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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1958)
2A MAIL TRIBUNE. Medford, 0r., Thursday, November 20, 1958 Indian Problem Continues To IPflague (Government After Many Experiments Br LOUIS CASSELS UPI Correspondent Washington-CTD-What to do about the Indians is America's oldest problem of public pol icy. It confronted Capt. John Smith soon after he led the first band of white settlers ashore at Jamestown. Today, after 351 years of experiment with all sorts of possible so lutions, including wars of ex termination, the problem re mains unsolved. Glenn L. Emmons. Commis sioner of Indian Affairs, esti mates there are about 450,000 Indians, on and off reserva tions, who are still under the "trusteeship" of the Federal government. A few of them are rich from the proceeds of oil, tim ber or other valuable re sources found on their tribal property. But for every In dian who drives around in a limousine, there are at least 100 others whose living stand ard is as low as that of any undeveloped country of Asia or Africa. Statistics Shocking Not many statistics have been gathered on the Indians' plight, but the few that are available are pretty shocking. A majority of the families on th big Navajo reservation live on incomes of less than $17 a week. Tuberculosis and Infant mortality rates, among all Indians are three times as high as among the white population. Average life ex pectancy for Indians is only 38 years just half that of white men. Emmons says, and most oth er authorities on Indian af fairs agree, that the immedi ate cause of Indian proverty is clear: There are too many Indians living on too little land. It may come as a surprise to devotees of TV westerns, but there a lot more Indians in America today then there were when the wagon trains rolled west a century ago. While the Indian popula tion has been growing, its "land base" has been dras tically reduced. In 1887, In dians owned 138,000,000 acres of land. The U.S. government had promised them in solemn treaties that it would remain theirs "as long as the sun sets in the west." Then Congress passed an "allotment law" un der which most of the Indian reservations, except in the Southwest, were divided up among individual families. Many of the allotments were soon grabbed off by land-hungry white settlers who found it easy to trade an illiterate Indian a bottle of whiskey or a rifle for a land title. Today, Indians own only 55,000,000 acres of land. Much of this desert and wasteland. There are two sharply op posing schools of thought about what should be done to solve the Indians' dilemma. One holds that it is increas ingly impracticable for large groups of Indians to "live off the land" as their ancestors did; that the only long-range solution is to prepare them as rapidly as possible for as similation into an urban, in dustrialized white civiliza tion. Commissioner Emmons is a chief spokesman for this view point, which has been em bodied in official government policy since he took office in 1953. The opposing school holds that Indians have a right to continue living like Indians; that it would be possible for them to do so if the selling off of their lands was halted and the government under took a "domestic point four program" to develop eco nomic resources on the reservations. This view point is shared by several groups working for Indian welfare, including the National Congress of Amer ican Indians and the Associa tion on American Indian Af fairs. The controversy has center ed in recent years around the "termination" program under- of (131) yi 1 Vi) SIGH OF GOOD TASTE toflfed adr ooturiry ofTW Coco-Colo Coapony by COCA-COLA BOTTLING CO. of Medford taken by Emmons Bureau of Indian Affairs, a branch of the Interior Department. Un der this program, the govern ment is seeking to terminate its trusteeship responsibilities over Indian tribes .that are considered ready to go it alone. Double Meaning For the affected Indians, termination" has a double meaning. On one hand, it means they are free to manage their own property and af fairs, like other ' citizens. On the other hand, it means that they lose the exemption from taxes and the special federal health, education and welfare services which they receive while they are wards of the government. The termination drive be gan in 1953 with the enthusi astic backing of Congress,. which saw in it a chance 'to curtail the $150,000,000 a year Federal outlay on Indian services. Termination laws were enacted for the Klamath Indians of Oregon, the Men ominee Indians of Wisconsin and four smaller tribes. Then protests began to roll in from Indians and their sympathizers, who charged that the government was us ing the termination program as a device for welshing on its treaty obligations to In dians. Not Quick Solutions Although the Eisenhower administration is still com mitted to trusteeship termina tion as a long-range goal, Sec retary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton has recently assured Indians that it will not be pressed as a quick and easy solution to Indian problems In a statement that has been widely circulated by In dian organizations, Seaton said it is "absolutely unthink able" that any Indian tribe be "forced into a termination program without its full un derstanding and consent. He also said it would be "incredible, even criminal, to send any Indian tribe out into the stream of American life until and unless the educa tional level of that tribe was one which was equal to the responsibilities it was should ering." Most Desperately Poor While Indian leaders have cheered Seaton'g stand, they recognize that it does not of itself solve any of the basic problems. There, are still "too many Indians on too , little land" and most of them are desperately poor. Commissioner Emmons has been trying to interest some of the big private foundations in sponsoring a nationwide survey of Indian needs, which could become the basis for a comprehensive development program aimed at preparing Indians for independent status within a period of about 20 years. . ' , ' No foundation has been will ing to take on this . job, and it now appears that if it is to be done at all, the administra tion will have to ask Congress for the money to finance it. Russian Tourists, Plus Few Yanks, Find Manhattan 'Very Exotic' Place By DOC QUIGG UPI Correspondent N-w York (LTD A group of us rubberneckers 18 Russian tourists plus a few Americans hangers-on such as reporters and guided-tour-per sonnel went on a bus tour of Manhattan Tuesday and found the place, as one of the Russians said, "very exotic." We examined a parking me ter (a very curious device), a drunken bum on the Bowery (hp asked for a handout but didn't get one), the building where Al Smith " went to school, the Brooklyn Bridge (there is a famous poem, by a famous poet, about it in Russia), the nice people feed ing the pigeons in Times Square; Chinatown, and other Gotham curiosa. We bought two copies of the Hobo News, a Bowery newspaper; drove down the high - capitalist thoroughfare DEN OF THIEVES Hartford, Conn. -(UPD-Jail matron Margaret De Leo re ported that she left her hand bag in a locked, unoccupied cell and returned to find $29 missing from it. named Wall Street; saw the statue of Georgi Wassington, the leader of the glorious rev olution who later became first president of the United States on the spot, where the statue stands. Also, we got into an awful traffic jam at 30th st. and 6th st. A Quick Starter The Russians Tiad 'just arT rived by plane from Moscow to start a 12-day tour of New York, Chicago, and Los An geles. They are members of the Russian state and film worlds actresses, directors, producers, writers ' w h o booked the tour through the Cosmos Travel Bureau. They will spend five more days here. Tuesday was a quick starter. We would have gone to Brooklyn, too, but Brooklyn is one of the U. S. places that are off-limits to visiting Rus sians, by State Department order. We gazed at it from a safe distance across the East river, its towers ghostly in heavy fog, and wondered what dark mysteries it held. Russian-Speaking Guide The travel bureau hired a regular Manhattan sight-see ing, bus fqr the trip but had to have one of its own employ ees, a lady, to act as spieler because the spieling, natural ly, had to be in Russian. The way it got translated back, by another employee, in eng lish for me was interesting. Such names as "Wassing ton S q u a r e,' "Wassington Arc," and Greenyitch Village" were recognizable without translation. At one point, a Russian asked why people were standing in line in front of a studio. The answer was: "Televyszhan." It was a good tour. At one pointy when we passed one of the gangs of workers who seem to be perpetually tear- THE DANMOORE HOTEL 1217 SW Morrison St. PORTLAND, OREGON All transient guests. All those who come, return. Rates not high, not low. Free garage, TV's and radios. Reputation for cleanliness. Reservations by long distance phone refunded on request upon arrival Ing up Manhattan streets, to time." repair the mains underneath, somebody asked: "What areLasking the same, question,' they doing in the streets? They are fixing it all the "I am living here and I am replied a guide, and let it go at that IT LEAVES YOU BREATHLESS! GET ON THE VODKA WAGON WITH rw 0 the greatest name in mirnoffvoDKA 10 ( 180 Frail. Distillif fun fiiii. Ste. Pierre Smirnolt Fit. (Di). if fletiblein), Hartford. Cam JACKSONVILLE School Open House Held By BETTE HOSKIMS Jacksonville The Jack sonville1 Parent Teachers asso ciation reported a good . re sponse to the open house held in conjunction with National Education Week. Open house was held Wednesday, Nov. 12, in the primary school on Hueners lane. Mrs. Woodrow Davis, president, presided. Francis Guidry, principal, talked on dividing classrooms. Room mothers from grades one and two were in charge of table decorations and refreshments. Seventh and eighth grade girls assisting with refresh ments were Melba Graham, Susan White, Nancy Harter, Judy Hueners, Doris Meyers and Gayle Offenbacher. Home room mothers were identified by corsages made by Mrs. John Taylor. PTA committee chairmen for this year are: membership, Mrs. Chris Christianson and Mrs. Ruppert Maddox: pro gram, Mrs. Ted Rundle and Dealous Cox; hospitality, Mrs. Harold White and Mrs. Charles Kimball; health, Mrs. Albert Griffin; publicity, Mrs. Mack Griffin and Mrs. Ernest Rasmussen; Christmas treats, Mrs. Warren Davis; room rep resentative, Mrs. Bob Canty; student representatives, Nancy Neidermeyer, and Eddy Gra ham; baby sitting, Alma Ber riman; transportation, Mrs. James Skog. Mr. and Mrs. Guy L. Reed o Denver, Colo., were recent visitors at the homes of rel atives here and in Medford, where they visited his brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Meno Schmidt. While here the Reeds were guests at several THIS WEEK'S SPECIALS at (lovrivjtim Let's Go, Tornado! - Beat Pendleton! ORDER YOUR TURKEY NOW! BACON 29 Ends and Pieces lb. PICNIC STYLE HAMS 39' T-Bone Steaks DANISH SQUASH 2 - 5' TUXEDO BRAND TUNA 6 h. 100 SNOBOY APPLES Winesap or Lb. Bag Delicious 39 1 V Corner 4th and Front Phone SP 2-8045 W free J VI w nun ir in a rHKiVIHU family dinners. The Schmidts, former residents, returned in July from Florida and are now making their ' home in Medford. Dick Sanford recently vis ited his family. He is stationed at the Oakland Naval base. He also plans to be home on Thanksgiving. City officials have ex pressed thanks for the large turn out in the recent city election. Of 565 registered voters, about 400 votes were cast, according to City Re corder Mrs. Jean Hewlett. Newly elected Mayor E. O. Graham and Councilman Francis Guidry will take of fice Jan. 2. Councilmen re elected were Everett Ravenor and Art Davies. Councilmen whose terms do not expire until next year are Robert Welch and Earnest Mclntyre. The mayor and council will appoint some one to fill Gra ham's unexpired councilman position. John F. Keavney is the retiring mayor. Mrs. Tom Burnfiel returned this week from a visit with her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. O. L. Dewey, of Newark, Calif. The restoration program for Jacksonville showed some evidence of progress this week with remodeling start ing at the Jacksonville Phar macy. The store is to be mod ern with a "pioneer look" and atmosphere with all its mod ern fixtures painted in that period finish. The newly hung sign over the side walk is a, good example of the restora tion plan to be carried out. Another resident with "Cen tennial thoughts", in mind is Mrs. Hueston L. Valentine, who plans to turn her home into "Aunt Edna's Guest House" an authentic pioneer stop - over house for. weary travelers, or as they are now called, tourists. The house will be furnished with antique pioneer furni ture and fixtures in home-like styles, Mrs. Valentine will dress the part in gowns and bonnets she has copied from the era and will wear her hair which she has let grow, in recreated hair dos of that day. Mr. and Mrs. Valentine are visiting a son . this week in Mesa, Ariz. The son is an in terior decorator and is plan ning to do the interior of the f guest house. TlMi T $UP THESE' Ji J CTIIEEUM' DEAR Pxlia' i j u i ii ii dm orchis I nKQiOT It would seem that our pioneer Gold Rush town, which has never been a ghost is about to awaken to a big future with its-well preserved "Gold Mine" of old buildings, historic sites, places and things. Where is a more ap propriate place to celebrate Oregon's birth than in one of it's oldest towns, with a wealth of living history, and ! a fantastic past? PARKING PRIVILEGES Hartford, Conn. -fETO- Fruit peddler Bennie Adelmah has no intention of trading in his horse and cart for a truck. "Who ever heard of giving a parking ticket to a horse?" he Special Old-Fashioned Recipe - Spiced or Plain Sliced for Your Convenience TASTY ROLL BROWM M SERVE Just pop in your oven and bake to your liking O TWIN ROLLS O ROMAN MEAL ROLLS FRENCH ROLLS Shop EARLY at Your Favorite Mar-kets-and to Be SURE of the BEST Say "Fluhrer's" FORGET! FLUHRER'S - - - BREAD; For Left-Over Sandwiches & bums Ready Baked Rolls Just a few minutes heating will give you piping hot rolls O POTATO ROLLS O DINNER ROLLS O FRENCH HARD ROLLS I asked.
