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Show 382 REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF INDIAN SCHOOLS When there is no one to teach and direct by example, Indiaus work only by spurts of a few hours or, at most, days, and theu take an indefi-nite vacation-time is of no value. It is impossible to expect Indians who have growl1 up wild to settle in separate homes, cnltivate and subsist upon the soil, without employing good white met1 to teach, encourage, and 11p11oltl the Indian, and furrlishmg a water supply wherever needed. USCERTAINTY OF OFFICIAL TENURE. This is another impediment. The application of the civil service rnles to a few of the Iridiau school positions will perhaps improve the coudition *omemhat. Tt is to be hoped that the shamefi~cl ontentiol~s over petty places will cease, and that members of Congress and even dignified Seoatorx will refrain from preshg their prerogatives "clean throngh the pay rolls" of Inclian schools, t l~nsp reveuting sl~perinteod-euts from exercising judgment in the seleotiou of employds. Superiu-telldents have often been hampered by such action and unable to sur-round tl~eulselvesw ith such persons aswould run the school sumessfully. The "spoils system" not only brings irito the Indian service an lu~suita,bler lass of men, but necessitates an undesirable change of ofBci;tls aud urodnces a wenknesb: and vaoillatiou hurtful to the confi-dence and l~<ogress of the Indians. An official who has a sincere desire to promote the welfare of theIndiaus c;tnnot look with complacency upon a regime11 which LLregardusl ace in the Indian service as coin with ~<hicht o 1)11rcbaset he meins to political or personal advantage." Sometimes the trouble is with the Indian ;rgent, who insists upon determiuing ~x-hos hall be the subordinate emyloy6s of the scl~ooal t his agency. The superi~~teurleolu~gth t to understaud wl~oa re best suited to such service, and should at least be consulted by the agent. But ofteu the agent captiously interferes, not only with the subordinates, bnt also yvith the superintelldent. Alate supervisor wrote of a "beauti-rnlly situatetl" 1ndia11 school with "a force of excellent etnployds" and ':a captious, fault-fillcling agenC" Here is its history: ('It had four superintendents in eighteen months, and is now, as far as I knom, waiting for its fifth. The last two, after a few montlis of unpleasant experience, were transferred to other schoola. If fit for the places they now occupy (and I well know they are), they were equally fit for the places they were transferred from." But '!the agent did not like the111, aud they had to go." The 111diau school service has suffered iucalculablv from such incou-s t n ~ ~ ~;> :1v11:1 . L bl.l)i~tleI~I,I,I I P ~;~ ~)prclcintiv:u~, ndconcil~ntsopri~ri t shuuld be v~~l r : r i~orer d~ I I P( : O V C P ~ I ~ P Iv~il~l col~finnteo 110 ill f i~f i~:rI3e it has in the past-make large expenclit~~reins vaiu. So111e think that much of this trouble with the Irtdiau agents would be avoided by making all the schools bonded iustitutions, but I am not ready to advise thls course. * BASENESS. Mr. J. B. Hlxrrison, a wide observer, in his book, Latest Studies 011 Indian Reserv;~tions" (pp. 190 andlQl), says: lrIoral sdsas.iinatioa, or the dsitruction of reuutatiou and ohnrnctar, is often si&ply bco;xnse snclr influences are to hirn most familimand congenial. I hive dftei 1 |
