| Show TO ll STEAl T t bf Indians rr t Sn U s RED IN COMMITTEE Senator iV J Said to Have Unco Deliberate to Defraud H 1 V 0 i Washington Feb 13 1 Senator La- La l Follette b by a few quiet questions In Inthe Inthe inthe the committee on Indian affairs today brought ht to light what appears appeals to ho bo boone hoone one of or tho lie most gigantic gig steals ever er planned upon the Indian tribes tribes- Under the bill pending it is proposed to dIspose dispose dis dIs- pose peso of the coal lands o of the Choctaw Choctaw Choctaw Choc- Choc taw and Chickasaw Indian tribes for some nominal sum suni estimated at 2 or The These e ian lands s are arc really worth at least an and will produce to the Indians under uncle the terms at which they are arc leased Tho rIte bill would have been recommended recommended mended for passage c today had not Senator asked tho ho flu qu questions which brought to light the Tomorrow it will bo be on for rOl another hearing and at that time line it is- is claimed claim claim- ed cd by attorneys representing tho the In Indians Indians In- In evidence will be produced to show that relatives of men high in the insurance department arc are interested In the leases of the thc these e lands What lie tho Bill Provides The bill 1111 provides for COl tho disposition disposition dis dis- position of the affairs of the live JIve civilIzed civilized civil civil- tribes The Choctaw and the Chickasaw tribes have o about 3 OOOO acres acre of coal lands landl of which acres arc now un under el lease Under the amendments the lan lands s are arc to be lc sold Nold the tue value of the leased lands to bo ho determined by iy appraisers one to be he appointed by the secretary of nf the in interior In- In tenor one by hy the thc majority of the lessees and these arc are to select a third the lessees J lo to have preference In lit opportunity op op- to purchase at the appraised value In making the valuation the tho amendment amend amend- mont ment provides that said appraisers shall not consider an any increased value on tho the laud land caused by hy Improvements and developments d placed thereon by said h lessees These lands have been heen developed for twenty years em and the effect of this clause would tUli be to cause caUS tho the appraisement up- up o of the land lanti practically at ut atthe atthe the tho value of twenty years a ago o. o Sa Says HI Rig lilg Fraud lII Thwarted Senator Clark a member of the I committee said when thien the valuation was made clear to him him that apparently apparent apparent- ly a big fraud frau had hall been thwarted lIe He said tho the lands In question are aro worth wOIth today and amid will double in lii value In ton years cars The Tho Choctaw t and amI Gulf Gult railroad la lj the present lessee of tho the tholand land humid and amI would bo br- the beneficiary under the bill which now bids fair Cull to tu die in committee c. c Tho rho railway attorneys have havo been heen lobbying for tho Ito bill hili for Cor weeks hut but the tho attorneys 1 of the Indians have hav not been given Riven a hearing When they appeared before the lie last wee week I. I they thoy weri told that they too late that they should have appeared before tho the senate committee when whon It had hall the tho bill Lilt Senator LaFollette told the full committee today to n that thal ho lie would Insist t ton on a n. full hearing being given lo to tho the Indians' Indians attorneys attorneys- t |
