Press Release, Veto Message from President Harry S. Truman to the United States Senate

#1250 297 HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE JULY 25, 1947 CONFIDENTI L. To be held in STRICT CONFIDENCE and no portion, synopsis or intimation to be given out or pub- lished until the READING of the President's Message has begun in the Senate. Extrome care must therefore be exercised to avoid premature publication. CHARLES G. ROSS Secretary to the President TO THE SENATE: I return herewi th without my approval S. 484, "To authorize and direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue to Joseph J. Pickett a patent in fee to certain lend. 11 The effect of this measure would bo to terminate the trust under which the United States now holds the lands allotted to and inherited by Mr. Pickett on the Crow Indian Reservation, and to require a conveyance of the lands to him free from the restrictions on aliena- tion now imposed by law. Whether the consent of Mr. Pickett would be NARA a prerequisite to such tormination and conveyance is a matter on which the terms of the bill are silent. The situation hore presented is one which involves the por- formance of trust agreements that the United St: tes is bound faithfully to execute, as distinguished from the continuance of a personal dis- ability. Mr. Pickett, in common with other Indians, is entirely free to purchase lands or other property, and to sell the same as he pleases. What is here in question is land that forms a part of the ancestral tribal holdings of the Crow Indians, and a part of an area which, pur- suant to various arrangements with these Indians, has been divided among the individual members of the Crow Tribe. Mr. Pickett obtained a share in this division of the tribal patrimony solely because of his membership, or that of his ancestors, in the Crow Tribe. Under the terms or the allotment arrangements, and the implementing statutes, he has no right to alienate the lands allotted to or inherited by him without the consent of the United States, acting in its capacity as trustee of the lands. With respect to most of the area described in the bill, such approval may now be granted by the Secretery of the Interior sould it be found that Mr. Pickett is competent to manage his affairs. In the performance of the existing trust obligations considera- tion must be given to the question of whether a sale of the lands would promote the best interests of all concerned. These include Mr. Pickett, as the beneFiciary of the trust, and the Crow Tribe, as a party to its creation and maintenance. Indicative of the interests of the latter is the fact that the Crow Tribe expressly stipulated, in the basic allot- ment agreement, that a restriction upon alienation, whether by volun- tary conveyance or by operation of law, should be incorporated in every patent. The record in the present case clearly indicates that termina- tion of the trust would be contrary to the best interests of Mr. Pickett. The lands that would be released exceed the average Indian holding in quality and extent, and yield a good rental income. Conditions of age and health prevent Mr. Pickett from engaging in active farming opera- tions, and, combined with lack of experience, restrict his opportuni- ties for other types of business undertakings. The proceeds of properties sold in the past have not been successfully reinvested by him, and, apart from the trust lands, his only source of income is a retirement pension from the United States. Partially dependent upon him for support are a wife and three small children. All things considerod, the future security o Mr. Pickett and his family would appear to lie in the retention of the trust lands, which constitute his principal capital asset, rather than in risking the loss of this sound investment through more speculative ventures (OVER)