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Show 46 COMMISSIOXER OF IKDIAK AFFAIRS. Allotment work under an item contained in the Indian appropria-tion act approved March 2, 1917 (Public 369), has been authorized on the Morongo Mission Reservation, Cal., and a specid agent was recently detailed to that reservation for the purpose of making allot-ments. It is expected that allotment work on other mission reserva-tions will be taken up soon. A large number of reallotments were made on various reservations during the year, notably on the Blackfeet Reservation, under au-thority found in the acts of October 19, 1888 (25 Stat. L., 611-612), and March 3, 1909 (35 Stat. L., 781-784). .Changes are encouraged where the Indians will be benefited, and especially where a better character of land is obtainable. 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 26. CLASSIFICATION AND APPRAISEMENT OF SURPLUS INDIAN LAND. Under authority found in the act of June 6, 1912 (37 Stat. L., 125), a large amount of reclassi6cation and appraisement work was under-taken. This reexamination work is done in specific cases upon a formal application by the homestead applicant that an error was made in the original classification or appraisement of the land covered by hi entry. These applications have covered mainly surplus Flathead lands. A commission was recently appointed under the act of February 27, 1917 (Public 358), to examine, classify and appraise as to their surface values the surplus cod lands on the Fort Peck Reservation consisting of approximately 120,000.acres. The commission is now at work in the field and it is estimated that the work wiU be wm-pleted by the 1st of November, 1917. LAND PURCHASES. A special agent is still engaged in purchasing land for homeless California Indians, and up to the present time purchases have been consumated covering 8,019.51 acres for approximately 4,100 Indians. Purchases have also been made for the benefit of numerous bands of homeless nonreservation Indians in Nevada, from appropriations contained in the Indian appropriation act for the h o d year 1917 (39 Stat., 123-143). Provision has also been made for them Indisns through lease and the withdrawal of certain areas, and it is estimated that approximately 500 Indians will be provided with homes. |