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Show COMMIWIONER .OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 25 later on to farm this surplus himself, and lease it only as II temporary measure. One very important factor has to be kept in mind with regard to all leased land, and that is, that although wild land may safely remain idle without injuring, through spreading of weeds, neighboring land under cultivation, land once broken up must for the sake of the good of the community at large be kept constantly under cultivation, so that land once leased and cultivated must either be kept under lease, farmed by the owner, or sold to some one who will cultivate it. Another instance where leasing is frequently desirable is where an Indian has adopted some other industrial pursuit than farming. He may be keeping a store or following a trade, or even. working out as an unskilled or skilled laborer. In such cases it may be better for him to lease. He may well-look forward to the day when he will wish to become a farmer, or he may be making a good home for him-self at his trade at some distance from his allotment, and prefer to lease for a time, applying his rents to the improvement of his home, with a view of selling ultimately. Whether in such acase he should lease or should sell all of his land would depend on the circumstances in each particular case. For some'Indians it is undoubtedly wise to burn all bridges, completely sever connection with the reservation, and turn their holding there into money; with others, it is better to do this as to part, but keep at least a homestead as a reserve to fall back upon in case they do not succeed outside, or prefer to change. There is a third class of cases, such as the sick or otherwise in-capacitated Indians, who can not farm. For these it may be prefer-able to lease rather than to sell. .On the other hand, leasing as it has been practiced is, as a general rule, a positive detriment to the Indians. Until an 1ndian is well started at farming or a trade, a steady rental from his land is one of the strongest incentives not to begin to work. It is too frequently the case that an Indian lives ina frame house, built from the proceeds of the rental of most of his lands, in idleness and economic stagnation. Ile is there assured of a roof over his head and of sufficient food and clothing, and I think it is safe to say that there would be too many white men who would see little incentive to work under such con-ditions. In fact, to work when necessity does not drive is one of the few real tests of a very high state of civilization. In its efforts to train the Indians to transact their own business affairs, the office has been trying the experiment of allowing Indians to do their own leasing where they were, after careful study, con-sidered 'competent for that. I feel that this is very likely a wise course where, under the general lines I have indicated above, it is right for an Indian to lease at all; but,even so, I think we have prob-ably somewhat overestimated its importance, for the amount of real |