Some of the coal and asphalt lands have been leased to mining companies and during the year ending June 30, 1913, 3,103,071 tons of coal and 4,752 tons of asphalt were mined; the royalty on the coal being eight cents per ton and on crude asphalt ten cents, refined asphalt sixty cents per ton. The tribal attorneys, acting for these Five Civilized Tribes, and occupying high positions of trust and responsibility, have, without exception, done what they could to further the interests of their clients. The existence of the Cherokee terminated June 30, 1914, and all tribal offices were abolished. Whether the Cherokees will prosper remains to be seen. In addition to the totals presented, it must be recorded that $2,480,739.35 were distributed to individual Indians. This sum was received from oil royalties, lease privileges, mining royalties, rents, bonuses, etc. Dana H. Kelsey, Superintendent of the Union Agency, and acting in conjunction with Commissioner Wright last year handled a grand total of $8,215,989.71. Some idea of the enormous amount of business transacted by his office may be gleaned from the statement that pieces of mail matter (over half of which were letters) during the year totaled 364,218. His office investigated about 18,000 leases, land cases, complaints and probate cases all relating to Indian property. The net saving to the Indians by this governmental supervision was $667,352.25. Mr. Kelsey states: “At the advent of statehood there were no ample facilities to afford proper protection to the minor and incompetent Indians, the former of which number approximately 60,000.” Some of the difficulties with which his office has had to contend may be imagined from the following quotation:— “Many parties who sought to secure these lands either controlled the appointment of the guardian or connived with the guardian to purchase the land at grossly inadequate prices, the difference between the purchase price and the actual price of the land being the profit realized by the guardian and the purchaser. In other instances parents who were appointed guardians of their children sold their children’s allotments and dissipated the proceeds. This work discloses many instances where parties desiring to lease minor allotments secured the appointment of themselves or employees as guardian, and by so controlling the land sought they were able to profit to a considerable extent in subleasing lands for, in some instances, many times the amount paid. Many of these leases provided for the improvement of the land in lieu of cash rental, while none of the improvements were made. Many complaints lodged with the field clerks are from the unrestricted Indians, who, upon attaining their majority, find that their allotments have been sold and the funds dissipated by the guardian, leaving them penniless.”