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Show 378 REPORT OF THE BUPEBINTENDENT OF INDIAN 8C800L8. during his school experience should not be relaxed. The recommen-dation made in the report of the snperinteddent of Indian schools for 1.902, that an appointment clerk be stationed at each agenoy where there is a considerable Indian population to assist in providing work for graduate students, is. again most respectfully brou ht to our attention. Such an official, if competent and experience % , coul B , by the exercise of tact and good judgment, secure for the educated young Indians positions and employment for which they have shown special fitness and aptitude. It frequently happens that ur ' n his return home from school the Indian pupil, althou h equippe for taking up the lifeof a farmer, for instance, finds that fis parents have not only leased their own allot-ments of land but his as well. The have nothing to do themselves and there is nothing for him to do. &e consequently is apt to drift into an idle existence and gradually aU uplifting influences of his school career begin to lose their effect. It is in such cases, that the agency em1 P loyment clerk would be most useful. If suoh o5cial wereauthor- ize and appointed, the su erintendent of the school from which the returning student was raiuated.would notify him of that fact and also inform him as to tfe particular trade or branch of industry in which the student was roficient. The emplo ment clerk could ascer-tain the home surronn f ings of the student an i , in case conditions were not favorable to his eugagin in farming or some independent indus-trial pursuit at his home, cou d assist him in securing suitableemploy-ment elsewhere. K The employment clerk could also, in conjunction with the field matrons, do much for the girl graduates. Positions could be found for them, and where this wag not practicable for any reason a market might be found for articles of distinctively native manufacture that they might produce from time to time, thus aidino them in self-support. The importance of the adoption of this em$oyment system, if it may be so described, is thus emphasized for the reason that it is belleved that nuder proper management it would do much toward pre-venting a large number of students from drifting backward. EQUIPMENT OF INDIAN STUDENTS PYlR 8ELF-BUTPORT. After giving the Indian boy and girl the necessary knowledge of the English language, they are Gveu industrial trainin that will enable them to support themselves after leaving school. %special attention has been p a ~ dto instruction in the various arts and trades which they will find useful upon their return to their homes as working farmers. The Indian farms being usually at considerable distance from towns, it is not only convenient but essential that theIndian farmers should be able to make needed repairs to farm implements, to shoe their horses, to mend harness to repair buildings, and in fact to have a good working knowledge of tie trades of carpentering, blacksmithing, etc. While machinery is necessaril used to a certain extent at the.lar e agricultural and industrial 1nJan schoolsl the aim and pity of tfe schools is to teach the Indian boy and girl to use their ands, to be able to make things themselves, and I ho e the day is not far distant when all the girls will he instructed in cfairying, including milking, butter making, and cheese making, as well as in all the usual work in andabout a house which will enable them to become good home makers. |
