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Show , 48 COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. ServicAthat is, to study each reservation, and after determining to what industry it is best adapted, to develop it for this purpose for the use of the Indians. ALLOTMENTS. The important work of allotting irrigable land on the Gila River Reservation, Ariz., was continued ,during the year. In addition to the irrigable allotments, instructions have been issued to the allotting agent to allot the grazing lands pro rata. The area of irrigable land to be allotted is estimated at 50,000 acres and grazing land 315,000 acres. During the year allotments were completed on the Colville Res-ervation in Washington, where a grand total of about 2,590 Indians have been allotted nearly 325,000 acres. The surplus unallotted lands, with the exception of those classified as timber and areas with-drawn for grazing purposes and for school, agency, and missionary uses, will be opened to homestead settlement and entry this fall under the provisions of the act of March 22,1906 (34 Stat. L., 80)'. .' On the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana, under authority of the act of August 1, 1914 (38 Stat. L., 593), allotments may be made to children born to the tribe as longas there is any undisposed-of tribal land. This work is being carried on under direction of the superin-tendent of the reservation. On the Sioux Reservations i n ~ o r t han d South Dakota allotment work was continued under the supervision of the superintendents. A list of the reservations, number of allotments approved during the year, and number made in the field but not yet approved will be found in Table -No. 27. EXTENSION OF TRUST PERIODS. The first act authorizing the issuance of trust patents to' Indians was the act of August 7,1882 (22 Stat. L., 342), affecting the Omahas in Nebradra. Allotments to' 963 Omaha Indians were approved in 1884, and patents containing a 25-year trust, held by the United States, were issued to the allottees. By Executive order of July 3, 1909, this trust was extended 10 years and will not expire'until 1919. Since 1884 patents containing a 25-year trust clause have issued to the various tribes allotted in severalty, mainly under authority of the fifth section of what is known as the general allotment act of February 8, 188'7 (24 Stat. L., 388). The trust on the allotments of eight reservations will expire during the calendar year 1916 if not extended. The trust has been extended on the allotments of five of the reservations, and steps are bemg taken to protect the other allot-tees whose period of trust will soon expire. |