OCR Text |
Show recogniee the aotive efforts of the Secretary of the Interior and the i Commissioner of Indian Aflairs in this direction-making appointments I on the ground of merit alone, and promoting from lower to higher posi-tions those whose service proves them worthy and efficient. This is the j true spirit of civil-service reform, and we wish it nlight be made secure and permanent by the sanction of law. It is of great importance to secure a permanent tenure of office, both for teachers of all grades and for Indian agents. Acquaintance with Indians and experience in deal-ingwith them are more valuable than brilliant ability. On this subject the Secretary of the Interior says, in his late annual report: When the sise of the reservation and the number of people upon it are kept in mind, the oppor tnni t~fo r the agent to mqnire with each year of his serviceadditional information in regard to the little principality whioh he controls, coupled with no increased influence over his Indiana, whomust rely iargolyupon hixu for theirdevel-opment, rendere manifest the neoessity not onlythat. the right msmshoold beselected as agent, hut that he should be lrspt in charge until the sgenoy can be abandoned and tho Indians left without further assistance or supervision from the Government. In my last annual report I dwelt upon the necessity of permanency iu the service, and Istated that i t would beposaibletodevelop aeo~npetentp, ermnuent,nonpartisan Indian service. The olaasified service applied st that time to the superintendents and teachers in the sohouls, but the Indian Bureau was not prepared to recommend its extension oneocount of the doubt felt as to the possibility of obtaining, through the nlacilinery of the civil service, s, suffioient number of competent employees, with the peculisr qu5Iifioations required, to fill the prohsble dpmand. I am gratified to state that the Commissioner now a p e s with mu in the opinion tha t the snboadin;~tfeo rce has reached a standard of efficienoy where no injury to the servioe would resolt from nn extension of the civil-service regulations over all of the plscea not excluded by law. It is, however, also important that the office of agent should be made a oont,inuous one, and that the head of tbs entire Bureau should be free from unneceesary change. To secure this requisite permanence of the service, I anbmit the followin,o recommendations: First. That instead of asin le commissianer theIndianservicebe placedin charga of three eommi~sionerst,w ooftham to be civilians appointed from dieerent polition1 parties and one to be a detailed nrmg officer. Seoond. That the tenure of offioe of an ludian %gent shall be oonditioned alone opon the faithful discharge of his duties, and that appointment8 and removals be made by the President upon tho recommendation of the three commib'aionere of Indian affairrs. Third. That the olasaified service be extanded over a11 the subordinate ppoaitions, both at the agencies and at the sohoole. We heartily indorse these recommendations, and will use whatever influence we have to further t.heir adoption by appropriate legislation and Executive action. We are confident that the proposed reorgartiza-tion, making the head of the Bureau n.nd the agents permanent offi-cers, will greatly improve the service and promote both the welfare of the Indians and the interefits of the Government. LEGISLATION NEEDED. (1) To provide, as recommended by the Seerehry of the Interior, for placing the Indian service in the hands of nonpartisan commissioners and making permanent the offlce of Indian agent and others in the service. (2) To provide, a*9 recommended by the Uommissioner of Indian Af-fairs, for the appointment of a, competent snperintendent of irrigation. (3) To provide a just and righteous government for the Indian Territory. (4) To provide for the education of 10,000 or 12,000 Indian children now growiug up in ignorance, and for the extension of the services of field matrons. (5) To provide for better regulating leases and prohibiting sales of dotted lands. |