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Show 46 COMMIS~IONER, OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. DEBTS OF INDIANS. A serious drawback to the commercial independence of the average Indian is the greed and rapacity of the "money shark," who stands ever ready to get his willing victim into his debt. Without any inherited traits of economy, his ready desire for present gratifica-tion of his wants makes him the easy prey of the unscrupulous. Knowing the natural tendency of the Indian to be honest in pay-ment of a debt, the avaricious money lender eagerly embraces every' opportunity for loaning him money or selling to him on credit. These loans were frequently made at such usurious rates that the knowledge came as a shock to the public when they were dis-closed in a recent investigation of the Osage Reservation. This curse is a corollary of their wealth which continilally presents a shming lure to the unscrupulous When their debts are paid off with trust funds they usually re-mortgage, and continue the almost endless cycle of borrowing and mortgaging. The superintendent, however, is protectmg, as far as practicable, property which has been freed of incumbranee with trust moneys by taking a Government bill of sale. This is expected to accomplish good results. The vast estate of the Osage Indians is such a temptation that only the most watchful care can prevent its dissipation. The schools on the reservations and all other forces which will work for right living are engaged in impressing these people with their danger, and urging them to avoid debt by living within their incomes. The debt problem outside of the Osage Tribe is not so serious, as the Osages are much richer than any other tribe. In 1909 the de-partment, in order to relieve the Indians of embarrassment on ac-count of their increasing debts, forbade assistance being rendered their creditors in the collection of these debts. An effort was then made to effect settlement of outstanding debts which had been in-curred prior to December 17, 1909, the date of the order. As warnings have been issued to traders since 1904 that credit ex-tended was at their own risk, no liability attaches to the Indian Office in connection with the Indians' indebtedness. However, reasonable efforts are being made to impress upon the Indians their obligations to settle their just debts, but the traders may lose a proportion of their claims on account of the methods used in extending credit. INDIAN TRADERS. Realizing that those persons holding licenses to trade with Indians are in a position to serve as an example to the Indians, and in line with other work to suppress liquor trafic, extraordinary efforts have been made to insure that all traders keep their pledges not to use iu- |