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Show I CODfMISSIONER OF IYDIAN AFFAIRS. XB The expense incurred by these denominations in the erection of build-ings devoted to educational work among Indians has not been ascer-tained, but it is known that the Catholics,' the Congregationalists, the Presbyterians, and the Episcopaiians have inrested large sums in this way. The management of these contract schools is in almost all cases excellent., and t.he good work which they are doing has been referred to in the highest terms by inspectors, special agents, and private indi. ~ i d u a lws ho have visited them. In this connection,it mill be observed that the increase ia enrollmn~ and in attendance during the past rear, as shown in Table 10, occurred in great part at the schools which mere conducted under colltract with this Bureau. This was because the accommodations at the schools wm dncted by the Government were not, within the period specified, mate-rially increased, while the religious organi~ations which conducted the contract schools furnished, within said period, increased accommoda-tions for 1,474 boarding and 508 day pupils, a total of 1,989. 1 SCHOOL OONTRACTS WITH BUREAU OF CATHOLIC INDIAN MISSIONS. And here a few words may be said in refutation of the cha'rge thar, in making school contracts the 1ndian Bureau has discriminated ia favor of the Catholics. The charge is unfounded. The policy of the Indian Ofiice has been and now is to enlist in Indian educational work the co-operation of every religions organization that has proper facilities for educating Indian yonth. No such organization, thus equipped, has ever askedfor contracts and been refused ; and that the Catholics have contracts for the greatest number of pupils is not due to discrimination in their favor, but to the fact that they have expended larger sums of money than any ot,her denomination in the erection of school-buildings and in the establishment of schools, and therefore hare been enabled to accommodate more pupils under contract. But neither the Catholic nor any other religious denomination can be Iinthfully charged with mercenary or selfis11 motive8 in asking fa* school contracts, for there is no money-making opportnnity in any mn-tract for educating Indian children. The rate paid per capita per I annum is, in th? majority of cases, but $108; a limited number being paid at tho rate of $126. For this amo.upt per capita the organiza-tion carrying on the school must furnish necessary buildings, and must , clothe, feed, care for, and teach an Indian child; and certainly there. can be no profit in ~ u c ha contract. It is understood by all contractors that the allowed by the Government is only in the nature of a contribution, and that the additional amount necessary for properly , caring for the pupils must be furnisl~ed by the parties carrying on the school. 'The.Buroau of Cjstholio Indian Missions reportri thst it expeqded $115,000 for Indian aahool buildings and filmishinge during the tisosl year ended June YO, 1887, and that the whale amount invested by the Catholios in wch buildings is t~bollt $1,000,000. |