recall when the old hospital was built. We also need our hospital reconditioned and reopened. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. What about the water situation at Kayenta? Is there plenty of good water? Mr. BRADLEY. Yes; we have plenty of water for school facilities. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. The committee does not want to spend any money in places where you do not have sufficient water, or where water is not available. Do you know of any other schools that have been abandoned? Mr. BRADLEY. I think they cut out a part of the Shiprock School. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Do you know of your own knowledge of any schools that are in a deplorable condition and not safe for the children to attend? Mr. BRADLEY. No; I am not familiar with any on the reservation. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Thank you very much for your state ment. Mr. BRADLEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. McGAFFIN. We thank you, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, for giving us this opportunity to present the matter to you. FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1946. EXTENSION OF POWER FACILITIES FROM FLATHEAD INDIAN RESERVATION STATEMENT OF HON. MIKE MANSFIELD, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MONTANA Mr. MANSFIELD. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. I am appearing before you today in connection with the extension of power facilities from the Flathead Indian Reservation to new users on the reservation and outside its borders. At the request of the Flathead irrigation district I am urging this committee to recommend that because, under the law, the costs of power development in the district have reached the limit per-acre costs fixed by law, and the Secretary of the Interior has ruled that no further extensions of customer service can be made on the project power lines for the reason that the costs of such extension work would be in excess of the limits fixed by law, the Secretary of the Interior be given such authority to make all ordinary customer and normal extensions a part of the operation and maintenance of the power system. There have been scores of applications for electrical service denied because the law of May 10, 1926 (44 Stat. 465), prescribes the order in which the net power revenues shall be used to reimburse the United States. The refusal to serve these prospective customers has resulted in a serious inconvenience and a loss to them, the project, and the Government. At the request of the Flathead irrigation district I am asking this committee to follow the suggestion made by said district that, at the point where provision is made in this appropriation measure for the operation and maintenance of the power system on the Flathead project, language be inserted to the effect that operation and maintenance of the power system shall include all normal and ordinary customer extensions. In a letter from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs he has the following to say in response to a letter received by me from Mr. D. A. Dellwo, secretary, Flathead irrigation district: Your correspondent states it is his belief that the situation can be met by an order of the Secretary of the Interior directing that the costs of ordinary extensions of the power system to customers be carried as an operation and maintenance cost. Under the regulation of the Federal Power Commission, which govern in the matter, the costs of such extensions must be shown as capital investment. Further on in the letter he states: Such a provision as the one requested by the secretary of the irrigation district to which I referred a moment ago— Such a provision in an appropriation act would compel the Secretary to show as an operation cost an item of expediture which all other public utilities are required, under the Federal Power Act and regulations pursuant thereto, to show as a capital investment. May I request that I be allowed to insert in the record a resolution by the Flathead irrigation district covering this matter? Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Without objection it will be made a part of the record. Mr. MANSFIELD. The point is, Mr. Chairman, that there is a demand for this power, but under the law they cannot go beyond certain limits, and they are asking that this committee give consideration to this request with the language which I have brought before you and which is included in the resolution, and that the matter be given your most earnest and serious consideration. There is a dire need there for electric power on the part of those people. The power is there and can be used, but something will have to be done to give somebody the authority to send it out. (The resolution referred to is as follows:) RESOLUTION Whereas the purchase, distribution and sale of electrical energy is a feature of the Flathead irrigation project, Montana; and Whereas the sale of electrical energy by that project results in large amounts of net revenue; and Whereas such net revenue under the provisions of law and the terms of repayment contracts, will be applied in reimbursement of the United States for certain project costs; and Whereas the costs of construction, including costs of power development, on said irrigation project have reached the limit per-acre costs fixed by law and the repayment contracts above referred to; and Whereas the Secretary of the Interior has ruled that no further extensions for customer services can be made on project power lines for the reason that the costs of such extensions would be in excess of the limits fixed as above set forth; and Whereas many applications for electrical service have been denied for the reasons set forth above; and Whereas the refusal to serve prospective customers results in serious inconvenience and loss to them and serious loss to the project and to the United States: Now therefore be it Resolved, That the board of commissioners of the Flathead irrigation district, Montana, recommend that Congress provide such authority as the Secretary of the Interior might need to make all normal and ordinary customer extensions a part of operation and maintenance of the power system; and be it further Resolved, That said board recommend that, pending such action by the Secretary, that the Montana Power Co. be requested to serve all persons who shall apply for electrical services from project lines, and that the said company be permitted to make such service over the project power system. STATE OF MONTANA, County of Lake, 88: CERTIFICATE I, D. A. Dellwo, the duly elected, qualified and acting secretary of the Flathead irrigation district, Montana, do hereby certify that foregoing is a full, true and correct copy of certain resolutions accepted by the board of commissioners of said district at a meeting thereof regularly called and held. In witness whereof I hereonto place my hand and affix the official seal of said district this day of December, 1945. [SEAL] D. A. DELLWO, Secretary, Flathead Irrigation District. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1946. INDIAN SCHOOL AT WAHPETON, N. DAK. STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLES R. ROBERTSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA Mr. ROBERTSON. Mr. Chairman, my appearance before your Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations is to urge your favorable action on two items for the United States Indian School, located at Wahpeton, N. Dak. One item of $17,000 to repair the heating system, and one of $14,000 for ordinary and general repair, and maintenance. This school is in a deplorably run-down condition, and the repair items carried in the bill are most urgently needed. I ask permission to attach a letter from the Wahpeton Chamber of Commerce on the subject, and request that this statement together with the letter be made a part of the hearings on this bill. (The letter referred to above is as follows:) Hon. CHARLES ROBERTSON, WAHPETON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, United States Representative, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. ROBERTSON : Thank you for your fine letter concerning the local Indian school. The committee has checked into this and it will be entirely satisfactory if the school receives the special item of $17,000 to repair the heating system. We are also informed that there is another item of $14,000 included for ordinary and genera repair and maintenance. If the school gets this regular item of $14,000 and the special item of $17,000, it will take care of their most urgent needs. The school authorities and our committee fully appreciate the present urgency of the housing situation and also the difficulty of securing labor and materials. For this reason, they are not interested in pressing for any further expansion or for any large-scale program of repairs and improvements at the local school. Your efforts in seeing that the $17,000 item and the general item of $14,000 remain in the appropriation will be most sincerely appreciated. Again thank you and kindest personal regards. Yours very truly, VERNON M. JOHNSON, Chairman, Legislative and Resolutions Committee. THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1946. KLAMATH INDIANS Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. The next witness is Mr. Wade Crawford. The committee will be very glad to hear you. STATEMENT OF WADE CRAWFORD, KLAMATH DELEGATE FROM OREGON Mr. CRAWFORD. My name is Wade Crawford. I am Klamath delegate from Oregon. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. You are a regularly appointed delegate from the Klamath Tribe? Mr. CRAWFORD. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Will you give the committee a little of your background? Are you the same Wade Crawford who was at one time superintendent of the Klamath Agency? Mr. CRAWFORD. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. How long were you superintendent? Mr. CRAWFORD. For 4 years, Mr. Chairman. FUNDS REQUIRED TO OPERATE AGENCY Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Will you now or later advise the committee the amount of money that was required to operate the agency during that time? Mr. CRAWFORD. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. How does it compare with the amount that was required during the current year or the amount asked for during the next year? You can just place the figures in the record. (The information follows:) The above figures were furnished your committee in the 1940 hearings on the Interior bill, page 632. The total amount for the 4 years is $206,450. Mr. CRAWFORD. These figures conclusively prove that the present administration will have spent in 1 year, more than I did in four; that the total expenditure, if the 1947 request is approved, the grand total for the 4 years, 1944-47, will reach the colossal figure of $790,873 for agency administration alone. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Do you have a statement that you want to make to the committee? Mr. CRAWFORD. I would like to make a brief statement with regard to the amount of money that the Indian Service is asking for for this year. I have not had sufficient access to the records of the Indian Service to intelligently talk to you about the expenditures for this year. I have been denied those records by the Superintendent, before I left home. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. By whom, the Superintendent of the Klamath Reservation? Mr. CRAWFORD. Yes. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Has anyone else denied you any records? Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Zimmerman, in Chicago. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. You refer to the Assistant Commissioner? Mr. CRAWFORD. Yes. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. When did he deny you any records? Mr. CRAWFORD. It was in January. I stopped at Chicago to see the Assistant Commissioner and the heads of the different divisions there, and while I was there I asked one of the men in the Fiscal Division, Mr. Fickinger, for the amount of money that the Indian Service requested for this year, and he gave me a slip containing the amount of money asked for, for the agency. I took a copy of that; and then I asked for the pay roll and the vouchers for this year, beginning July 1 up to the present date. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. What figures did he give you, if you have them there? Mr. CRAWFORD. For the agency. $92.375; hospital, $31.390: extension, $36,085: law and order, $23,550: forest-fire protection, $6,600: general relief, $18,500; attorney fees and expenses, $4,500; that totals $212.600 for the agency. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. I might say to you that since that time they have upped their figures $12,000, making a total of $224.000. So. you are about $12,000 under the amount that this committee is actually being asked to approve. We have a break-down which follows what you have given us, except, as I stated, that there is proposed $12,000 for equipment added to that, making a total of $224,000. Mr. CRAWFORD. That amount is aside, Mr. Chairman, from the amount of money that the Department gets, by law, for administration of timberlands. That comes under "Expense, sale of timber.” Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. It comes out of the tribal funds eventually? Mr. CRAWFORD. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. How much does that amount to? Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. Then the amount is about $312,000? Mr. CRAWFORD. Then you have irrigation added to that. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. How much is that? Mr. CRAWFORD. I do not know. I have not had those figures given to me. AMOUNT EXPENDED FOR IRRIGATION Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. How much did you spend for irrigation when you were superintendent? |