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Show XXXVIII REPORT OF THE COMh.IISSIORER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, subagency in Oregou, and among t,he Ponoas in the Indian Territory, wlio, since theirremoval t.hither, have had only a small day school. Arrange-n~ authsa ve been made for pattingup ten newbuildings during the coming season to give new schools to the Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Mescalero agencies, to replace the Wichita building, destroyed by fire in December last,, and to give proper accommoda~tiontso five a,gency boarding schools that are uow carried on at great disadvantage in rented buildings or in houses which, by dilapidation, ~~usuitabalned inconvenient arrangement of rooms, and restricted limits, hare become each year less and less adapted to the y~lrposeforw hich they are used. Childreu who shiver iu rooms oeiled with canvas, rho dodge the muddy drops trickling through worn-out dirt roofs, who are crowded in ill-vent:ilat,ed dormitories, who recite in a single scllool-room, three classes at a t,ime, and who have no suitable sitting-roon~sn or bath-rooms, are nut. likely to be attracted to or make rapid >w(lvancement in edoaation and oivilization. But iuade-quate and (le1a~-eda ppropriations have necessitated the oo~lti~lueudse , for school purllosea, of b~~ildingwsh idl long ago should have been con-demned as unserviceable and eveu unsafe. The more generous treat-ment which In(1iau eilucation received from Congress at its last session will do much towsrcl remedying this unf0rtunat.e state of affairs. Appropriations.-The legislation of Congress at its last sessio~i~ll, re-gard to Iudiau ecl~naation,m arks a new era in Ii~cliaua ffairs. The Grst appropriatio~r,n ot required by treat^, made for the snpport of Indian sehool8, mas Qa20,OOO in 1876. From that time it gradually increased until, ill 1881, it reached $85,000. This increase, of course, fell far short of meeting the iuc r~~sneede ds of the service,?nd the deficit was made up from a fi111d called the civilization fund, being proceeds o' the sales of In-d i a ~la~~~ cinls K ansas. From July 1,1877, to July 1,1881, $715,000 were placed or1 the books of theoffice to the credit of this fund. Of this about $500,000 was expended during these four years in the establishmeut and support of schools, and the remainder in the pumhase of wagons, farnl-ingitl~ pleruentss, tock cattle, &a. From this'fuud the Hamptou, Ct~rlisle, ancl Forest Urove schools were established 'nd maintaiued at an expense of nearly $200,000. Last fall there remained of the fund only enough to carry t.hese schools through the fiscal year, and to carry several other schools through lrirlf the year. With some misgiving the oflice asked Oongress for a deficiency appro~riatioufo r 1882 of $50,000, and for a.n a.ppropri-atiou for 1883 of $150,000 for general school purposes, and $97,000 for Carlisle, Hampbou, aucl Forest Grove, an amount barely sufficient to support existiug schools for one year. No better evidence could be given of the newly sva,keucd iuterest and faith of the people of the United States in Iudian edncatiou than the appropriatiou by C:o~~gress for the year 1883 of $300,000 for general edueat,ion, $115,200 for the sup-port of the three training schools, $50,000 for two new training schools, and $17,000 for the education of Indians at various establisheci indus-trial schools in the Stnte.6. |
