OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 21 has recently been introduced into this countv, has led to the belief that its use in some of our Indian schools would he advantageous, and accordingly the necessary books of instruction and practice in the system were procured, and have recently been plaeed in the hands of several teachers. The system is par-ticularly adapted to attract to and retain in the schools the younger children, and great hopes of its success are entertained. Many of the schools are found to be lacking in the proper supply of booke, charts, and other modern helps and objects of attraction, and measures will be taken to supply the deficiency as far as the means of this office will allow. Be-yond the regular appropriation under treaty stipulations with various tribes, whatever expenses of education accrue must he paid from the limited fund of $1 0,000, placed at the disposal of the department, and a very careful economy is necessary. Under the admirable provisions of the Osage treaty, elsewhere men-tioned, this fund will before long be much increased. It is gratifying to be able to state that the complaints heretofore justly made on account of irregularity and twdiness in the shipment of annuity goods aaross the plains have had no foundation during the present year. A competent and active special agent upon the frontier has thoroughly managed this business ; and the good result is manifest in the fact that we have already been notified of the arrival of some of the goods at their destination in ample time for distribu-tion to the Indians, so that they can depart comfortably equipped for their fall and winter hunt. This is a matter of great importance in preserving peace among the roving tribes. The examination of the annual reports and statistical tables discloses the gratifying fact that the Indians of many tribes are improving in their attention to agrioulture, and that their efforts duringethe past year have generally been crowned with success. I n some of the agencies the average of a~muapl roducts of labor and of individual wealth will compxre favorably with frontier settlements of the whites. I t is manifest that misapprehensions exist in the minds of some of the agents as to the proper method of making up the tables of statistics, so that we do not yet attain to the full means of comparison as to the progress of the Indians from year to year; and it is in contemplation to prepare rules and and regulations for the preparation of these tables, so that they may be thor-ouehlv reliable. <, . C'otrsidc~mbleim provement i shown in the rcgulariry of montl~lyr eporrn by sup?riotrnd~ur$a nti ap>nts; nr~dt his offire is tl~na:i hlc ru prewlt art ah.-tract of matters of interest ociurrine in some district3 whence no annual ~eporte have been received, but there is Gill a lamentable want of promptness in hrwarding the annual summary, which is required to be here by the 1st of October. At tbat date, this year, but one or two out of the whole number of reports had been received. I beg leave to renew, in the most earnest manner, the recommendations of my last report in relation to a reorganization of the working force of this bureau. The reasons which impelled me to those recommendations last year have con-tinued and increased in force, as the business of eveiy kind has largzly increased. A bill designed to accomplish this necessary reform was prepared, and passed the Senate almost without opposition, but failed to be reached in the House of Representatires. I regard it as almost indispensably necessary to the proper conduct and management of the business of tbe bureau. It is alsovery desirable that, at the earliest practicable day, provision be made by Congress for the reorgani~atiout,o some extent, of the anperintendencies and agencies in accordance with the provisions of a bill which is pending in Con-gress, and which seemed so sure to pass that the annual approphtion act sllp-plies the funds for paying the officers therein provided for. Perhaps some slight changes or additions may now be found necessary, and, if so, they may be spe-cially reported to you in time for action by Congress. |