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Show 6 REPORT OF THE COMMISBIONER OF INDIAN AZ"EBIR8. Statistics relative to Indian education amongthe Five Civilized Tribes and the Indians of New York are not included in the above table, as their schools are not supported from funds under control of this oftice. There were condncted during this past year 297 Indian schools under various anspices, of which number 242 were excluuively controlled by the Indian Department, an increase of 8 in the number of Government schools. Two nonreservation boarding schools at Fort Bidwell, Cal., and Chan~berlain,S . Dak., and 3 reservation boarding schools at Rose-bud, S. Dak., Warm Spring, Oreg., and Red Moon, Okla., have been etitablished. New Qoverment day schools have been organized as follows: San lldefonso Pueblo, N. Mex.; Shebits, Utah; Independence, Cal.; and 5 on Pine Ridge Reservation, 8. Dak. The day schools at Lac Court D70reilles and Odanah, at La Pointe Agency, Wis., which were formerly conducted nuder contract with the Catholics, have been .leased from their owners and converted into Government day schools. The day school at Bay Mills, Mich., formerly a Protestant contract school, has been similarly equipped and conducted. The Tonasket Boarding School for the Colville Agency, Wash., having been destroyed by fire, has been discontinued, until arrangements can be perfected with the War Department for the transfer of old Fort Spokane, which has been abandoned by the military. Proper proceedings are now pending for its conversion at an early date into a boarding school for this reservation, it appearing from reports to be admirably located and adapted for this purpose. On aooount of its proximity to the Crow Agency Montana Boarding School and the dilapidated condition of its buildings, the Montana Industrial Boarding School has been aban-doned, pupils and property being transferred to the agency school. The day schools formerly conducted for the Iowa Sac and Fox Indians and for the Warm Springs Indians at Simnasho, Oreg., were discon-tinued, by reason of the construction of new boarding schools for these Indians. Not receiving sufficient support, the following day schools have been discontinued: Bullhead, on Standing Rock Reservation, N. Dak.; one school on Rosebud Reservation, 8. Dak.; Toppenish, on Yakima Keservation, Wash., and two schools on Eastern Oherokee Reservation, N. 0. It is gratifying to note that the net decrease in enrollment of 608 pupils and 586 in average attendance, as shown by the annual report for the fiscal year 1897, has been changed into a net increase of 1,361 and 1,239 enrollment and average attendance, respectively, for the pres-ent year. This increase is especially satisfactory in the regular @v-ernment schools, where 1,296 more pupils are enrolled than for the previous yeax. The reservation boarding schools show the largest gain in this respect, where the increase of 765 for the present year is con-trasted with the decrease of 377 last year. Observing that the schools located on the reservations during the last year had not increased in the natural ratio expected, more vigor ons measures were instituted. Agents were urged to greater exertions |