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Show 8 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. The majority of these schools have a definite territory assigned to each, from which pupils are to be drawn, while others, by virtue of their more extended facilities, are given the full scope of the Indian country. This arrangement avoids clashing of interests on the same territory by representatives of different schools engaged in securing pupils and reduces the already large item of transportation expenses. Iud~auch ildren when taken to distant schools should be entered for such a length of time as will secure to them the benefits of the school. Therefore, in order that there might be uniformity of method in the col-lection and return of pupils, the following circular was issued by this office on April 29,1897: To agents a%d bmded supahtsndents : Attention is directed to section 15 of the Rules for the Indien School Service, 1894, wherein it. is stated that "the plaoing of Indian youth in nonraaervation sohook should he accomplished with the consent of parents and agents." The oonseut of the agent is not a mere perfunctory aot upon his part, hnt thia offioe expecta him in every instance to look oarefnlly into all the snrroundinga and condition of the chil-dren proposed for transfer, and be folly satisfied that their best interests will be suhserved. Agents will understand that it is the well-settled policy of thia offioe that when Indian children have arrived at the age when they om properly appreei-ate the benefit8 and advantages of further ednoatioual sdvancament every effort should he used toinduoe both children md pareta to sveil themselves of this oppor-tunity. They abould earnestly and heartily cooperate with all properly accredited representatives of nonreservation sehoola in carrying out this policy. Superintendents of nonreservation sahwls are directed not to receive etndents for a shorter period than two yem. A ohild received during the first five months of the fisoal vear shall he oredited with a full vear's attendance for that fiscal vear. A childreoeived after the first five months of the fisoal year ah11 reeeive no credit for the fraotitional rear. No child shall be returned before the close of the fiscal rear which terminates the veriod for which it was reoeived. Superintendents of nonreservation sohools ahsll report to the respective agents the anticipated return of students at least four weeks before the date fired for their return, gi&ng Indian and English name and history of each student. In all cases in which sgents can not find the responsible parents and gnardians of students to he so retnrned the sgents will st once report this fact to the snpsrin-tendent, who will then report to the Commissioner of Indien Affaira what disposi-tion he oan make of the student, and swait orders from the Indian Office with reference to the asse. In no snoh case must the student be returned without orders from the Indien Office. Representatives of nonraaervation aehools must be fully advised of these regula-tions before attempting to eollsot pnpils. It will be noticed that there has been an increase of 638 in enrollment and 326 in average attendance upon the nonreservation schools, indi-catlng harmouicus cooperation with this offioe upon the part of agents and superintendents engaged in this work. By liberal appropriations from Congress many of these schools have had their capacity greatly extended by the erection of new buildings and repairing and remodeling of older ones. Modern facilities for instruction have been introduced, and the industrial and literary cur-riculum of these schools shows the adoption of advanced educitioual |
