OCR Text |
Show IV REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFPAIKS. But small as this is, it is by no means the worst feature of the case, because after deducting from the $5,000,000 the money due the Indians, and which the Goverument only holds in trust for them, and then de-ducting cost of transportation and other legitimate and necessary ex-penses, it is found, by a careft11 examination of the accounts, that 'the Indians actually get of the money belonging 'to the Rovirnment, to feed and clothe them, only about $7 per annum per capita, or afractiou less than 2 centa a day for each Indian. It takes from the Treasury of the Government $1,000 a year for each soldier in our Army, whose chief business it is to see that 'peace is preserved on the frontier, while it takes from the same source for each Indian only $7. I make this com-parison not for the purpose of couve,yiug the idea that the Army appro-priation is too much, for I do not know that it is, but for the purpose of showing that the Indian appropriation is too small, because I do how that it is, if it is expected to transform the Indians from being wild roving nomads into peaceable, industrious, and self-snpportiug cit-izens in any reasonable time. Among the items for which more liberal appropriations should be made,arepay of police, pay of additional farmers, and pay of the oficers who compose the courts of Indian offenses. I am sustained by the best. and highest authority in sagiug that there is that- scattereth and yet increaseth, and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." More liberality in paying Indian agents, and assisting such Indians as need it and show a disposition to help them-selves would be true economy, and hasten the day when the Indians would need no pecuniary itid from the Government. DELIVERY OF GOODS AND SUPPLIES. One great cause of embarrassment in the management of the affairs of this Bureau is the failure to make the appropr!ations for the Indian service in time, so that deliveries may be made at the distant agencies within the year for which the appropriations are made, and as a conse-quence the Indians are as completely deprived of any benefit for that year as though pone had been made. .In this connection I call atten-tion to the fact that after the appropriation bill passes much time is necessarily consumed before contracts can be let, and after contracts are awarded from fifteen to thirty days' time is consnmed before bonds and contracts can he executed and approved. In addition to this many of the goods purchased, such as clothing, hardware, wagons, &c., have to be manufactured after coutracts,are awarded and bonds approved. It is therefore very evideut that n111ess the Indian appropriation bill passes early in the session, many of the goods and supplies for the extreme northwestern agencies cannot possibly 'reach their destination within the gear for which they are purchased. i The newspapersof the country have beeu full of complaints for months past, because certain Indians at the extreme northern agencies were |