Mr. WILLIAM MADISON, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, St. Paul, Minn., January 31, 1924. 616 Massachusetts Avenue, NW., Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: I have your inquiry of the 28th relative to Indian children in Minnesota. You ask the following questions: 1. Are there any public schools in your State that have refused to allow Indian -children to attend? We do not know of any instances of that kind. 2. What public schools in your State have required tuition of Indian children? We have no data on this. 3. What public schools of Minnesota have Indian children attending them? I could not name them, as we have no report at this office on Indian children. I know, however, that there is a large number in attendance at Grand Marais, Mahnomen, White Earth, and Deer River. Yours truly, P. C. TONNING, Deputy Commissioner. STATEMENT OF MR. THOMAS L. SLOAN. Mr. SLOAN. I have a letter from the Flathead Indians of Montana. They are objecting to the item found on page 31 of the bill, which is an item of $50,000, reimbursable, for operation, maintenance and protection of property rights in connection with irrigation matters. The Indians there claim that prior to the construction of some of the canals they had irrigation systems of their own which were working perfectly, and that in putting in the new system, their old systems were destroyed without furnishing them water for the operation of their lands. Senator SMOOT. Is all the money we have appropriated gone, up there? Mr. SLOAN. I do not think all of it is. Senator SMOOT. I have been voting for money up there, on this proposition. Mr. SLOAN. They are objecting particularly to this reimbursable fund. One of the complaints that has come to me from a number of different fellows is that their water rights, as they are charged up last year, cost them more than all the products they raised from the land. Senator SMOOT. That same condition exists elsewhere besides on Indian lands. Mr. SLOAN. Yes. Senator SMOOT. They want this "reimburseable" taken out? Mr. SLOAN. Yes, sir. I have this memorandum that was sent to me. Senator SMOOT. We have reduced that appropriation from $55,000 last year. Mr. SLOAN. Yes. Senator SMOOT. Down to $50,000. Mr. SLOAN. This statement is made by the officers of the Flathead tribal council. [Reading:] Mr. WILLIAM MADISON, FLATHEAD TRIBAL COUNCIL, Polson, Mont., January 28, 1924. Secretary Society of American Indians, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. MADISON: A few remarks we will outline which we feel is injurious in general to the Flathead Nation, as follows: As to reclamation appropriation, in many instances the matter is overestimated and misrepresented as to acreage that can be nicely irrigated if they can get these big appropriations. For instance, one business man from Ronan states that what is known as the "Crow Creek unit" there are 7,000 acres lying without water. The fact is that only about half of this unit could be irrigated; the rest is almost impossible to get water on it. The fact in many cases these big guns are looking to big appropriations to their own benefit. Those same men are not farmers and perhaps never used a drop of water for irrigation purposes. Will you please make this a matter of record. Inclosed you will find authorization signed by the officers of the Flathead tribal council. Thanking the Society of American Indians for past favors. COVILLE DUPUIS, President Flathead Tribal Council of the Flathead Nation. Vice President Flathead Tribal Council of the Flathead Nation. Secretary Flathead Tribal Council of the Flathead Nation. If you gentlemen will give that consideration, I will be very thankful. Senator SMOOT. Very well. STATEMENT OF HON. HENRY F. ASHURST, SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA. Senator ASHURST. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I shall be brief. I appear in behalf of an item on page 83 of the bill, as follows: For the purchase of the Bright Angel toll road and trail within the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, as contemplated by the "Act to establish the Grand Canyon National Park in the State of Arizona," approved February 26, 1919, $100,000, to be available until expended for payment to the county of Coconino, State of Arizona, for the construction, under the supervision of the National Park Service, of a road from Maine, Arizona. And so forth. It is unnecessary for me now to try to explain the Grand Canyon. Suffice it to say that President Harrison in 1889 urged that it be made a national park. President Roosevelt created it a national monument, and by act of Congress, February 26, 1919, it was made a national park. I introduced the bill myself, but I had valuable help from Senator Smoot and very valuable help from Mr. Mather. In fact, they practically drafted the bill. Now, before President Harrison suggested the creation of the park, and long before President Roosevelt created the monument, there was in the West the right to build a toll trail and toll roads, recognized by the United States and recognized by the Territory, and in many places in the West toll trails and toll roads were built. Early in 1889 or 1890 a toll trail called the Bright Angel toll trail was built. I think my present colleague had a great deal to do with the construction. It was a toll trail into the Grand Canyon from the rim on the south side, to the Colorado River. No tolls were collected for the first 10 years, but subsequently tolls were collected, and the owners of the road secured an extension from the legislature granting them an additional five years to collect tolls. Then it became the property of the county of Coconino, in which county in Arizona the Grand Canyon is. The county of Coconino has for 10 years and more collected and is now collecting toll on every person who goes into the Canyon down that trail. I think they collect $1 per capita. =་ In 1915 the tolls amounted to $6,000 or $7,000 or $10,000. Senator MCKELLAR. Now they amount to how much? Senator ASHURST. At the present time, to about $7,000 or $8,000. Now we come to deal with the question of policy. When I introduced the Grand Canyon Park bill I used appropriate language to see that the toll road still remained in Coconino County. That passed the Senate. I had, I think, a suggestion from Senator Smoot that the county should negotiate with the Government for the purchase of that trail. That met with my approval. I think the Government ought to own the trail. Senator McKINLEY. What is the distance? Senator ASHURST. About 4 or 5 miles. The trail wanders down the side of the canyon. It is about a mile straight down. We had to convert a great many people in Coconino County before we could get their consent to that, but we considered that it was for the national good. I do not believe that private persons or municipal corporations or counties or States should own the passage of ingress or egress to a great national park like the Grand Canyon. I had first to convert myself. I am of the opinion now that the Government should own this passage of ingress and egress to the Grand Canyon. Last spring some Members of the House of Representatives went to the Grand Canyon, and they held a joint meeting with the mayor of Flagstaff and the mayor of Williams, which are in the two counties in which this is located. The board of supervisors were there present, and they all reached an agreement that the trail should be sold to the Government of the United States and that the money should be used by the Government and expended under the direction of the National Park Service in building a road from the old Santa Fe trail to the Grand Canyon. ¿ The two towns were unable to agree as to whether the road should go to Flagstaff or Williams, 35 miles away, and they agreed to build a road from a point equidistant from these two towns, 16 to 17 miles from each town, the highway passing through these two ] towns. F As a matter of fact, I will say that I am convinced that the trail should belong to the Government. As to its being worth $17,000, you can see that it brings in a revenue to the county of $6,000 or $7,000 a year. It costs about $1,000 or $1,500 a year to keep it up. The money is to be expended for a road, as I say, and this morning I received a telegram which is signed by the vice president of the Flagstaff Rotary Club, Mr. F. H. Breen. He is a very prominent citizen. He is editor of the leading Republican paper in the county. It is also signed by Mr. T. A. Riordan, of the chamber of commerce, and is signed by Babbitt Bros. and others in the county. The sentiment in the county is now overwhelmingly favorable to the United States Government acquiring the trail. I don't know exactly what the attitude of my colleague is on this. Senator SMOOT. I was going to ask you about that. Senator ASHURST. I think I may say that he does not like or favor it. I think it is due to him that I should say this, because it is my opinion; although we have not talked about it for a long time. Senator McKINLEY. Is there not an automobile road down to the bottom of the canyon now? Senator ASHURST. No, sir. Senator SMOOT. You can never get one there. Mr. MATHER. You want an elevator. Senator McKINLEY. Could not one be built? Senator ASHURST. Yes; but there is not enough money in the National Treasury to build one. I do not know that I could say more. I think, as a matter of policy the Government ought to acquire that trail, and the county is willing to sell it. Senator MCKELLAR. Is the price agreed on? Senator ASHURST. The price is agreed on at $100,000. Senator PHIPPS. We understand, Senator, that if the Government agrees to purchase the trail and pay $100,000 for it, that is the Bright Angel Trail from the top of the rim down to the river on the south side Senator ASHURST. Yes, sir. Senator PHIPPS. That that $100,000 will be expended by the State, under the supervision of the Federal Government, for the construction of the road satisfactorily to a point near Main? Senator ASHURST. Yes. Mr. MATHER. It will not be built by the State, but under the supervision of the National Park Service. Senator PHIPPS. Under the supervision of the Federal Government? Senator ASHURST. Yes, sir. It will be to a point where it will intersect with the old national trail. Senator PHIPPS. So that it means that the National Government will construct a highway from the rim of the canyon, and in consideration of that it acquires title to the Bright Angel Trail? Senator ASHURST. You have stated it well, Senator. I thank you for giving me this opportunity to be heard, and I have nothing further to say unless some Senator asks some question. Senator SMOOт. We thank you, Senator. (At 5 o'clock p. m. the subcommittee adjourned until to-morrow, Tuesday, February 5, 1924, at 10.30 o'clock a. m.) INTERIOR DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATION BILL, 1925. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1924. UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10.30 o'clock a. m. in the committee room, Capitol, Senator Reed Smoot presiding. Present: Senators Smoot (chairman), Curtis, Spencer, Phipps, McKinley, Harris, Jones of New Mexico, and Neely. Also Senators Gooding, Oddie, and Harreld, and Representative Smith of Idaho. STATEMENT OF OTTAMAR HAMELE, CHIEF COUNSEL BUREAU OF RECLAMATION. The CHAIRMAN (Senator Smoot). Please state your name and the position you hold. Mr. HAMELE. Ottamar Hamele; I am chief counsel of the Bureau of Reclamation. BOISE (IDAHO) RECLAMATION PROJECT. Mr. CHAIRMAN. I want to comment first on the appropriation for the Boise project, before taking up Minidoka, which appears on page 67 of the bill. I should like to suggest a proviso to be substituted for the last proviso. Senator SMOOT. Beginning on line 12, page 67 ? Mr. HAMELE. Yes, sir. My suggestion is that the proviso read as follows: Provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior may, in his discretion, contract with the Gem Irrigation District for development by the Government of electric power for use of the district, which contract shall provide for annual payments in advance from the district to the Government, and shall be entered into only in the event that the holders of district bonds and other principal creditors of the district shall subordinate their claims to the obligations of the district to the Government under such contract. Senator CURTIS. May I ask you a question right there? Why do you specify the company? Mr. HAMELE. This is the situation Senator CURTIS. If you want to make a general statement covering the matter, go ahead; do not let me interfere with you. Mr. HAMELE. I can answer it better by a general statement. Mr. HAMELE. We recommend an appropriation of $450,000 to construct an electric power plant as a part of the Boise project. 84114-24- -5 63 |