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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1914)
rmmmmm '"' ' r& . VOL.NO, &." ! .' 10 TfaeGfroaa in . : ' " P". I?) Work tf Pi(0&tl&iMDs: ok .i&TElflOK DJjjpARTMjKNO?.. ., 'ffipriiy QtUtr C&to Sells becamQommissinner. ot,Indian, .affaire bis attention was, foxpKuy, di-.. rccted,,4o. tbq very unsatisfactory. ;condH.ipn -pf.. pi;qbato , matters in tho forty counties, compris ing -eastern Oklahoma. ,, , Tho. act of May 27, 1909, conferred upon tho 6calCjOturB of Oklahoma probata-jurisdiction in all,, infers pertaining to tho settlement of estats.of ,deceascd Indians and thou,ma.nageinept of. )fa Pjopqrty of their minor. children, in. manner,- similar to the white population. In all. other, ports, of the Indian country the estates, of rQsjLri.Qtijd Indians are handled entirely-by. -.the-federal government. , .. - .Because .of the suddenness with which the coun.ty,flou,nt8.werc confronted with thiB problem and the immensity of the task, there being 43,959 cases on their dockets in November. 1913, or an average of from 800 to 1,000 cases in each of tho several counties, Muskogee county hav ing,,, jnore Mfhan 0,000, a deplorable .cond'tion rfaflffly .developed. Gross frauds Were being per-, plpyuqd,' participated in by unscrupulous land,. biy(er, lawyers, guardians and others; in some, couijtyie eyen local officers some of whom hejd judicial' poajfions were implicated, with, ;th,Q rer , ti$t fyjf Oxv lands of minor children wpre gen erally." sql (J without proper justification and for insfijcipntpnsideration and. the funds frequent- , ly squandered by those whose .ulterior purppse . brotopijphaut tho sale. Insolvent bondsmen weer,cqnIinp.nly named and qccoiintings to thq courts .pqldom filed. Misappropriation of funds was gq'uftvlly discovered when it, was .apparent tliit ' po . recpurso . was obtainable becauso of tho jnsal'vqricy of tho guardian and .his bonds men br'wb.en the beneficiary had filed beyond the reach qf civil or criminal .process. Altogether the estates of Indian minor children had, bqen so ravished' as to 'insure tti'ejr inippverighinent and the" dtiuiari'd for s'peddy ''arid ccnirageous action watt 'imminent;1 ' . ! T4iib filiation coming tb tho'' knowledge of Cbnmiissibner Sells resulted in- life promptly call ingNa' conference in Washington 'of the tribal at tdrheysV' principal chiefs'and governors' bf the" fivV "civilized tribes in November, 'l'9 13, for the discussion of tentative plans ' lobking' toward aggressive' action for the accomplishment' of sub stantial 'betterments. After working out a sys tematic plan of action whidh was approved by Secretary'Lane a number of 'capable and depend-' able probate attorneys were appointed to co operate with and assist the county judges in the disclidrgc of their duties in connection with the protein & of Indian minors' estates. ; Shortly thereafter Commissioner Sells visited Oklahoma where he spent considerable time in conference with the county judges, tribal and pf&bate attorneys and other Oklahoma citizens -who "were invited to participate with the view of adopting a uniform set of rules of probate procedure. These conferences were attended by practically all the judges ii. the counties located in the territory of the five civilized tribes and after 'earnest discussion and the devqiopment of a rqmnfkable spirit of co-operation in which the local ' authorities and citizens handsomely re sponded to the suggestions of the "commissioner, a set of rules quite tho equal of the probate statutes of any state in tho union were unan imous!, adopted, and having first received the approval of Judge Williams, president of the State County Judges' association, they were pro mulgated. At each of these conferences' resolu lutions wore adopted announcing a spirit of earnest helpfulness and altogether as the result of this" coming together of tho representatives of the government and the local authorities there was flc 'eloped a condition' of common sympathy and aggressive action theretofore unknown, and malting 'certain the dawning of a now flay in the administration of the property interests of the Indian children of Oklahoma. Assurance of this apparent condition was further justified .because of tho patriotic expressions from, leading citizens in all tho walks of life including Governor. Cruce who in a published pronouncement gave unquali fied approval 0f the movement!' During the short time since this, organizpd effort tho certainty of its success has been demdnstrated in that soon" thereafter crnn 1 juries returned indictments "again! 'dome of' those who were guilty of misappropriation with the result that several defendant I'h'aVe' been ebn ' victed and sentenced to the penitentiary onY evervwhore throughout this .entire J-ndian country, the state and federal authorities are doing team work and rapidly brining about suqh an im proved condition as to insure the future protec tion of Indian childrehs' property ta the" ever-, lasting credit' of the state pf Oklahoma dnd.to every person who ha's participated in its acconv plishment.' While' the first' purpose of the"in:. terior' department and the' cdurity judges is to' prevent further frauds and to save the estates for the usci arid benefit of the min6rs and Vhen ' possible recover prbperty' which wdjild otherwise havq "been lost to' them, in flagrant' cases it wilV, be the duty of thot officials' to criminally prdse cute offenders, and "if may be depended utfdri that wherever justified it will be done without ' fear or favor: ' ' ' The successful reform of this- deplorable pre-; batq condition- in Oklahoma Is riow practically' certain and will be one of the notable' accom-' plishments of the Wilson administration. DEPARTMENT -OF AGRICULTURE ' TO PROTECT GAME IN ALASKA 1 ' ...-...'., .The new regulations of the. department, which went int.o effect April 1$U prohibit the shooting, of moose in southeastern Alaska and of, moun-: tain sheep in the eastern part. of the Kenai pen insu.lr. until April 1, 191.6. . Hitherto Alaskan game has been, protepted. only by ,a, closed season andthe system of fees , for shr .ing and, shipping licenses., The excelp lence of, the big game shooting has, however,. been attracting wealthy sportsmen of all counr . tries in greater and greater numbers each, year. Tho Alaskan bear is the largest known variety and' the Alaskan moose-head is regard.ed as the finest trophy of the. kind in the .w.orlu the horns sonietimqs measuring six feet, across. In. addition there are .splendid specimens of caribou to be had and the mountain sheep wjien ,in good4. condition, are distinguished,' from all the. varieties' . found elsewhere by the pqcuiiarly pure .whi'to . of thei fleece. '.., .. . '.'.., Tlio districts affected by the. new;, regulations are among the most readily accessible to sportsmen.- ' ... . . '.''".", RAILWAYS FINED Three, cases of the department of agriculture against the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Rail way Co., for violation of the twenty-eight-hour law have recently been terminated, in Kansas. The penalty in each case was $100 and costs which were respectively $16.60,. $16.50 and $15.25.. The Union Pacific Railway Co. was fined $100 and costs of $5&.31 for violating the same law. The law in question -prohibits the confinement of live stock in. cars for more than twenty-eight hours without unloading for feed, water and rest (when a special request is signed by the shipper the time may be extended to thirty-six hours). A case against Henry E. Brown for violation of the live-stock quarantine law was terminated on March 23 in the Easter- district of Pennsylvania.- The defendant was fined $100. WARNING REGARDING DAMAGED COTTON ' SEED During the month the -department issued a warning to the farmers of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas stating that the introduction of any new varieties of cotton, producing fiber of less than seven-eighths of an inch in averaee length SSI JfM!", VT aameirXf repugtah tion of their local markets, and may result in i few years in basing the price on th it inferior cotton. These same districts are how receiving a slight premium over the regular quotations for short staple. , The department win pdrticu. arly regret to see the result of the campaign ' which has' been Tvaged in Oklahoma in be" alf ot' puro Triumph cotton 'jeopardized by' the iVroiii iscuous introduction of a cotton oi grerfty fer or staple. Such a policy must 'result in verv serious losses to ail the growers m the coirJ' munities where the poorer types become S Repeated complaints are -received from Eng lish spinners of the number of "mixy" bales of American cpttbn. This condition arises la rL?v through-tho introduction of short cbtton S fZ SSSS S:les or of long ste ,n"8 Ariy1 serious'tnixirig'in the field of vowm. i A. ' serous lpsssEB .waste,..wheneyyerifh,e.((CoUpn hj, spun .upon; machinery, adjust r.-hMpnger! var,etlets .ppjiip.rs iflip. ar.er usngrhimpljr.wili be'jquiqfc to.ACP-Ver, any gerlqu mixture, of' shorter , and , nf.ri.or cotton, .nrdo.ers of Triuirip. cotton .will suffqn UiBUchy-RarJeUqs be-,, come popular In their territory. A CAMPAIGN AGAINST. THE ROOSTER The poultry , specialists othe department have started ,,a. campaign .to -eliminate the -rooster among poultry flocks- duringv -the seasons be tween ,May- 1st and December- 1st-. -Inithis conn, nectiqn-Saturday.,. May 16thv has-been set-aside as -rooster day -hi' Kentuckyand: Tennessee, when every .poultry dealer in these statesihas. agreed to -pay the same prices forJ.'.rooste.rs as.they d6 for hens andv-.pullets.i-Thereiisan-enonm,ous loss in,eggS'as.t)he result of -the fertile'egg) espe'cihlly during. the summer and fall months,. and it is for this reason : the "department of agriciilturevrecora-. mends that the rooster be kept away from the hens during these-seasons. It teMe&timated- that one-third of the treme'ndous!Annual'11o8s''Of-oggsi is due. to the fertile egg; ' '. -it-iv It is not necessary for a rooster -to be-among1 hens in order that their laying qualities may not be curtailed." -The rooster,- if Ms. advised, . should be allowed with the hens only during the breeding season, and eggs that 'arei intended for hatching purposes shpul.d, ,be .feriije, asa the ip fertilq on.es yW not -hatQli. ., ,.....,i , ,, Fertile, eggs spoil very quickly, when subjected to , the ordinary . m e th o ds o f -h andl jp g -p.n: ,tliei far m;, and. wjb.enj. marketed du.ring rte,ihqt- .sumn-er-months,, untr a.dverse conditiops.-, nferHe, .eggs. w.ill keep,-, in good condition iij.te.mp.er.a.tupes.! which wilj-sp.ause fertile, .eggstq$ptOo On.. May 15th the schqol authorities pf(the ciii.es.j.ico.unties, ; and towna.of Kentucky, and; Tennesqe.jh.Ye .been, requested .to announce, .roqstei; -.day ,to .the scholars and it is .expected tlaivit--W:Ul be.. ob served. It is expected that oth.er,1'sta.tej5,..wUl1. fol low the lead of their two southern ..sifters and. that, rooster days.ill .be pretty .generally, estab lished. ,. f y. ,tr . ,; ..;-, ...;-iO'i . The department ,a,dyis,eB, tljafc Q;iib,i8'4fit of . May .a)l j raalq. Wvds . be .either, kil,' b.lfl ,op Kjpn-. fined. until, the pf.Pqceine'ror Meias.jthe.i 1 st . p,f , January in spmej fadn. fttie, j-inasmuj qs. , it is not necessary to the laying qualities of a , hen that a. rooster-be., niantainqd Jnjthe, flock. Moreqyer, his. .presence, (luring tlxose.. .months m,eans fertile eggs., which. meaji,,bq'4 eggs and the consequent loss , to the- producer and tho. consumer. .. . .' .; . .V ..... ;.;, ;. , , , , ,, COTTON -MILL'S SHOULD 6 URN EGYPTIAN COTTONSEED' ' i'.h..- . ' ' ;1 The' federal hbrtiputtur.al. bqard.Ah'as issued a nqtice to. s all cotton, mills, to burn-alj .seed, tjiat may be,, found in bales' of'jmp.tedvEgyptian cotton . These sqeds are likely .tqi.qqntin. the larvae .of the pink boll worinj'.qjii'sriver.yi d.er structtyq to American cottop, The number, of seeds of Egyptian cotton found. .in .9. .hale, of Egyptian, lint is probably small .'vn.d'the; .presence of any seed in such bales, is, due. to faulty, gin ning. Ginning and storing, however,, d.oqs,.not. kill the larvae of the pink bqll.wor.m,. which, has. been known to withstand stprage in cotton seed for moro than seven months. So dangerous to the cotton crop df the United States is the pink boll worm regarded that on May 28, 1913, a quarantine'' was 'promulgated designed to prevent the intro'dufctioii into the United States' of this worm by forbfdding the importation of cotton seed from' all v foreign' countries excepting two regions in'Mexfco. Since that date several shipments of- cotton seed in fested by this worm have been intercepted and destroyed. ' the. horticultural board has begun an investi gation to determine the amoiiht' of infestation by the pink boll worm in seed introduced.' 'An' agent will visit the 'northern and southern mills for this purpose. The elimination of the danger by improved methods of ginning" or possibly by further quarantine regulations will have early. consideration. ' ' ' ' . .. .... , MAINE BOTATOESAND. POWDERY-SCAB An iniportan't announcement regarding a'quar antine against all Maine potatoes lias' jusY been ssued. Quarantine is declared to become effec tive August 1, 1914, on account of the powdery scab disease in that state, particularly in Aroos S, c,?"nt' . A"er August 1st, no common or ilff 1 t0QS can b moved out of Maine ex ?S I infner r?lations which the "department. pi, hS?uiS hi-r111, 'Ul)Jisl1 shortly.v;5Pqw:aeVy scat' has Veen prevalent for some tjmg' amrohg Maine,
