INDIAN APPROPRIATION BILL. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, Tuesday, December 5, 1916. The subcommittee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. John H. Stephens (chairman) presiding. There was also present Mr. Edgar B. Meritt, Assistant Commissioner of Indian Affairs. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Meritt, I will ask you to state to the committee what is the first change you had made in the bill. STATEMENT OF MR. EDGAR B. MERITT, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. Mr. MERITT. Mr. Chairman, the first item in the bill is the same as we had last year. For the survey, resurvey, classification, and allotment of lands in severalty under the provision of the Act of February eighth, eighteen hundred and eightyseven (Twenty-fourth Statutes at Large, page three hundred and eighty-eight), entitled "An Act to provide for the allotment of lands in severalty to Indians," and under any other Act or Acts providing for the survey or allotment of Indian lands, $100.000, to be repaid proportionally out of any Indian moneys held in trust or otherwise by the United States and available by law for such reimbursable purposes and to remain available until expended: Provided, That no part of said sum shall be used for the survey, resurvey, classification, or allotment of any land in severalty on the public domain to any Indian, whether of the Navajo or other tribes, within the State of New Mexico and the State of Arizona, who was not residing upon the public domain prior to June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and fourteen. We are not asking any change in that item. We are simply asking for the same amount appropriated last year, $100,000. I offer for the record the following justification for this item: Surveying and alloting Indian reservations (reimbursable). Fiscal year ending June 30, 1917: Amount appropriated_. Fiscal year ended June 30, 1916: Unexpended balance from previous years. Amount appropriated__. Amount expended Unexpended balance.... Analysis of expenditures: Salaries and wages. Traveling expenses Transportation of supplies.. Telegraph and telephone service. $100, 000. 00 88, 461.89 150, 000. 00 238, 461. 89 101, 882. 52 136, 579. 37 67, 244. 42 4,950. 62 1, 921. 97 48.57 3 |