cover on these tribal lands bears a very direct relation to the regulation of a water supply for lands both within and outside of Indian reservations. Even where it iP 1 |