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Under existing law the remaining restrictions on the property of the restricted Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes will expire in 1931 unless they are further extended by congressional action. Past experience warrants the conclusion that the wholesale removal of these restrictions in 1931 will result in another carnival of exploitation. The view of the survey staff is that these restrictions should be extended. The Secretary of the Interior can then remove them from time to time from such Indians as are found ready to manage their own property.

Many Indian tribes still have outstanding against the government claims arising out of the old treaties and laws. The existence of these claims is a serious impediment to progress. The Indians look forward to getting vast sums from these claims ; thus the facts regarding their economic future are uncertain. They will hardly knuckle down to work while they still hope the government will pay what they believe is due them. Some Indians, mostly mixed bloods, are maintaining their tribal connections and agitating because they have rights under these claims. Attorneys are naturally interested, and a few are perhaps inclined to urge the Indians to press claims which have comparatively little real merit.

The settlement of an old claim involves a long and extremely detailed procedure and hence is necessarily slow. The question must be raised, however, as to whether the government is pressing for their settlement with maximum promptness. The evidence suggests that material improvement is practicable. Until these claims are out of the way, not much can be expected of Indians who are placing their faith in them.

Failure to Develop Coöperative Relationships. The Indian Service has not gone far enough in developing coöperative relationships with other organizations, public and private, which can be of material aid to it in educational developmental work for the Indians.

The present administration has given one outstanding illustration of what can be achieved through the coöperation with other federal agencies by its action in bringing in the Public Health Service to aid in the reorganization of the medical work. The Secretary of the Interior, too, has secured aid from the Department of Agriculture for his much needed committee to determine the facts regarding Indian irrigation projects. Here and there in the field are found other instances of coöperation with the Department of Agriculture.