Show REPORT OF LAND withdrawals WITHDRAW ELS BY THE STATE commission IN ARI ARIZONA ZONA AND UTAH e i innet to fit the indian to become an equal competitive citizen with the other people of 0 the nation but the j ende endeavor avor of the department to extend the reservations is certainly not in accord with the policy the locations of the indians in arizona has beeri been either by their preference or by to tha selection ot of land by the indian department in boch both cases they have taken the best grazing land the cavajos navajoa possess about acres per indian or say 2000 per family the hual apals possess come coma acres per resident or say per each family ami 17 the kalbak indians possess zoos SOMO 1400 acres per inhabitant or acres per family not all of 0 the Ind indians JAns axe aroi engaged in stock raising rals lne these figures should bo be compared with the acres took stock raising homestead the federal govern mont allows a white head of a family there are acres for each heads of indian cattle on the kalbac reservation tho the retention of this acres by 84 resident dent indiana app appears oars an all economic waste especially when their reservation controls most of the water tor for a largo large surrounding area the maintenance of a sub agency for this small number of indians indiana would also appear to bo be uneconomic morod mored oft off from the forest reserve nor tho the need ot of increasing the herd to head it there Is no economic reason tor for this increase and buffalo aro are desired merely as a tourist attraction the present number should bo be as attractive as a larger herd either the present or suggested number would permit of 0 killing hilling too IBO few annually and provide such a pitiful sport that it would re hemblo the slaughter of game by the lioy royalty alty of europe in driven runway or corral shooting rather than american cain shooting indian reservations tho the 1930 census shows that the indians indiana enumerated by the census decided decrease of nine per cent cant from tho the 1920 count the more optimistic estimate of the indian department part ment shows but a two per cent increase the map of arizona shows r nee athe the gradual expansion ot of tho the indian reservations the papago reservation which was greatly extended in 1916 1910 17 la Is being further et extended tended at the present time by the consolidation of several separated areas for some time the iho county SuP supervisors Orvis ot of navajo and apache counties have been resisting the increasing to tho the southward ot of tho navajo reservation on to land now nov subject to county and state taxation the annual report of 0 the commissioners ot of indian affairs dated september 24 1930 on page 16 mentions tho the purchase of additional acres at a cost of and th that at acres north of the little colorado river and east of tho the main colorado river were transferred from tho the national forest to the navajo reservation and that acres of additional land south of tho the little colorado are to bo be acquired under congressional authority of ma may y 23 all of this land la Is reported as good graz grazing ing land individual stockmen stoc kmen who have been exper experiencing lenc poor business conditions for several years may welcome the sale of their holdings to the indian department but the other taxpayers are alarmed least their present high taxes will become exorbitant press re poris poria carry the news new s that tho the land commissioner of new mexico Is vigorously opposing an extension ot the navajo reservation in that state som sometime since the secretary of tho the interior announced that it would bo be tho the policy ot of the indian depart somo some acres ot of this reservation oro are now leased to er cattlemen whose fathers located in this region somo some seventy years ago or long before the reservation was set aside this reservation allo on roaches upon the town of fredonia the people in this vicinity fool feel the same right of discovery and occupancy by which all nations justify their land possessions while the american indian should be ba accorded justice it would be well if tho the decisions as to what la is justice wore not solely determined by those who lave have mado made the indians indiana advantage their own where reservations are too small they should be oil enlarged larg but equally where they are too large they should bo be reduced in ori der to provide opportunity for or white citizens it if the kaibab indian Is to be fenced as now contemplated tho the eastern boundary should not be farther cast tha one mile west of the range line between range 2 and 3 in town 40 41 and 42 0 8 R B at so that the people of fredonia Fre donla will have access to the waters of kanab crook creek and a large portion of the western part of this reservation should be returned to the public domain homesteaders there are an increasing number of homesteaders homestead era on the two million acre withdrawal in northwestern arizona the tha sou Is good but tull fall makes agricultural pursuits pro pre carious car loua small irrigation projects to ati augment guient rainfall may result in sue suc farming in this region but at the present stock block raising by the use of adjacent free range la is the only possibility ot of success some ranchers have increased their holdings by the purchase ot of railroad lands land the railroad owns the alternate sections on about two thirds of the two million acre withdrawal with drapal chiti land Is assessed according to the assessor of hohage county at per acre the railroad has of fored sections for oale ealo at per acre it if this withdrawal Is consummated the railroad will no doubt be given script tor for their lands which would bo be to their decided advantage as aa script sells from to per acre the withdrawal will no doubt result in the salo sale ot private holdings to the government as the settlers anticipate little possibility ot of a good future in this locality the state lands in this area comprise one ninth ot of the total they would be less valuable it activities in this district are restricted and would remain unsold at the minimum price ot of per acre provided by the enabling act and constitution the counties and states would lose 1080 the taxes on the lands transferred ti the government and also their present tax on livestock lovestock the creation 0 of a national park ot of this thia area would not tend to help the people as the park policy Is one ot of monopoly the entire tourist bust neco on the south rim ot of the grand canyon is in the hands ot of the santo sante fo railroad that ot of the north rim in the hands of the union pacific these both furnish splendid service and no doubt require little supervision by the park officials however monopolistic control ot of natural resources or natural scenery la Is rather un american and it extended indell kitely would destroy the initiative of our people and communities to ko bo be continued next week |