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Show 12 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OB INDIAN AFFAIRS CAL~OKNINIDAI ANS.-TWOtr acts of land, one containing 1 acre and the other containing 2 acres, together with water rights, were purchased at a total cost of $3,150 for the relief of homeless Indians in the vicinity of Big Pine, Calif. These purchases are under the jurisdiction of the superintendent of the Bishop Indian School, and it is estimated that they will supply home sites for nine Indian families convenient to the labor opportunities and school advantages 4 of the town of Big Pine. LANDRSE SERVED FOR Ix~m~s.-Under the act of March 3, 1925, (Public No. 550), 40 acres on the public domain in New Mexico were permanently withdrawn for the use and benefit of certain Navajo Indians. By Executive order of March 18, 1925, approximately t three townships on the public domain in Nevada were temporarily withdrawn for the use and benefit of the Indians of the Walker River Reservation. By Executive order of February 27, 1925, 320 acres on the public domain in Arizona were temporarily withdrawn and reserved for use as a camping ground for the pupils of the Indian school at Phoenix. TOWNSITES.-Regulations were approved for the appraisal and sale by public auction of lots within the townsites of Hayes and Lod e Pole on the Fort Belknap Reservation, Mont., as authorized by tfe act of March 3, 1921 (41 Stat. L. 1355). The proceeds of these sales will be credited to the tribal fund of the Fort Belknap Indians. RIGHTS OF WAY FOR HIGHWAYS, BRIDQES, RAILROADS, ETC.-N~W regulations concerning r~ghts of way and easements for various purposes are in course of preparation, in prder to conform to recent laws. These rules will include all effectlve provisions and exclude all obsolete ones. The policy of cooperation with the local and State highway au-thorities in connection with the opening of public highways has been continued with the result that many additional miles of road 4 have been authorized. When constructed these roads will be of great benefit to the Indians and to the general public by affording them increased transportation facilities and enhancing the value of , their lands. A notable accomplishment was the settlement of the claims of the Fond du Lac Indians against the United States Railroad tldminis- , tration for damages resulting from fire alleged to have been caused by the engines of the Great Northern Railway Co. during the period of Government operation. These claims, numbering 245, were for an aggregate amount of $222,968.77. IMPORTANT LEGISLATION A number of important items of legislation affecting Indian mat-ters were enacted by the seeond session of the Sixty-eighth Congress, including the following : The act of March 3,1925 (Public, No. 549), authorizing cancella-tion of restricted fee patents issued to Indians of the Winnebago I Reservation, Neb:, and the issuance of trust patents in lieu thereof containing a restriction against alienation for 10 years; The act of March 3,1925 Public, No. 551), authorizing exchanges of Government and privat y owned lands on the additions to the |