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Show 8 REPORT OF THE SECRETAEY OF THE INTEBIOB Some of the conditions to be incorporated in the agreement are specified by Congress. The Secretary is to determine the total acreage of the Indian lands that should bear a share of the cost. Only those lands susceptible of economical irrigation are to be taken into consideration. The average cost per acre to the Indians for the included lands can not exceed $67.50. The Indians shall have free use of the present cultivated areas (8,346 acres) without payment of operation and maintenance charges and this acreage will be free from any lien created by the legislation. The Indians shall also have the privilege of using 4,000 acres of newly reclaimed lands without pay-ment of rental charges, but these 4,000 acres are to bear their pro-portionate share of the operation and maintenance assessments. The remaining 12,000 acres of Indian lands are to be leased, the rentals therefrom being applied if and as collected to reimburse the Government for its advancements for and on account of the costs and benefits apportioned against the present cultivated area. The Indians are given a preference right to lease any part of the 12,000 acres, in which case they will be required to pay like rental as shall be paid by whites or others. On August 6, 1928, a tentative agreement, prepared in the Depart-ment of the Interior, was signed by the officers of the Middle Rio Grande conservancy district and was returned to Washington for the signature of the Secretary of the Interior. As persons declaring themselves interested on behalf of the Indians requested to be heard respecting the agreement before it should be signed, a hearing was ao-corded them and officers of the district, by the Secretary of the Interior in Washington on September 19. The agreement signed by the district, and concerning which the hearing was held, fixed a maximum charge to the Indian lands oon-cerned of $67.50 for any acre. Thereafter oficers of the district, declmhg that the purpose of the act is to provide that the average cost per acre shall be $67.50, on October 12, notified the deparhment that their previous execution of the agreement would be withdrawn, unless its language should be interpreted or changed to state that the per acre charge on the Indian lands should be an average rather thm a maximum of $67.50. 1 In early October the Secretary of the Interior visited New Mexico < and during two days personally inspected on foot and by automobile about 100 miles of the proposed district. He met with the elected governors and Indian councfls of four of the aix Indian pueblos dected by the proposed development. As many as 25 Indians at-tended some of these sessions. At all the conferences the proposed development was discussed. At Albuquerque hearings were given to those favoring and to those opposing the plans of the district. Accompanying the Secretary were three engineers, representing the |