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Show Indians7 Troubles Blaimed On 'Greedy Whites, Prosperity' f Curry, Harris Deny Reservation Poverty, Defend Official Policy Reginald O. Curry, chairman of the Ute Tribal Business committee, com-mittee, Thursday, April 13, told Governor J. Bracken Lee that "greedy whites" are attempting to influence" the Indians in an effort to break up tribal property, pro-perty, while Carl J. Harris, state welfare commission field supervisor, supporting the contentions con-tentions of Mr. Curry, explained that too much prosperity, not poverty, was the cause of res- ervation unrest. He attributed the controversy to unexpended tribal funds, for which, he said, some Indians are now clamoring. Both were principal speakers at the B,u s i n e s s committee's meeting- with Governor Lee, which it requested to clarify its position in relation to the current Uintah and Ouray reservation reser-vation controversy. Mr. Harris agreed that a division di-vision of tribal assets "would be campletely ruinous for the Indians. "He would spend like a king and live like one for the duration dura-tion of his funds, then go on state welfare aid," Mr. Harris said. Mr. Harris and Mr. Curry both emphasized that Ute Indians In-dians "are not going hungry.' Indians not cared for by the tribal welfare funds are re ceiving aid from the state, and are well clothed and free from serious hardship, Mr. Curry said. He continued that more than $286,000 in tribal funds have been loaned to tribal members at 3 per cent interest, and records rec-ords show there has been less than one per cent delinquency in repayment of loans. He urged the governor not to support a blanket reform act affecting af-fecting all reservations. "Reservation problems should be solved individually. What is needed to solve the problems the Navand, for example, is not true for our Ute reservation,"' he said. Delegates to the Interstate Indian conference in Minneapolis Minneap-olis last month recognized the need for approaching the Indian In-dian problem at a reservation ; level, and embraced it in an ' announced program. i Mr. Harris, acting upon orders or-ders from the state welfare commission, com-mission, visited the Uintah and Ouray reservation two weeks ago for a personal tour of the; reservation and an on-the-spot investigation of actual conditions. condi-tions. However, reliable sources on-the on-the reservation this week were questioning Mr. Harris' "intensive "inten-sive tour," pointing out that his individual contacts were limited, limit-ed, that the reservation tour was supervised, and that he disregarded dis-regarded invitations to accompany accom-pany others over the reservation. |