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Show RF,PORT OF THE ' CO3IMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 7 Agents of the third class, haring in charge more tban 3,000 and less tbarr 5,000 Iudiads, $2,000. Agents of the fourth class, having in charge more than 2,000 and less than 3,000 Indians, $1,800. Agents of the fifth class, having in charge more tban 1,000 and less than 2,000 Indians, $1,500. Agents of the sixth class, having in charge more than 800 and less than 1,030 Indians, $1,200. Agents of the seventh class, having in charge less than 800 Indiatls, $1,000. The classification of agents above suggested, although secnring to some of them a higher salary than they now receive, will not entail a larger expense up011 the government wben the consolidatior~ of Ind~an tribes upon a smaller nnmber of reservations is accomplished, as the number of agents will then be correspondingly reduced. It is also to he hoped that a higher rate of compensation will secure to the government a sn~er iocrl ass of omcers. TI;,r,s timates presented by this omre are i~asedn pon the ~ l r wl stelo, for the reasoil that the chan-re s herein sng- g- ested mill require udditional appropriation. I t is necessary that, as far as possible, temptation he put out of the way of agents, by discouraging purchases in open market. Such por-chases have been in the past a fruitful source of speculation. Such pur- *bases should only be made, with the approvalof the Eon. Secretary of the Interior, in cases where he is convinced that a real emergency exlsts. To avoid open-market purchases to a greater extent than heretofore, affiple notification will be given to agents to send in estimates of tbe goods and supplies needed at their respective agenciea before the corn. mencement of the fiscal year, in order that the annual lettings of con-tracts and making of purchases shall, as l n~~cash possible, include all needs, and that goods and supplies may be apportioned properly, thus leav~nali ttle room for future wants or deficiencies. Up ro the present time nepotism has reva ailed at, the Indian agencies to such au exterht as to hare become a public scandal, a nuisance that must beimmediately abated. For instance: It is not an uncommon thing to find four relatives quartered opon n single agency. Sometimes more than tbat number may be found, including the traders. One case has been discovered in which the aeent has had his wife aotmiuted matron I ai a palary, and the 01119 indi\:hual to marrouiee iu i i a tiinlily cool<. One agent r~t r l l t lyfo r%vilrdedt or the ;~pproraol f tllisotiice r b ~~~o mil!a-tion ot orreof his sous. :A lad of 17. as fulnor. ilt il rial;lrv of 31.0U0. while his real market-value'pr~bablw~o uld not eiceed $156 per adnum; and another son, aged 16, as assistant farmer, at a salary of $900; the mar-ket- value ot such a boy probably being $100. Iu such cases, however, the fraud on the service would be greater than the difference between the market-value of the two boys' services and the snlaries paid them, since they would be utterly unfit to work with the Iudians and train them to a knowledge offarming, for which alone the expenditure could properly be made. These are not solitary instances, and an extended list of others, quite as flagrant, might be made. We are endeavoring to suppress such abuses as rapidly as they are discovered. NEED OF A SOLICITOR FOR TEE BUREAU. In large mercantile establishments it is the practice to employ one or more solicitors, to be always present in connting-rooms, whose special |