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Show 00116116ISSIONER INDIAN AFFAIRS. 59 SALES OF INDIAN LANDS. The sale of allotted and inherited Indian land is provided for by the acts of Congress approved May 27, 1902 (32 Stat. L., 245), March 1, 1907 (34 Stat. L., 1015), May 29, 1908 (35 Stat. L., M), June 25, 1910 (36 Stat. L., 855), and February 14,1913 (37 Stat. L., 678). The last-mentioned act extended the provisions of the act of June 25, 1910, to Oklahoma, with the exception of lands belonging to the Five Civilized Tribes and the Osages; so that since the pas-sage of this act pahents in fee simple can be issued to the pur-chasers of Indian land in Oklahoma, with the above exceptions. During the fiscal year 947 sales have been made involving 90,768.30 acres, consideration $1,652,815.50. The average price for which the land was sold is a little over $17 per acre. The year previous this office sold 317 tracts of land, involving 31,576.74 acres, for a consid-eration of $692,413.28. The sale of land in 1912 and 1913 was seriously affected by reason of the drought that prevailed in the Indian country, but during the past fiscal year there has been more demand for Indian land. New rules now in effect in this office enable the prompt handling of all sale cases, and soon after the papers reach the office the pur-chaser is placed in possession of the land and the money made avail-able for the use of the Indian owner. PATENTS IN FEE. The issuance of patents in fee to Indian allottees and the heirs of deceased Indians is authorized under the acts of May 8, 1906 (34 Stat. L., 182), June 25,1910 (36 Stat. L., 8.55), and February 14, 1913 (37 Stat. L., 678). During the fiscal year 1,382 applications for fee patents were re-ceived in this office, 234 of which were denied and 1,148 approved. The area patented embraced 152,4&.44 acres. Since May 8, 1906, 8,020 applications for fee patents have been received, involving an area of 859,781.96 acres. During the past year 90 per cent of the fee patents which have issued cover lands allotted to Indians of one-half Indian blood or less, and about 50 per cent of the cases involving the issuance of patents in fee covered inherited land. INDIVIDUAL INDIAN MONEYS. During tKe year new regulations concerning the handling of indi-vidual Indian money were promulgated, and, although they were felt to be very liberal, amendments conferring further authority on superintendents were found to he advisable and have been adopted. 6 3 5 5 G 1 P S |