OF CONGRY OF CONGRESS A THE LIBRARY LIBRARY CONGRESS THE LIBRARY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, LIBRARY OF CONGRESSE OF CONGRESS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS THE LIBRA LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SEE THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AES GK THE LIBRA OF CONGRES THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS A A CONGRESS of a c CONGRE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS THE LI GRESS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS THE LI LIBRARY LIBRARY OF CONGRESSE LIBRARY OF CONGRESSO E LIBRARY OF CONGR. THE L THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS GRESS T GRANT 3 ME LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, THE LIBRARY OF CONERL DN OF CONGR LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LIBRARY OF CONGR тка 2 HOMER P. SNYDER, New York, Chairman. PHILIP P. CAMPBELL, Kansas. JAMES H. SINCLAIR, North Dakota. ALBERT W. JEFFERIS, Nebraska. JOHN REBER, Pennsylvania. SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, Wednesday, January 21, 1920. The subcommittee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. Homer P. Snyder (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. A majority of the subcommittee being present, we are called together for the purpose of discussing H. R. 9924, known as a bill to aid in the winding up of the affairs of the Chippewa Indians of Minnesota. The bill was introduced by Mr. Knutson, also H. R. 6461 by Mr. Ellsworth. Mr. Ellsworth is here and will open the hearing. At this time I would like to ask Mr. Ellsworth if he has any idea of the amount of time he will consume with his remarks in opening the hearing. STATEMENT OF HON. FRANKLIN F. ELLSWORTH, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. Mr. ELLSWORTH. In reply to that I will say to the committee and all here interested in these affairs that we should have a full hearing upon this matter. A matter as technical as this would require a good deal of time, but I shall not attempt to play the rôle of one entirely familiar with the technical matters, that, of course, would be required to properly explain this bill. My own statement will be very short, feeling that the time should be put in with the testimony of the general counsel and Mr. Meritt. I shall not attempt to go into technical matters. The CHAIRMAN. Will you give us a general idea of why this legislation should now be taken up? Mr. ELLSWORTH. I will attempt to do so. The present bill was introduced by Mr. Knutson, but there is another bill, H. R. 6461, which I have introduced. Mr. HAYDEN. Is it your intention to press your bill? Mr. ELLSWORTH. Yes. I suppose some description should be made of the physical conditions as they exist at the present time in northern Minnesota. In 1889 there was passed the act of January 14, 31 years ago this month, and it was expected at that time by those interested in the affairs of the Chippewa Indians that the passage of that act would go a long ways toward finally winding up all the affairs of the tribe; that is, that every member of the tribe in Minnesota would be allotted lands and that the land and timber included on lands, including swamp lands, agricultural lands, and timber lands, would finally all be disposed of and put in the funds of the Treasury and paid out to the members of the tribe. That was 31 years ago. Present conditions, as near as I can learn in the short 3 |