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Show XXIV REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. to $8 per month. This has enabled the agents to select a better class of men for the service, and will t,end to make -the force more stable, most of the resignations heretofore. having been eaused by meager salaries. I also eonfide~ltly expect that the better class of men will render the force still more efficient, so .that notwithstanding the in-creasing r~ecessityf or this class of employ6s their greater efficiency will en$ble me to lessen their nnmber, and I have therefore estimated for only seven hundred privates aud seventy officers for the fisca.1 year ending June 30? 1887. TRADE WITH THE INDIANS. In regulating trade with the various Indian tribe^, it is my intention to prescribe and promulgate more stringent rules and regulations for the protection of the Indiaus. Traders are appoiuted that the Indians may obtain snch goods as they desire and are able to purchase, at fair and reasonable prices. The appointments are made with a view of benefiting the Indians and not the traders. In iddition to the requirement@ prescribed in sections 562 and 563, Regulations of the Indian Department 1884, it is my intention to require eaeh trader to print lists ot all goods placed upon sale, giving in plain figures the price of each article ; snch lists to be submitted to the agent, and if approved, forwarded by him to this officeforactinn. If approved by this office, they will bc returned to the agent with directions to re-quire the trader to post them in conspicuous and usually frequented places, so that the Indians may become familiar with the price of such articles as they may desire to purchase. The humber of traders on each reserration will he limited to the requirements of the Indians. ADDITIONAL FARMERS. In the act making appropriation for the Indian Department, approved July 4,1884, the sum of $25,000 was appropriated '' to enable the Sec-retary of the Interior to e~r~plopyra otic?l farmers in addition to the agency farmers now employed, at wages not exceeding $75 per month, to superintend and direct farming among such Indians as are making eflort for self support?' It was too late in the season to give the matter a fair trial in that year as all that could be done towards preparing the ground and planting for the season had already been done; but as soon as practicable after the appropriation became available appointments were made at agen-cies where there bad been the greatest development in agricultural pursuits, with a view to assisting and instructing the Indians in har-vesting and other fall work. Great care was takeu to select practical farmers, and they were instructed to go into the fields with the Inrlians, and by example as well as precept teach them how to become self-sup. porting through farming. In some instances mistakes were made iu the |