Salt Lake Telegram | 1937-08-19 | Page 8 | Aid of Church to Indians Told

AID OF CHURCH TO INDIANS TOLD The federal government isn't doing do-ing much for the Indians, but the L. D. S. church Is doing all it can to rehabilitate these native Americans, Ameri-cans, Heber C. Hicks, who presides over the Indian ward and branches of the L. D. S. church in Arisona, said In Salt Lake City Thursday. A former director of the Utah state securities commission, Mr. Hicks waa conferring here with the presiding bishopric of the church and with David O. McKay, second counselor in the first presidency. "The government's program has been a miserable failure and the Indians have not been accorded proper treatment," he said. The system, thoroughly antiquated, is detrimental to the Indians' interests. "The L. D. 8. church, however, is doing all It can to rehabilitate the Indians. Last spring the church planted on Its own property 34 orchards, ranging from 10 to 40 ' trees, and after the trees obtained sufficient , growth they were given to the Indiana for replanting, to become nuclei for their own orchards." orch-ards." i The most recent assistance to the 'Indians has been planting of date palms, he said. He told of renovation renova-tion of the mission, where there are about 400 Indian membera. His headquarters are on the reservation Just out of Mesa.