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Show 90 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAX AFFAIRS. years ago when the Indian authorities thought themselves wise enough to control these ~choolas nd appoint the teaohers end superintendents therein. Many an hon-est old Indian looks back to that time with regret, and i t is verygenerally ooncsded that the ~ohoalosf the Territory have not medeanymsterial sdvancement since that ahenge waa made. Too moch can not he said in praise of the earnest efforts of these vsrious mission boards to civilize, educate, and Christianize the Indians. Their influence ia yet everywhere visible. A few of their schools are still continued under their own management, and those schools are among the best in the Territory. As soon a8 the Indian authorities assumed control of these schools, many of theiroffieials begun the practice of such extreme favoritim and partisanship in their management as to render eduontionul progress an absolute impossibility. Here and there has oocesionally been found an educated Indian school official who seemed to appreciate the necessity and the value of thorough educational work, hot in most cases his etforta to build up the scfiooi have been thwarted by his mare ignorant colleagues, who seemed to regard it their first duty to secure positions for their relatives and polities1 friends regardless of their qus,lifioatians. The attention of the office has been directed to the fact that in oneof the nations this nepotism and favoritism have bee11 carried to such extent that the chairman of the school board has in office his sister, two sisters-in-law, his uncle, his niece, his brother-in-law's daughter, and six cousins. The secretary of the board stands related to appoint-ments as follows: One brother, two brothers-in-law, one uncle, one aunt, and five oousins. All the reports to this offioe concerning ednca-tional matters in the Territory indicate a lack of management, a most demoralized condition, and a deplorable state of affairs in the adminis-tration of the schools and orphan asylums of the several nations. The principal defects in the system under which these schools have hereto-fore been operated are said to be incompetency of school officials, favor-itism in the matter of aj?poiutmeut of teachers, bribery, and careless-ness or indifference in the expenditure of school funds. I11 the opinion of this office such evils existing and allowed to exist are detrimental in the highest degree to the interest of the children in these schools and orphan asylums. Better they never learned the letters of the alphabet, or that two and two make four, than, at the period of their lives when they are most apt to beinfluenced by example, they should be educated in the midst of andsurrounded by so much corruption. There are twenty-one boarding schools in the Territory, and it is reported that not more than four of the superintendents are competent to teach the ordinary English branches, yet these important and responsible superintendents' positions 'L have been regarded as political perquisites and no educational standard or requirement is demanded of them." The superintendents usually appoint the teachers in charge of the neighborhood schools and employed in the boarding sohools. The schools, therefore, reflect the incompetency of their heads, and the work performed must necessarily be of an exceedinily low grade. Parents do not appreciate the importance of regular attendance upon the schools, and superintendents and teachers do not stimulate them to send their little ones, nor, in one sense of the word, can blame attach to a parent who is unwilling to place his children under such incompe-tent instructors. |