Oklahoma; reserved additional lands for the Indians of the Zia Pueblo in Arizona, and the Paiute-Goshute Indians in Utah; authorized allotments to Indians on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation. Wis., and authorized an appropriation of $25,000 to purchase land for the Temoak Band in Nevada. Jurisdictional bills authorizing the adjudication of the claims of some 12 different tribes or bands in the State of Oklahoma, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wisconsin, and Michigan were enacted, and $85,000 was authorized to be appropriated for the relief of dispossessed allotted Indians on the Nesqually Reservation, Wash.

Indian farming and stock raising.-The agricultural and livestock activities of the Indians had a year of encouraging progress. The industrial surveys started two years ago, followed by what is known as the five-year program, have accomplished much in awakening Indians to a self-supporting use of their resources and an improvement of home conditions. Official reports show a larger acreage cultivated last year than ever before. A general survey of the dairy industry resulted in the elimination of many unprofitable animals and the addition of first-class stock. The Navajo Indians asked for a sufficient number of high-grade rams to improve the grade of their sheep, to be paid for in cash or on the reimbursable plan, and the Indians of the Spokane Reservation, Wash., requested approval of a plan to dispose of their worthless horses and replace them with first-class cattle. The pony type of horse is also becoming unpopular on other reservations.

Boys' and girls' clubs.-Club work for boys and girls has grown into a fine industrial adjunct through which children from 9 to 14 years of age are taking a lively interest in poultry, gardening, canning, bread making, sewing, corn, potatoes, and the livestock necessary to a prosperous home. This work has been organized on 17 reservations with over 400 children enrolled. The public school, now attended by many Indian children, is the point of contact and the work, projected by the county agent the same as for white children, is linked up with county and State fairs. One Indian girl won prizes enough on canned goods to pay her tuition in high school for a year. Boys and girls often attend lectures and demonstrations under the extension division of the Department of Agriculture cooperating with the State, and the outlook for this juvenile club work is very promising.

Fairs and exhibits.-As white settlements increase on and near the reservations and county fair associations are organized, the exclusively Indian fair is being discontinued because the advantages are much better to the Indian as an exhibitor on an equal basis with the whites. The Indians are now winning many prizes at county and State fairs in open competition with all other exhibitors.

Roads and bridges.-The use of the 100 per cent Federal Aid has greatly advanced road work on Indian reservations and projects for such work has been approved for a total Federal aid of $2,766,449. In cooperation with this aid special appropriations amounting to $109,500 were available last year for seven reservations.

Oil and gas.-Leases for oil and gas mining are sought in every State where restricted Indian lands are located, and oil fields are in operation on such lands in Oklahoma, Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico. The industry last year was below normal, owing to previous overproduction, but operations were fairly successful. Nearly 226,910 acres were leased, the gross oil production was 49,640,458 barrels, and the revenue from existing leases was approximately $29,145,517. On the Osage Reservation, Okla., leasings of 62.448 acres brought $16,457,000, one 160-acre tract bringing $1,990,000 and each of several others more than $1,000,000. The total revenue to the Osage Indians from oil and gas leases was $24,670,483. A sale of leases on unallotted lands of the Navajo Treaty Reservation, N. Mex., netted the Indians $80,598, and at the close of the year eight oil wells were each producing from 20 to 1,200 barrels of oil per day.

On the Southern Ute Reservation, N. Mex., five exploratory leases were sold for a total bonus of $43,600.

Indian employment.-The year showed a steady gain in the number of Indians finding remunerative employment in agricultural, mechanical, and commercial pursuits. The cotton fields of the Southwest attracted many, and the bureau's employment supervisor centered his efforts there, where the Indians in large numbers earned good wages as cotton pickers. The vacation outing service of the larger schools is a growing factor in the introduction of the Indian youth to opportunities for later self-support in white communities. Last year the vacation wages of good-sized boys and girls from six of these schools were close to $110,000. This work is carefully supervised and conducted under protective agreements between the school and employers.

Irrigation activities.-Irrigation work will be greatly advanced by the recent legislation authorizing the construction of a dam across the canyon of the Gila River near San Carlos, Ariz., estimated to cost $5,500,000, which will eventually be operated with the diversion dams at Sacaton and near Florence, Ariz., the former in progress and the latter completed, and much benefit will accrue to the allotted lands of the Pima Indians. A successful beginning was made at Isleta last year on the drainage systems for the several pueblos in New Mexico, and at Tesuque a submerged dam was constructed which promises relief by raising underground water to augment the supply for the Indians. The drilling of wells to increase

the supply of water for domestic, irrigation, and stock purposes on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations, N. Mex., was prosecuted with excellent results under the appropriation of $45,000, and will be continued in the present year. Steps were taken through the Department of Justice to secure better water privileges to the Indians in the Coachella Valley, Calif., and on the Walker River Reservation, Nev. Work has progressed very satisfactorily on the rehabili tation, enlargement, and relocation of the canals of the Fort Hall project, Idaho, and when completed will bring important benefits to the Indians. Practical features introduced in the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Flathead project, Montana, the administration of which was transferred last spring to the Indian Bureau, are expected to improve the situation there quite materially. Work is being pushed under an appropriation made for payment of part of the expense assessable against Indian lands to be included in a district for the drainage of Indian and other lands on the ceded portion of the Wind River Reservation, Wyo., which upon completion will reclaim a considerable area of water-logged Indian lands now unfit for farming. Work on the Wapato unit in the Yakima Reservation, Wash., was about completed, except the generating units and pumping plant, which will probably be finished in 1926, and will then make the Yakima project, serving 120,000 acres, one of the finest in the West. Under the act of May 9, 1924, regulations approved by the department will afford important relief to water users through the deferring of payments of irrigation charges authorized by the act.

Citizenship. In pursuance of the act approved June 4, 1924, extending citizenship to all noncitizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States, steps were taken to inform the Indians through field officials of their suffrage rights under State election laws and that their property rights will continue to be protected by the Government.

The liquor traffic and peyote.-The small number of special enforcement officers allowed under greatly reduced appropriations, in cooperation with superintendents and other employees, have obtained gratifying results in the liquor suppression service. A bill was introduced in the present Congress against the use and sale of peyote, but has not yet become a law. The National Antinarcotic Conference last year strongly urged prohibitory legislation respecting this drug, and public sentiment against traffic in it seems to be growing. Forestry.-Income from timber cut last year on the Flathead Reservation, Mont., was approximately $250,000; on the Colville, Spokane, Quinaielt, and Tulalip jurisdictions in Washington, nearly $500,000, and on the Klamath Reservation, Oreg., over $750,000. In New Mexico, 20,352,720 feet of timber cut in the Jicarilla Reser

vation brought $77,283.61, and logging operations were begun on the Elk and Silver Creek unit of the Mescalero Reservation. In Arizona 55,774,100 feet cut brought $3 per 1,000. The principal operation in Wisconsin was the cutting of about 20,000,000 feet at the Menominee Indian Mills. In the sale of 65,000,000 feet on the Flathead Reservation, Mont., yellow pine brought $4.87 per 1,000, and on four large units offered on the Klamath Reservation, Oreg., prices were received ranging from $4.78 to $6.62 per 1,000, which were probably the highest ever received in that region. A number of other important sales were made, and during the year special attention was given to the standardization of the records in forestry work at the various agencies to which employees actively responded.

Pueblo land titles.-Under the act of Congress approved June 7, 1924, the final adjustment of conflicting titles affecting lands claimed by the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico will undoubtedly be completed. It seems most fortunate that this legislation was so generally indorsed by the friends of all parties in interest. The Pueblo Land Board authorized by it, composed of the Secretary of the Interior, the Attorney General, and the President's appointee, who is Mr. Roberts Walker, of the New York bar, will investigate, determine, report, and describe the lands within the boundaries of any lands granted or confirmed to the Pueblo Indians by the United States, or any prior sovereignty, title to which the board shall find not to have been extinguished within the provisions of this act. Upon the completion of the board's report as to each pueblo the Attorney General is required to institute a suit to quiet the title to the lands described therein as Indian lands, Indian title to which has not been extinguished as determined by the report. Provision is also made for due compensation to the Indians for any lands or water rights lost by reason of nonaction by the Federal Government, and it may be expected that with little delay the long-standing controversies involving the legal and equitable rights of these Indians will be definitely settled.

Five Civilized Tribes.-In the Choctaw Nation no tribal property remains to be disposed of. The remaining tribal property of the four other nations is valued at $13,146,432.99. Under existing law the restricted period of approximately 17,500 of these Indians still under Government supervision will expire in 1931. For improving the condition of this class $3,152,040.34 was expended last year for houses, barns, wells, and livestock. Restrictions were removed from 474 Indians and conditionally from 441 tracts of land. Enrollment in tribal and other schools reached 19,586, which was 77 per cent of the eligible enumeration. The gross oil production for these tribes was 10,665,492.73 barrels, and their total income from oil and gas

was $3,580,007.76. Successful work was done by the Government probate attorneys, who appeared in 1,528 cases, removed 184 guardians, conserved funds amounting to $207,437.99, and saved to minors $115,435.47. Indian Service officials assisted in an investigation of the handling of Indian estates by guardians and administrators under State jurisdiction and upon reports submitted, legislation was sought with a view to restoring to the Federal Government the complete administration of these estates.

Quapaw lead and zinc mining lands.-Eleven leases made for lead and zinc mining covered about 1,900 acres, at higher than previous royalty rates. Technical data furnished by a representative of the Bureau of Mines aided the Indian Office in determining the terms and conditions upon which leases should be made and the requirements for proper mining development.

Purchase of supplies.-There has been close adherence to the fixed policy of purchasing only standard grades of goods and supplies under rigid inspection. The quality of coal has been determined by scientific analysis, and all fuel requirements were promptly met. So far as practicable surplus property from other departments was utilized.

Heirship matters.-There were 2,125 heirship cases and 207 wills disposed of, and the fees collected and covered into the Treasury amounted to $71,000. A graduated probate fee ranging from $20 to $75 is charged in this class of cases.

PENSION OFFICE

Number of pensioners.-There were on the roll at the end of the fiscal year 525,539 pensioners, a net loss to the roll of 14,217 from the total of 539,756 on the roll at the beginning of the year.

On June 30, 1924, there were 146,815 Civil War soldiers on the roll as against 168,623 on June 30, 1923, showing a decrease of 21,808. The number of Civil War widows, minor children, and dependents in receipt of pension on June 30, 1924, was 253,136, and on June 30, 1923, the number was 264,580, a decrease of 11,444.

The number of deaths of Civil War soldiers in the fiscal year 1924 was 21,854 as against 25,452 in 1923; and deaths of Civil War widows, minor children, and dependents in 1924 numbered 21.296 as against 23,974 in 1923.

The highest number of Civil War soldiers on the roll was in 1898, when there were 745,822. The highest number of Civil War widows on the roll was in 1912, when there were 304,373.

The number of Spanish War soldiers on the roll June 30, 1924, was 85,038 as against 68,393 on June 30, 1923, an increase to the roll of 16,645.