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Show BEPORT OF COMMIBSIONEB OF INDUN AFFAIRS. XXIX banked 63,945,769 feet of timber, at prices variously ranging from $4 to $6.25 pcr thousand feet. The net gain to the Indians on these trans-actions was $131;28!.46, of which $58,006.70 was taken out in merchan-dise and ~npplies, and the halanee, $73,274.76, was paid in cash to the individual Indians. The agent reports that the general resnlt'of these operations is highly satisfactory ; the Indians are all learning to work, are getting good, comfortable homes, and their condition is being, greatly improved. With some modifications in the manner of condncting thg business, which the agent has been direeted to make, there appears. every rea-son to anticipate that the coming wason's operations will be on a more extended scale, and will be still more beneficial to the Indians. White labor, except snob as ia absolutely necessary, is rigorously excluded from the reservations, and the Indian is taught to labbr and permitted to reap the benefit of his toil. INDW POLIOE. The greatest number of Indian police in the service at any one time daring the fiscal year ending June 30,1886, was 701. Considering the very meager compensation allowed; riz, $10 per month for wmmissioned. officers and $8 per month for non-commissioned officers and privates, the service has been very satisfactory. The members of the police force are selected on'acconnt of their good character, and inflnen&. among their people; a majoritg of them have families to support. They have proven themselves to be worthy of confidence, and have rendered valuable assistance to the agents in maintaining order and suppressing crime on the reservations. They are almost without exception wnra-geouu, determined men, who will without flinching faoe any danger in carrying ont their instructions. 'Po bring the police service np to the highest degree of efficiency it is necessary that the entire time and attention of the men be devoted to their work, hut it is often difficult to obtain the services of proper men on account of the small compensation. It would tend greatly to inq,rease the efficiency of this branch of the service if a more liberal compensation wuld be allowed, even though the number of men should be reduced. The police in the discharge of, their duties often come in wntact with outlaws and men of desperate character, and being thus called upon to face danger and death it i s but fair that they should receive a compe&sation in some degree commensurate with the service rendered. The wst. of their support is moncx well spent, as at most agencies they are the only means which the agent possesses for pro-tecting his Indians against liquor trafflc, cattle thieves, the inroads of had white men, and fnr the suppression of every kind of vice and law-lessness on the reservation. Without them .he would have much less power either to punish the bad or protect t,he good, and the knowledge that he has this reliable force always at hand hasa much greater in5n-enoe for good than appears on the surface. |
