| OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE 1 COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. DEPARTMEOFN TTH E IXTERIOR, . . , O&e Indian Axairs, Waskingtore, D. C., October 31, 1865. &m: Having assumed the duties of Com~nissioner of Indian Afairs after the : ' Beginning of the third quarter of the year over which this annual report extends, m d baring been necessarily absent a great portion of the time since, upon pnb-lic bosiniss in the southwest, I have been unable to obtain that familiarity wit11 the details of business, or to gain that acquaintance with the conditionof Indian generally, which a longer time would have allowed. I present herewith a aumnary of snch information in regard to the interesting people who are by Ian placed under the charge of this office as I have been able to obtain from the current correspondence and annual reports of superinteodeuts oud agents, and other employ~s. Before roceeding to refer to the varions superintendencies and agencies in .detail, anlto make snch suggestions i s seem to be called for in reference to eech, thereare sundry matters of common interest to the whole Indian service, or dating to several agencies cumbined, which Ideem worthy of special notice. First among these is the neglect on the part of many of the officers responsi-ble to this A c e to forward their monthly, qnxrterly, and annual ~leportsa t the pper time, in disregard of repeated directions from the office. Some of them rppeu to have imagined that circnlarsof inztructions were meremattors of form, with whicb compliance was not expected, or as applying to everybody but themselves. Sor are they sufficiently careful to make these reports complete in detail, as repired, where they are made. Theconsequenceis that each year, notwithstanding eb-ery endeavor on the part of this office, its annual report f~iEs of eompletene~s somewhere, by the neglect of its subordinates; and its statistical taMo do not give that fulness of information for which they are designed. I confess that I do not know nf any way to remedy this difficnlty except by re-poqhg to the department each case of detinqnency, and relying upon it to seek r remedy b? a change of offiecrs. It is an injustice to those who are prompt and thorough in their reports to allow them to fail of usefulness because the re-ports of othkrs, necessar> to completeness, are not sent, or are deficient in essen-tial particulars. It has been customary, I have learned, for agents who are superseded by others to take away from the agency the papers and books properly belonging there, thus 'emoving the history of the past transactions, and preventing their successors from explainins matters which must he, and often alle, necessarily re. 1 ferred to them. 1-have Gdeavor~dto correct this evil bv a circular reaGriue all agents to preserve and leave as public property duplicate copies of b11 irny portant papers and vouchers, &c., as well as a complete daily record of all agency transactions; and shall observe as a rule of action by this office tho suspension of the accounts of all retiling agents who, after kuowledge of the circular above referred to, shall fail to show that they have passed over to their successors the books and papers of the agency. |
