OCR Text |
Show Indian tribes not otherwise provided for," that the Government under-took with earnestnew to provide Indian tribes with schools, although considerable Government money had been expended on Indian educa-tion from treaty funds and from what was known as the "civiliiation find." For a long time different schools carried on under private auspices were aided by the Government without any formal contract. Formal contracts began to be made in the latter part of 1870. At one time they were made largely on account of a law limiting the amount which might be expended at an Indian agency for employees. Unless school employees could be excepted from this restriction it was found that it would be impracticable to keep up both school and agency work at the larger agencies. By contracting with a society to carry on a school the employees of that school were thereby eliminated from the list of agency employees. Afterwards the law was amended so aa to exclude school employees and there was no longer any occasion on that score for making school contracts. Sometimes when no contract was necessary and Gov-ernment aid could just as well be extended to the school without one, and perhaps had been so extended for years, it came to be considered more desirable by the office or by the society to put the terms of the agreement between them into the form of a contract. It also facilitated in some respects the settlement of accounts in the Trasury. For a while, when other schools were carried on under contract, "schools specially appropriated for" were considered as not needing any contraot arrangement in their behalf. But finally it became the custom to render through the medium of a contract all Government said to Indian schools carried on by private parties. Hence schools so aided became known as contrwt schools; and thus there grew upi'the contract system," which gradually increased until, during the fiscal year ended June 30,1892, contracts were made with various denomina-tions and individuals to the amount of $611,570. Since that yearthere has been a gradual reduction,either by withdrawalof the parties them-selves from contracts or by action of this office under the direction of Congress. There were in operation last year thirty-seven contract schools (two of themreceivingspecial appropriations), forwhich 8257,928 wasallowed. The Indian appropriation act for the onrrent fiscal year contains the foE lowing provision in regard to the assistance to be given by the Goveru-ment in the support of schools for Indians carried on under private control: And it is hereby declared to be the settled policy of the Government to hemfter make no appmpriation whatever for education in any sectarian schwl: Ploaided, That the Seoretaryof the Interior may make contracts with contract achoob, appor-tioning 88 nesr ss may be the amount so oontrooted for among schools of various denominations, for the education of Indian pnpila during the fiscal year eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, but shell only make snch contracts at plsees where uon-sedarisssahools em not be provided for anoh Indian ohildren, and to an amount not exoeeding fortv oer oentum of the amount so used for the fiaclrl year eighteen hun- |