Show Faailsait EMntt WASHINGTON May 2 Senator Platt chairman of the Senate committee directed to investigate certain allegations with respect re-spect to the appointments to Indian trader ships has returned from the West where the subcommittee went n fortnight ago to take testimony Senators Culldni and Blackburn Black-burn and other members of the subcommit tee left him at Kansas City for their homes Witnesses for the case from the Indian Territory Ter-ritory wero summoned and testimony was taken at Arkansas City The proceedings proved to be of moro absorbing interest than was anticipated and tho committee was reluctantly compelled to content itself with inquiry into a few simple cases on which it will probably frame its report Concerning the question submitted Senator Platt unwilling to express himself except in general terms respecting tho work of the committee for tho reason that tho evidence is not all in The complaints of traders who were crosaexamined by Senator Blackburn Black-burn were to the effect that they wero removed re-moved upon no substantial pretext except that they were Republicans and that personal per-sonal and political friends of people now in high authority were given their places The testimony dealt in the losses of the officials and the allegation that their removal often carried bankruptcy with i under their peculiar pe-culiar situations creditors tho Indians Senator Platt thinks tho committee will unite in the opinion that the power of arbitrary ar-bitrary interference in tho purely business i affairs of private citizens of tho making or breaking of the fortunes of worthy men calls loudly for reform and whatever maybe may-be the difference of views respecting civil service reform in general Indian trader ships ought not as evidence shows they were not under former Administrations to be disposed of as rewards of political service ser-vice |