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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1916)
THE CHEMAWA AM ERICAN 29 2,1111 " lareS' 469 ra " ‘S’ 518 s,,ecp - 670 borscs 11,ld 67 m ules 11ns increase of Indian-ow ned stock already lias decreased the areas ot grazing ranges for le a se - T h is fact, in conjunction w ith the high prices ot heef. m utton and wool and the great dem and for horses and m ules, has m aterially increased th e num ber of bidders for Indian Reser- leges" an<l ' S tHC eXpla" ation of th e advanced prices for g razin g privi- Surveys have been made by the stock e x e r t s of the Indian Office of the average value ot horses, m ules, cattle and sheep ........ Indian reser vations 1913 and 19,3. T hese figures, contrasted with the estim at- average value of high grade “ farm sto c k ,’’ follow: A verage value of Indian reservations in 1913: H orses, $22.50- cattle- $24:95; sheep, $1.87; m ules, $40. Average value of Indian reservations in 1915: H orses, $31.20; cat ties, $40.30; sheep. $1.90; m ules, $58. A verage value ot farm stock at present prices: Horses. $140; cattle. $60; sheep, $4; m ules, $145. Since th e liberal purchases of hig h -g rad e bulls, heifers, stallions ami ram s began some two and one-half years ago, th e average of the Indian anim al has advanced rem arkably. “ It is a b eg in n in g tow ard rem edying an econom ic crim e ” said Com nnssioner Sells the other day. “ F or years thousands of acres of prim e Indian lands have served m erely to graze tens of thousands of unsalable native pom es, scru b cattle, goats and burros. It costs as much to feed a w orthless anim al as it does a good one. Such a condition involves not only waste tor the In d ian s but loss to the nation. A cu re is p rac ticable, even easy, w hich prom ises not only double retu rn s to the In dians but several tunes more than a double co n trib u tio n by th e Indian to th e n a tio n ’s food supply. T h e Indian g razin g lands together with agricultural lands in Indian ow nership will safely carry several times the num ber of livestock now on th e m .’’ Of course each reservation presented a separate problem . R oughly how ever, th e invoice made by Mr. Sells and above referred to justified two conclusions: h irst, th at much of the very best grazing land in A m erica, if used bv Indians at all, was devoted to “ sc ru b ” th at gave little or no profit. Second, th at the lands, when not used by the In d ian s, have eith er not been used at all or have been over-used at ridiculouslv low rental bv w hite lessees. Radical action has been taken to cure the latter condition also.
