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Show 106 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. SCHOOL SUPEETISION. There is at present one superintendent of Indian Schools, charged with the duty of visiting them and reporting on their condition. A glance at any map of the United States showing t,he location of the Iu- ' dians, reveals at once the physical impossibility of any adequate super-vision by one man. The Superintendent should have at least five principal assistants, school experts, who, under his direction, shall give their entire time to , , the supervision of schools in their respective fields. . Some such plan as that herein set forth seems absolutely necessary for the preparation of the rising generation of Indian youth for absorp-tion into our national life. Enough has been already accomplished to show that the scheme is entirely feasible. The Government has ample means at its disposal. The t,reety and trust funds held for the Indians would meet no inconsiderable part of the necessary ontlay. I The same care devoted to the training of young Indians for citizen-ship now bestowed upon educating officers for the Army and Navy would acoomplish results equally striking. The same liberality and care on the part of the Government for the proper education of its wards that is shown by the several States in maintaining a system of public schools would be followed by like re. sults.. :I .. ,. Nothing less than this is worthy of this great nation of 60,000,000 people. Such e plan sucoessfully inaugurated would mark the begin-ning of a century of honor. \ . COST OF CAERYINO OUT A SYSTEM OF INDIAN EDUCATION. In attempting to carry into execution the plan already outlined for the education of all accessible Indian yonth of school age, it is desirable to know, approximately at least, what the annual andthe ultimate cost will be. Accordingly, in a series of tables herewith submitted, the at-tempt has been made to reach a& nearly accurate a conclnsion on this matter as the present condition of Indian school statistics will admit. As is well known, there has never been anabsolutely reliable ceusus of the Indians made, or even attempted; bnt it is thought that the fig- .. ,. nres given in ~ i b l e1 a re sufficiently accurate to form at least a bmis of calculations. TABLE l.-Pop~llotlm ard ackool population, 18W89. . . Total Indian popnlation. .......................................... 250,430 Five oivilized tribes.. ...................................... 65,200 New York Indians ......................................... -5,046 70,246 &em&inderu nder oare of Government ...................... 1. .... 180.184 School population (six to aixteen),20 per cent. of population ........ 36,000 .. !, Possible enrollment (atimeted), 75per cent. of aohool population. 27.000 Average sttendsnoe, 80 per csni. of enrollment .................... 21,600 Needed capacity, 90 per cent. of enrollment.. ...................... 24,309 ! |