TO CONFER UPON THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE FIVE WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1916 FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES OF INDIANS. COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., March 9, 1916. The committee this day met, Hon. John H. Stephens presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. Gentlemen, we have met this morning for the purpose of taking up House bill No. 108, introduced by Mr. Hastings. Mr. Hastings is a Member of the House, and desires to be heard on the bill this morning. Mr. Hastings, you may proceed. I will instruct the stenographer to put the bill in the record so that we may have a complete record. You may then proceed with your argument in favor of the bill. [H. R. 108. Sixty-fourth Congress, first session.] A Bill To confer upon the Superintendent for the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma the authority now conferred by law upon the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the Secretary of the Interior respecting lands allotted to the enrolled members of the Five Civilized Tribes and their individual moneys. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Superintendent for the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma shall, after the passage and approval of this act, have and exercise all the authority now conferred by law upon the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the Secretary of the Interior, or either of them, respecting the lands allotted to the enrolled members of the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma and their individual moneys. SEC. 2. That all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act be, and the same are hereby, repealed. STATEMENT OF HON. WILLIAM W. HASTINGS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA. Mr. HASTINGS. I was about to say, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, that I do not remember just how many of you were present at the time, but I was heard, in part at least, on last Thursday or Friday, at which time I went over, to some extent, the purposes of this bill, and what I desired to accomplish by it. At that time we did not have a stenographer present, and I am at a little bit of a loss as to the amount of time I should take up now. I assume, however, that before these hearings are concluded, all of these matters will have been gone over thoroughly, so that they will be fully understood by the members of the committee. With the permission of the chairman and the members of the committee, I shall attempt to make a recapitulation of what I have already said, and put it in the record. The CHAIRMAN. That may be done, and I can assure you that the committee will give you authority to revise your remarks. 3 |