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Show REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFEAIES. 55 show and exhibition purposes in Cincinnati, Ohio. A bond in the sum of $10,000 was given by this society. In two instances authority was granted Indians to attend local cele-brations, under such conditions and restrictions as would insure the Indiaus proper treatment and surroundings. As stated in my last annual report, whenever engagements with Indians for exhibition purposes are made, their employers are required to enter into written contracts with the individual Indians obligating themselves to pay such Indians fair stipulated salaries for their services; to supply them with proper food aud clothing; to meet their traveling and needful incidental expenses, incl~tding medical attendance, etc., from the date of leaving their homes until they return thither; to pro-tect them from immoral influences and surroundings; to employ a white man of good character to look after their melfare, and to return them without cost to themselves to their reservation within a certain syeci-fled time. They have als* been required to execute bond for the faith-ful fulfillmeut of sue11 contracts. SAGE OF LIQUOR TO INDIANS. In accordance with an intention expressed in my last annual repom, I transm~tted to the Department November 23,1895, a draft of a bill, ( to be laid before Congress, prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors to Indian allottees. This draft was similar to a bill which passed the House in the Fifty-third Congress, but failed for want of time in the Senate. I t u terms and the necessities of the Indian service in this re-spect were fully discussed in my report of 1895, and it is not necessary at this time to enter upon the question of the need for such legislation as is proposed. The bill was introduced in both branches of Congress early in the last session. So far as 1 am aware, the Senate has not acted on themeasure further than to refer it to its Committee on Indian Affairs; but the House Committee on Indian Affairs made a favorable report thereon (Report 1209) .in April last. It is hoped that Congress will at thiswin-ter's session pass the bill and give the service the relief it will afford. The correspondence in this office this year on the snbject of the sale of intoxicants to Indians shows more than ever the necessity for the legislation proposed, and all the agents in charge of Indians to whom allotments have been given, especially in the far West andNorthmest, insist on something bping done to save the Indians from the terrible effects which unrestrained liquor traffic among them will briug. t I INDIAN DEPREDATION CLAIMS. The number of claims of record in this office at the date of my last annual report was 8,007, and the number of claims at that time in this office to be transmitted to the Court of Claims, in accordance with the |
