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About Klamath tribune. (Chiloquin, Or.) 1956-1961 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1958)
MARCH 1958 KLAMATH TRIBUNE Page 3 ELECTION DISCUSSIONS (cont.) (Continued from Page 1) willing to pay. Many questions were raised from the floor following Wilcox's discussion of the election itself. He emphasized that the ballots must he notarized, and that per sons failing to complete and re turn these ballots by the dead line date will automatically have their shares placed under the plan of management. lie indicated, however, that if the present law is amended, the Specialists will recommend that tribal members be given an opportunity to change their decisions in a second elec tion. Bcatty Meeting Held On March 18 these same ques tions were 'discussed by Wilcox before a gathering of about seventy five tribal members at the Beatty Community Hall. Tom Watters, management specialist, was also present and discussed these matters informally after the meeting with individual tribal members. This meeting was con tinued at the Methodist Church in Beatty on March 25, with Wil cox again being present to dis cuss thjL election and related matters with approximately fifty tribal members. He repeated his emphasis that under 'the terms of the present law, with volume sales being required in a rela tively short period of time, the price received for timber sold will be somewhat less than the full-appraised value. He pointed out that how much less thcselling price will be can only be estimated at this time. Lumber Market Discussed Mr. Wilcox again used graphs in a discussion of overall lumber market trends since 1954 and pointed out that based on what the market has done in the past it is possible to make predictions as to the future trends. He stated that this year the lumber market is still declining and probably will continue to do so until mid-year, at which time it may start back up. He observed, however, that the general recession may push the market down further but found a bright spot in the picture in a recent increase in housing starts. In all events, he empha sized, sales of tribal timber under the termination law are likely to start before there is any notice able market recovery. "While some may be dubious about the election," he stated, "it should be realized that few peo ple have the opportunity to make Mich an election. With either choice you have good opportuni ties if you use your funds wisely. If you remain, you retain the value of possession, continue an interest in property which may increase in value." Following the discussion. Boyd Jackson, Wade Crawford, and J. L. Kirk, all members of the Ince ntive Committee, made state ments. Mr. Jackson raised cer tain objections to the selling of the tribal property at anything less than the full-appraised value. Mr. Crawford pointed out that those remaining in the manage ment plan will have very little to say about the running thereof. While it was brought out that re maining members will have a pre ferential right to meet the high bid on any grazing land in the management area which is put up for sale, Mr. Crawford ob served that remaining members will ljave no voice in saying what land will be sold. He questioned the value of the right of remain ing members to meet the high bid on such lands, pointing out that anyone, withdrawing members, remaining members, or otherwise, can acquire such property by making the high bid on it Mr. Crawford asserted that it was unfair to set a realization value on the tribal property of 75 per cent of the full-appraised value and sell it off for that. "If restrictions are placed on the property," he stated, "no lumber company will pay the full value." Mr. Crawford also raised ob jections to the method planned for sale of tribal assets to pay off withdrawing members, argu ing that the property should be advertised as a whole and sold off at one time rather than over a period of time approximating two years. He agreed that the pro perty should be sold in relatively small economic units rather than in one or more large units but contended that these smaller quits should all be disposed of at one advertised sale. Following Mr. Crawford's statement. J. L. Kirk read to the group a letter from Senator Xeu berger appearing in the Herald and Xews of March 25. Mr. Kirk mentioned briefly that the present law would allow unrestricted sale while the administration bill would set up miiiic restrictions, and closed by urging tribal mem bers to weight heavily all tin facts before making their election. POSITION TAKEN BY CRAWFORD AT WASHINGTON HEARINGS SET FORTH The February issue of the Tri bune reported at length on the testimony of four tribal delegates to the recent Washington hear ings. The information given in that issue was taken largely from a report to the Klamath Tribe dated Feb. U. 15S, from Mr. (Hen Wilkenson, tribal attorney. A re port of the testimony made by Wade and Ida Crawford, who were also present at the hearings as tribal delegates, was included in Wilkenson's report but was not incorporated into the Febru ary issue of the Tribune since Mr. and Mrs. Crawford had not signed the report. Since it was known that their views as expres sed at the hearings were differ erent from those of the other tribal delegates and since no re port had been received from them it was felt necessary to withhold the report of their testimony un til they had had an opportunity to make additional comments. That portion of the Feb. 13 re port from Mr. Wilkenson which Acting Secretary Clarifies Trusts In reply to certain questions concerning trust agreements for minor members of the Tribe, raised by Klamath delegates to the recent Washington, D.C., hearings, acting Secretary of the Interior. Hatfield Chilson stated in a telegram to the Kxecutive Committee dated Feb. 28. 158, that it had been concluded that "it is impracticable to provide for each Klamath parent to negotiate a trust arrangement for his or her minor children . . . ". The acting Secretary further stated that "it is undesirable to have the trust agreement terminate when the minor reaches majority." Mr. Chilson pointed out, how ever, that assistant area director Don Foster had been instructed to give the parents the privilege of selecting the trust banks for their minor children if the parents have been designated to make the election for the minor. He further statcdthat Mr. Foster had been directed "to include in the trust form a provision directing the trust banks to consult with par ents with respect to plans for the disbursement of the minor's trust property." Any parent wishing to select a particular trust bank is urged to notify the Klamath Agency im mediately since the Agency is al ready in the process ! preparing trust agreements. relates to Mr. and Mrs. Craw lord's testimony was gone over carefully with them and is given below with their additional com ments appearing in brackets. " The first part of the morning of February 7 was devoted to questioning, mostly on technical points, of the tribal attorney. The remainder of the hearing was de voted to testimony by Mr, and Mrs. Wade Crawford." "Mr. Crawford opened by say ing that he had been fighting for individual rights of Indians f..r thirty years, that he was impa tient with the argument that vio lation of the Treaty was involved, insisting that the Treaty ran lor only twenty vears and had been arbitrarily extended by the Presi dent since that time! He called attention to the fact that the final roll of the Tribe had been publish ed in the Federal Register and that, under Section l of P. L. 5S7, rights had now become vested. He quoted prior testimony of an as sistant Solicitor to this effect, but Senator Xeuberger interjec ted to say that he had opinions which were contrary to that. Mr. or Mrs. Wade Crawford made the following additional points: "1. Introduced an exhibit re lating to appointment of admini strators and employment of at torneys for estates involving Klamaths. "2. Indian claims against the United States should no longer be authorized. (Mr. Crawford wished to emphasize that his point was that the executive com mittee cannot obligate $350,tX) of tribal funds for retention of at torneys to handle these claims at this time since the Klamath In-, diaus now have a Vested interest in tribal property.) A petition forwarded by members of the Tribe showed that the 210 signatories did not want any amendments to P.L. 5N7. (According' to Mr. Crawford, when he instrduced the petition he stated that it showed that the petitioners were opposed to bond proposals and t any additional delays.) " I. Four njembers of the Kxec utive Committee who had pre ceded him in testifying did not represent the tribal viewpoint. "5 He had hern active in the adoption of the Section 5 provi sions of P. I,. 5K7. "o. The Ceneral Council meet ing of Jul v 2.S. lo I, had accepted P. I,. 5H7.' "7. The timber ale. now being made are illegal and force the In dians to subsidize sustained vit Id."