It is important that employees in the Indian Service keep in touch with methods and practices of their respective professions, and their attendance at meetings and conferences of recognized associations cannot help but react to their individual benefit and to the benefit of the Service as a whole. Furthermore, valuable contacts are made and closer cooperation is fostered with local and State authorities and with national and volunteer organizations whose work is directly or indirectly connected with Indian problems. This item does not carry an appropriation, but authorizes the use of applicable funds contained in the annual appropriation act; for instance, the expenses of a physician attending an association meeting are charged to the medical appropriation; the expenses of a school employee to school funds; and the expenses of an agricultural extension agent to an extension appropriation. Requests and recommendations for permission to attend such meetings are carefully checked before authority is given. Meetings during the past year included those of the National Education Association, the Progressive Education Association, the National Conference of Social Work, the American Vocational Association, the American Public Health Association, the American Dental Association, the American Association of School Administrators, American College of Surgeons, the American College of Physicians, and the American Medical Association, in addition to various State association meetings. It is estimated that $8,000 will be required for this purpose during 1941, an increase of $1,000 in the amount that has been authorized the last several years. This increase is requested owing to the difficulty experienced in controlling this limitation. Actual expenses incurred by employees attending association meetings cannot be charged to this limitation until the vouchers evidencing such expenses are paid, which is usually some months after the travel has been performed. It is practically impossible, therefore, to determine at any one time during the fiscal year what balance remains in the authorization. To avoid the incurrence of deficiencies in the authorization, the limitation should be fixed sufficiently high to eliminate any possibility that it will be exceeded. Judging from past expenditures it is believed that an increase to $8,000 will accomplish this purpose. Language change. The text of this item does not include all the types of associations whose work is of interest to the Indian Service. Only recently it became necessary to deny authority to the Director of Personnel of the Indian Service to attend an important meeting of the Civil Service Assembly held in San Francisco, Calif. The language of the item has therefore been changed to authorize attendance at meetings of any association whose work concerns the Indians or the Indian Service. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. There appears to be some new language here, a couple of rather significant words-"and other." This additional language apparently opens this up to all kinds of Indian meetings, does it not? Mr. GREENWOOD. It would permit us to attend any meeting of any association which would be of interest to the Indian Service in the prosecution of the work. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. The fact is, if those two words are permitted to go in, the committee might as well eliminate the items now provided for specifically; is not that true? Mr. GREENWOOD. We would still be limited by the amount stipulated in this item. We could not spend over $8,000-assuming that this increase that we are requesting is allowed-in any one year for attendance at these meetings. Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. But my experience has been in legislating that when you start enumerating and specifying you get into trouble. If you really mean that you want to confine these meetings to medical, health, educational, agricultural, forestry, engineering, and industrial subjects, it occurs to me that the committee should say so. If it does not mean that, then the words "and other asso ciations," or words to that effect, might be put in, and we could eliminate all the specific language. Mr. GREENWOOD. I might explain why we are proposing that change in language. Just this past summer there was a very important personnel conference held on the west coast, which was of considerable interest to us. We found that our personnel officer could not be permitted to attend that conference in his official capacity, for the reason that it did not fall within the class of associations mentioned in this item. Mr. COLLIER. A social work conference would be excluded in the same way. Mr. GREENWOOD. And yet it was cf considerable importance to us that he attend and take part in those conferences. RELIEF OF WILLIAM C. WILLAHAN Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. The next item, for the relief of William C. Willahan, appears to be eliminated. Mr. GREENWOOD. The following statement is submitted with reference to that item: The act of June 25, 1938, for the relief of William C. Willahan, provided : That the Comptroller General of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to allow credit in the accounts of William C. Willahan, as superintendent and special disbursing agent at the Sisseton Indian Agency, Sisseton, South Dakota, in the amount of $3.384.28 representing disallowance in the accounts of William C. Willahan because of the embezzlement of funds by a subordinate employee. SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to pay to William C. Willahan the sum of $421.65, representing amounts withheld from him in the settlement of charges made against his accounts by reason of disallowances in settlement numbered F-24532-IN, dated July 14, 1934. SEC. 3. The Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to pay to William C. Willahan not to exceed the sum of $292.89, which amount is alleged to have been deposited in the Treasury from personal funds by the said William C. Willahan to replace losses of Federal funds and the overpayment of an employee's salary: Provided, That before any payment is made under this section the said William C. Willahan shall furnish to the Secretary of the Interior authenticated records of the actual deposits alleged to have been made, and any other supporting information that may be required by the said Secretary of the Interior. SEC. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to credit the official trust-fund account of William C. Smith, superintendent of the Sisseton Indian Agency, with the sum of $140.69, of which the sum of $120.69 will thereafter be deposited to the credit of the United States in lieu of repayments by sundry Indians on account of sales of reimbursable property, and the sum of $20 will be credited on the books of the Sisseton Indian Agency as individual Indian money for the use and benefit of the estate of Wlynkpawin, deceased Sisseton Indian. Sections 2 and 3 of the act authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to pay specific amounts to Mr. Willahan, but the words "out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated" were omitted in both of these sections. Treasury Department officials held that by the omission of the words the Congress failed to make the necessary appropriation to pay Mr. Willahan. It therefore became necessary to request funds to comply with the provisions of the sections mentioned and the appropriation was made in the 1940 act. INDIAN LANDS PURCHASE OF LAND AND WATER RIGHTS, PUEBLO INDIANS, NEW MEXICO (TRIBAL FUNDS) Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. The next item, purchase of land and water rights, Pueblo Indians, New Mexico, is bracketed out. JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE Mr. GREENWOOD. The following statement is submitted: Appropriations were made from time to time to carry out the recommendations of the Pueblo Lands Board to pay amounts found due these Indians for loss of land and water rights. The Board was created by the act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat., p. 636). Frequently the items appropriating amounts of the awards have set aside a certain sum for purchase of land and water rights, development of irrigation water or some other purpose for the benefit of the particular pueblo involved, and it has been customary to continue in succeeding appropriation acts the unexpended balances of such authorizations. During each year requests would reach the Office for funds to cover items which were desirable both from the standpoint of the Indians and the Government, but specific authorization had not been obtained for the use of these funds. This situation led to the submission of an item in the 1934 budget making available all balances not previously appropriated, except the sum of $56,524.21 awarded to the Pojoaque Pueblo, which amount was appropriated in the 1939 act and continued available until expended by the 1940 act. The text of the item for 1936 was amended so as to continue all balances theretofore authorized. In view of the fact that all balances in the compensation trust funds of the several pueblos are now available without further appropriation, estimates and expenditures will in the future be included under "Miscellaneous trust funds of Indian tribes." It has been the policy of the Bureau to make no expenditures from these funds without the approval of tribal officers. This policy was confirmed by a provision in the act of May 31, 1933 (48 Stat., p. 109), reading as follows: "That the Secretary of the Interior shall not make any expenditure out of the pueblo funds resulting from the appropriations set forth herein, or prior appropriations for the same purpose, without first obtaining the approval of the governing authorities of the pueblo affected." The same act authorized the appropriation of additional sums to the several pueblos aggregating $761,954.88, the same to be appropriated in three installments, the first of which was provided in the 1937 appropriation act. The last appropriation was made in the 1939 act. Section 3 of the 1933 act authorized appropriations to compensate white settlers or non-Indian claimants found by the Board— "To have occupied and claimed land in good faith, but whose claim has not been sustained and whose occupation has been terminated under said act of June 7, 1924, for the fair market value of lands, improvements appurtenant thereto, and water rights." The Second Deficiency Appropriation Act, fiscal year 1933, approved June 16, 1933, appropriated $232,086.80 pursuant to the authorization mentioned. A subsequent appropriation was made pursuant to the act of August 26, 1935, and $3.071.24 were appropriated in 1938 in fulfillment of the act of June 4, 1936. A total of $280,535.37 has been appropriated for compensation to non-Indian claimants. The act of March 28, 1939, authorizes an appropriation of $9,826.05 to pay additional claims, which amount, when appropriated, will increase the total provided for non-Indian claimants to $290,361.42. There follows a statement showing by pueblos the amounts authorized by the several acts for payment to Indians and non-Indians: Total. 42, 201.98 30, 588. 17 36, 076, 07 952.65 5,988. 19 27, 154. 87113, 976. 74 2. 522.80 16, 411.00 27, 631.85 76, 128. 85 2,908.38 33, 566. 47 8,301, 17 2,000.00) 30, 668. 87 85,784.53 21,834.99 28, 145.00 129, 332.99 125,086, 82 37, 754. 87 57, 156. 51 67,646, 45 189, 939, 11 8,896, 57 295, 090.93 20,667, 56 160, 835. 94 29, 727. 43 11, 743. 37 23, 797.62 4,385.00 64, 235, 34 107, 619. 52 28.145.00 141, 076. 36 129, 328. 21 44, 770.44 73, 674. 19 93.368.98 233, 244.36 9,742.83 333.252.50 20,733.56 184, 633. 56 43, 165. 26 30,822.06 476, 516. 74 144, 387. 84 620, 904. 58 761, 881, 881, 382, 786. 46 290, 361. 32 1, 673, 147. 88 The act of May 31, 1933 (48 Stat., p. 109), authorized the appropriation of additional sums to the several pueblos, the same to be appropriated in three annual installments beginning with the fiscal year 1937, for the purposes specified in section 1 of the act, and in conformity with the act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat., p. 636). The following statement shows the amounts awarded to each pueblo, and the actual amounts appropriated for each of the 3 years: In The total amount of the award mentioned in the act was $761,954.88. adding the amounts due the several pueblos, however, it was found that the total actually amounts to only $761,881.88, or $73 less than the amount mentioned in the act. For convenience, certain sections of the act of May 31, 1933, are here reproduced: "That in fulfillment of the Act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 636), there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sums hereinafter set forth, in compensation to the several Indian pueblos hereinafter named, in payment of the liability of the United States to the said Pueblos as declared by the Act of June 7, 1924, which appropriations shall be made in equal annual installments as hereinafter specified, and shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States and shall be expended by the Secretary of the Interior, subject to approval of the governing authorities of each pueblo in question, at such times and in such amounts as he may deem wise and proper; for the purchase of lands and water rights to replace those which have been divested from said pueblo under the Act of June 7, 1924, or for the purchase or construction of reservoirs, irrigation works, or other permanent improvements upon or for the benefit of the lands of said pueblos. "SEC. 2. In addition to the awards made by the Pueblo Lands Board, the following sums, to be used as directed in section 1 of this Act, and in conformity with the Act of June 7, 1924, be, and hereby are, authorized to be appropriated: * * "SEC. 5. Except as otherwise provided herein the Secretary of the Interior shall disburse and expend the amounts of money herein authorized to be appropriated, in accordance with and under the terms and conditions of the Act approved June 7, 1924: Provided, however, That the Secretary be authorized to cause necessary surveys and investigations to be made promptly to ascertain the lands and water rights that can be purchased out of the foregoing appropriations and earlier appropriations made for the same purpose, with full authority to disburse said funds in the purchase of said lands and water rights without being limited to the appraised values thereof as fixed by the appraisers appointed by the Pueblo Lands Board appointed under said Act of June 7, 1924, and all prior Acts limiting the Secretary of the Interior in the disbursement of said funds to the appraised value of said lands as fixed by said appraisers of said Pueblo Lands Board be, and the same are, expressly repealed: Provided further. That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, authorized to disburse a portion of said funds for the purpose of securing options upon said lands and water rights and necessary abstracts of title thereof for the necessary period required to investigate titles and which may be required before disbursement can be authorized: Provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, authorized, out of the appropriations of the foregoing amounts and out of the funds heretofore appropriated for the same purpose, to purchase any available lands within the several pueblos which in his discretion it is desirable to purchase, without waiting for the issuance of final patents directed to be issued under the provisions of the Act of June 7, 1924, where the right of said Pueblos to bring independent suits, under the provisions of the Act of June 7, 1924, has expired: Provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior shall not make any expenditures out of the Puebio funds resulting from the appropriations set forth herein, or prior appropriations for the same purpose, without first obtaining the approval of the governing authorities of the pueblo affected: And provided further, That the governing authorities of any pueblo may initiate matters pertaining to the purchase of lands in behalf of their respective pueblos, which matters, or contracts relative thereto, will not be binding or concluded until approved by the Secretary of the Interior. "SEC. 8. The attorney or attorneys for such Indian tribe or tribes shall be paid such fee as may be agreed upon by such attorney or attorneys and such Indian tribe or tribes, but in no case shall the fee be more than 10 per centum of the sum herein authorized to be appropriated for the benefit of such tribe or tribes, and such attorneys' fees shall be disbursed by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance herewith out of any funds appropriated for said Indian tribe or tribes under the provisions of the Act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. L. 636), or this Act: Provided, however, That 25 per centum of the amount agreed upon as attorneys' fees shall be retained by the Secretary of the Interior to be disbursed by him under the terms of the contract, subject to approval of the Secretary of the Interior, between said attorneys and said Indian tribes, providing for further services and expenses of said attorneys in furtherance of the objects set forth in section 19 of the Act of June 7, 1924.” Under the wording of the text contained in the several appropriation acts, the amount awarded to each pueblo was credited to the trust-fund account of the pueblo and was made available, under certain conditions, for future expenditure without further appropriation by Congress, |