Mr. DODD. There is an increase in that item actually of $25,000 if we take into account the deficiency appropriation of $7,500. It makes a net increase of $17,500. MONEY TURNED OVER TO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY This money is turned over in a lump sum to the United States Geological Survey and is used in connection with its operations under the item found on page 329 of this bill. I have told the Geological Survey people that when we reached this item I wanted one of their men here to discuss it if the committee wanted more information than is found in the justification. The justification begins on page 97 and outlines quite fully the work involved in supervising the mining operations on leased Indian land. On page 98 we give a break-down, showing the manner in which the increase is accounted for. Further on in the justification we give a tabulation showing the oil and gas leases and the wells on Indian reservations that are under the supervision of the Geological Survey as of June 30, 1936. The Geological Survey has personnel peculiarly qualified for this particular type of work. There is no overlapping in the service. As a matter of fact they formerly obtained this appropriation in their own right. This committee wanted to find out the total expenditures being made on behalf of the Indian Service, and so they lifted this item out of the Geological Survey chapter and inserted it in the Indian section of the appropriation bill. The justification is made up by the Geological Survey and turned over to us and we insert it in our books. Mr. RICH. The fact of the matter is it eliminates any possibility of duplication between the Indian Service and the Geological Survey the way it stands now? Mr. DODD. You are correct. Mr. RICH. The only thing that you are asking is this appropriation of $25,000? Mr. DODD. Yes, sir. Mr. RICH. You ask for $25,000 additional for the Indian lands. Mr. DODD. There has been some additional work placed upon the Geological Survey by reason of an order signed by the Secretary of the Interior last September 4. FUNDS FOR CONTINUING WORK NEEDED TO REPLACE FINANCING OF EMERGENCY PROGRAM I would like to call attention also to the fact that our appropriation for this work in 1931 was $85,000; in 1932 it was $95,000. Then began the emergency program, and much of the work of the Geological Survey for a period of 3 years was financed through allotments from the Public Works appropriations. That appropriation is now gone and the Geological Survey can expect no help from that source in 1938. Thus it will be necessary to provide funds for continuing this very valuable work. Mr. LEAVY. I want to ask you a question, because this is a matter that affects my district substantially. This order of last September virtually did away with all mineral locations upon Indian lands, did it not? Mr. DODD. No, sir; that is not the order we are speaking about. This order of September 4, 1936, relates to the supervision of oil and gas leases on Indian lands, which was delegated to the Geological Survey by the Secretary of the Interior, except for the Osage Reservation in Oklahoma. If it is of interest to the committee I will be very glad to insert in the record the order in its entirety. Mr. LEAVY. We will be glad to have it. (The order referred to is as follows:) Order no. 1112. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, SUPERVISION OF OPERATIONS UNDER OIL AND GAS LEASES ON ALL INDIAN LANDS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR (EXCEPT OSAGE RESERVATION) In order to facilitate effective cooperation with respect to oil and gas operations under leases on restricted Indian lands (except Osage Reservation), and to define a division of functions of field employees of the Office of Indian Affairs and the Geological Survey, it is hereby directed, effective November 1, 1936, for a period of 5 years, and thereafter until terminated: (1) That within the meaning of the regulations to govern oil and gas operations on restricted Indian lands, approved July 7, 1925, and any amendments or revisions thereof, the district supervisors of the Oil and Gas Leasing Division of the Geological Survey and their assistants shall be and are hereby authorized and directed to exercise the powers and perform the duties of "Officer in charge", "Supervisor", and "Inspector" in said lease and regulations provided. (2) That such supervisors directly or through their assistants shall receive from the lessees all notices, reports, well logs, maps, plats, records, and all other information relating to proposed or existing wells and to production of oil and gas required by said regulations to be submitted by lessees, and take appropriate action thereon; and shall maintain a file thereof. Said supervisors shall submit monthly to the superintendent of the Indian agency having jurisdiction a statement of oil and gas runs and royalties derived from leases under his jurisdiction and shall carry on all accounting work necessary for the proper computation and recording of royalties accruing to the benefit of the Indians. (3) That all other functions with respect to Indian oil and gas leases, particularly the determination of bonuses and other administrative matters, and fiscal matters generally, except royalty accounting, be and remain the duties of the officials of the Indian Service, but the Geological Survey representatives will act in an advisory capacity in all other matters relating to oil and gas leases, development and operation. (4) That the files of the Geological Survey relating to oil and gas leases on Indian lands shall be at all times available for inspection and use by authorized employees of the Indian Service, and the employees of the Geological Survey assigned to work relating to Indian lands shall furnish to authorized employees of the Office of Indian Affairs such information and technical advice as may be necessary or appropriate to the most efficient cooperation in the conduct of the work assigned to the two Bureaus. Likewise, similar facilities and service shall be provided for the benefit of authorized employees of the Geological Survey. (5) That no orders of any kind shall be issued by Geological Survey representatives to any Indian, but such representatives shall have full authority to issue and amend orders to operators relative to production and operations; i. e., the enforcement of the operating regulations, the supervision of all operations, including safety and efficiency, health and sanitation, and prevention of physical or economic waste. (6) That necessary fiscal arrangements and personnel adjustments shall be effected to accomplish the purposes of this order. HAROLD L. ICKES, Mr. LEAVY. Does that order apply to mineral lands? Mr. LEAVY. Was there not an order made in regard to mineral lands? Mr. DODD. I am sorry I cannot answer that question. Mr. LEAVY. I judged from the number of letters and telegrams that I have been getting in regard to mining on the Colville Reservation it would indicate that. Mr. DODD. This order has to do principally with oil and gas. Mr. LEAVY. Would this money tend to put your department in a better position toward securing lands on this reservation which would be permitted to be opened for mining entry, or whether they should be withheld from entry? Mr. DODD. Not under this particular appropriation. This item deals almost entirely with oil and gas. There is some work done in connection with mineral deposits. The figures given by the Geological Survey provide for general administration and major equipment, $7,970. For oil and gas supervision, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming, $9,850 is requested. Then in Oklahoma, where practically all of the Indian activities are in oil and gas production, they provide for supervision at a cost of $55,990. MINING SUPERVISION For mining supervision in Colorado and New Mexico they provide $2,170. In Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Utah they provide for mining supervision at a cost of $1,080. In Oklahoma, where they have valuable coal deposits on Indian lands, they provide for supervision at a cost of $12,940. Now, that is the break-down that the Geological Survey has given for the expenditure of this fund. As I stated, they have an item on page 329 which is supplemented by our appropriation. Mr. LEAVY. The fact that there is nothing there for the State of Washington does not necessarily indicate that they are not carrying on their activities on the Indian lands there as well as in some of the other States? Mr. DODD. The chances are that they may have a man up in that region who gets around, but is not specifically provided for here. VALUE OF SUPERVISION WORK DONE BY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Mr. LEAVY. Do these oil and gas activities, together with your mineral activities, produce substantial revenue to your Department? Mr. DODD. It does to the individual units. The work being done in connection with this item, in particular, is to check the pipe-line runs and to supervise the leases to see that the oil companies make fair payment for the minerals taken from the Indian lands. They have saved many thousands of dollars either to individuals or to the tribes where the minerals are held collectively by the tribes. I recall 3 years ago when they were reducing this appropriation we had occasion to check the value of the work done on one small reserva tion in Oklahoma. The savings on that reservation aggregated $126,000 and that all was effected from an expenditure of perhaps not more than $5,000 that could have been apportioned to that one reservation. Mr. LEAVY. But your savings do not revert to the Service? OBTAINING EMPLOYMENT FOR INDIANS Mr. JOHNSON. We will pass on to page 100, where there is a gratuity item. For the purpose of obtaining remunerative employment for Indians, $40,000. What justification do you have for that item? Mr. DODD. The following justification is submitted: Regular appropriation, 1937 act_ Deduct nonrecurring and other items not required in 1938: Transfer to salaries, Bureau of Indian Affairs... $40, 750 3, 200 The first appropriation for definitely assisting in obtaining employment for Indians was available in 1929, under which two Indians were engaged to make contracts with industrial concerns away from reservations and endeavor to place Indians in permanent employment. The first separate appropriation for the purpose was in the sum of $50,000 in the 1931 act. Of that sum $39,635 was expended in employment of nine permanent and several temporary employees. Included in the nine permanent employees were the so-called outing matrons formerly paid from educational funds. Employees devoting all of their time to this work are now paid from this appropriation. Until April 1, 1932, the work was assigned, in addition to other duties, to the Assistant Director of Education, a former Associate Director of the United States Employment Service, who had considerable experience, especially in junior placement work. On April 1, 1932, a Director of Employment was appointed. During the fiscal year 1936 the employment work was supervised by the Director of Employment, with professional advice and cooperation of the Assistant Director of Education in regard to the service for juniors and women. Placements effected during 1935-36 through the efforts of personnel attached to offices maintained under the employment appropriation were as follows: The total number of Indians for whom employment was obtained for the fiscal year 1936 was 8,155, or 29.5 percent less than in the previous year Of t number, 4,439 were placed within the Indian Service, 4,299 on emergency projevits and 140 in the regular field service, and 3,717 were placed outside the dery ce with private employers. In the previous year 3,818 private placements were made by the Employment Division, but of this number 1,517 were placed throug referrals to the National Reemployment Service. Although the Employme Division this year has referred Indians to the National Reemployment Servire and doubtless many have secured jobs through that Service, no report or number thus placed is available. All 3,717 placements made outside the Scri by the Employment Division, however, were placed directly by the staff of t Employment Division. This was an increase of 1,416, or 61.5 percent more ťaž the number placed directly by the Employment Division last year. of t number placed in private employment this year, 1,980 were permanent as ev me pared to 1,508 last year, or an increase of 31.3 percent. Of the total pe placements made by the Employment Division, the number of permanent pa ments increased from 39.4 percent last year to 53.2 percent this year The decrease in the number of “inside the Service" placements reported Employment Division is due to the fact that the Indians have become are satit, e through the advice and aid given them in the past few years by the perso connected with the Employment Division, to apply in person for jobs Where projects are taking place without going to the employment office The r. .r. «T securing “outside the Service" or private jobs has remained rather constant s the exception that most of these jobs are permanent, which seems to p more stable employment situation and a demand for qualified Inta emplovers. Furthermore, the experience received by the Indians on the ener gency Government work should stimulate the demand for their services as i recovery continues. The demand for women and girls for household work still cor finnes bey -available supply and placements have fallen off in conseqience. This set ia may be attributed largely to the increased opportunity for employment on tie reservations which have given jobs to many Indian women and giris at agnirank schools, and hospitals, and has made it unnecessary for others to earn their ow? ing away from home. There have also been definite efforts on the part of the social workers connected with the Employment Division to raise the stat tara of such employment and to stabilize it; this has meant fewer placements but mere continuous employment The Kansas City employment office was closed because most of the girle n'a md were from Oklahoma and desired to work nearer their homes – An Ok al. Indian girl, who has been employed in the employment office in Phoenix, Ariz.f several years, was transferred to our office in Oklahoma City to take over te placements of Indian women and girls in Oklahoma. An attempt is being na to bring this service to the Indians The Employment Division has largely centered its attention upon the rare ment of qualified Indians in the better type of jobs instead of the mass reer, 1. & of Indians for any and every type of work. There has developed, teret re more specialized and individualized placement procedure than heretofore г has made possible the accumulation of authent e work records on the at 1, f.a so placed which should make for a better and more efficient service as process continues. The value of such a service to the Indians and the I: Service is apparent For the present year the employment appropriation is tentatively distrð as in beate 1 below, taking into consideration all the necessary changes C plated during the present year in salaries and other expenses Salaries 15 field employees Other exper. METR Supplies and materials 823 43 Travel Heat, light, water, ete Rent Reisirs and alterations Equipment Iciephone and telegraph......... Total Undistributed Grand total.... |