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Show .- - r . . . . . IV - REPORT OF THE C~MM~SSIONERO F INDIAN AFFAIRS. of railroads; cattle grazing; conveyancesof land ; contracts between Indians and whites; sales of timber on,Indiau reservations; allotmeut of land, etc. BIany of these questions, especially those relating to lauds, are of great intricacy, iurolving interpretations of treaties and laws as far bank as colonial times. He is charged with theduty of orgauizingaplan of education, with all which thatimplies ; the erectingof school houses,appointingof teachers, and the keeping of a watchful oversight over all Indiau school matters. Bills in Congress relating to Indiau afi1irs are usually referred to the Indian Bureau for information and report, and before an act is sigued by the President it is generally referred to the Commissioner for report as to whether there is any reason why it should not receive Executive approval. ' Original bills and reports are also prepared by the Indian Office for transmis&on to Congress. Under the act of March 3, 1,855, the Commissioner examines and reports to the Secretary of the Interior on all depredation claims, amounting to many millions of dollars, which have been filed in the Bnrea~tduringth e last forty years. The foregoing gives an approximate idea of t.he responsible duties and the varied character of the work performed under his direction and supervision. The duties and labors of the ofice are constantly in-creasingand becoming more arduous and difficult as the progress of Indian civilization makes it necessary to deal with the race, not in their collective capacity as tribes and bands, but with the individuals who are being led to the holding of separate estates, thus multiplying many fold the interests to be considered, developed, and protected. DIFFICULTIES OF THE SITUATION. I have cited these duties somewhat in detail, because I desire to set forth some of the difficulties which seriously embarrass and limit their satisfactory discharge. The chief one is tbe lack of sufficient and proper help in the Bureau itself. The nature of the work requires clerical help of ahigh order. In addition to the force now employed there is needed a chief clerk, who shall be charged with a general oversight of all the correspondence, and who shall follow up important matters from their beginning until the final result is reached. There should be a solicitor to whom difficult law questions can be re-ferred, and whose special business it. shall be to examine and report upon all claims for money presented by Indians. Such an officer might save to the Government thousands of dollars, and at the same time. assist the Indians to obtain their just dues. This would obviate the apparent necessity of so many paid attorneys, emploged by the Indians at large fees, to prosecute their claims before the ofice and before Con-gress. There is urgently needed at once the following a~lclitioual clerical help: One clerk of class 4, two of class 3, and three of class 2; also one |