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Show 24 REPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. in d~gnitya nd influence (thoogh she will gain on the whole), and in almost every may she will be required to readjust herself to conform to the conditions imposed by civilizition. That the woman should keep step with the forward movement is as necessary to progress alllong Indians as among other nations. The need and the obstacles have always been taken into account by missionaries, bnt only within recent years have they been re.cognized by the Government. The spirit of the field matron must be that of self-denying, self-for-getting devotion to the interests of those among whom she labors, and llie work implies much of toil, hardship, wisdom, courage, and patience. For this reason I have felt that I conld most readily and safely look to missionary societies to recommend persons to fill such positions; and retaining those whom I found in the service when I entered it, I have filled vacancies as they occurred, and new positions as they have been allowed by increased appropriations, with personv whom those sooieties could vouch for as being well fitted for such work by actual experience or by special training. The employees. secured and tho results obtained have fully approved this course. Now that the position has been placed under the classified service those whose experience and success have made their services valua-ble will have permanent tenure of office and others can be carefully selected through civil-service certification. The appropriation for field matrons for the current fiscal year is $15,000, an increase of $5,000 over last year. As hitherto, the entire amount is devoted to paying matrons' salaries, in order to place as many in the field as the fund will allow. At some agencies equipments for the field-matron work can be supplied from other funds, but to a large extent appliances in the way of sewing materials, clothing, food for the sick, house furnishings, and occasionally meansof transportation or even houses to live in, and in one case an irrigation ditch, have been generously provided by beuevolent individuals or societies whose inter-est has been enlisted in such work and who have felt anxious to insure success to those whom they have nominated as field matrons. As the work enlarges, new testimony comes as to its beneficence. Agency physicians acknowledge the help which a field matron gives in supplementing with advice and care their treatment of the sick; the schools owe recruits to field-matron work, direct and indirect; while temperance, good citizenship, hygiene, morality, and intelligence gen-erally are distinetly promoted by her labors and infinence. |
