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Show 1 BEPORT OF THE COl&M18SIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 9 were Indians willing to work, were simply carrying out both the letter and spirit of that agreement. In all of this there was not the slightest I suggestion of hiring the Indian out under contract. That implies coercion. There was not a thought of such a thing. He was to be given an opportuqity to work,that was all. If the Government did not have it, it was to find it for him. He could work or not as he chose. He was as muoh a free agent with respect to this as anyone else. Only if he were given the opportunity to work and refused, he A was not to expect to be supported by the Government. I The newpolicy was received with much.discoutent in some quarters and passive if not open opposition in others. There were a few mut- I terings and a good deal of talk about vested rights, some sympathetic expressions over the hard lot of poor Lo, and here and there a proph-ecy of an "uprising." Interested parties endeavored to create a sen- # timent against it, while self-constituted conservators of .the Indian either cast aspersions upon its authors or damned it with faint praise. <- In spite of these and other adverse influences the office persevered with its policy and is now in a position to form an intelligent idea of its effect. Everywhere the results have been favorable even beyond expectation. Misgiving in some quarters has given place to confi-dence, and while, perhaps, the experimental stage has not been passed, , there is every reason to believe that the final success of the plan if - carried out judiciously is assured. . .. As a first result over 12,000 have been dropped from the ration roll, i being wholly self-supporting. As a second result a large number of Indians have been put to work, or work has been found for them. As to the effect of this let others speak. One agent writes: The Indians are eager for work, even some of the older ones, class& by the phy-sicians as physically unable to work, insisting on baving work. * * These I Indians are working aa faithfully and intelligently aa could be expected of people who have never had occasion to work for their support, and ther8.a.n be no question ai to the wisdom of the new policy and its. good effect on thase people. Another says: v The resulta so far are very gratifying. * * * As soon as the fact that work could be senved was known by the tribe, applications came faster than they could he employed. One man, over 50 yearn of age, when drawing his pay for a few days' work, acknowledged it was the first money he ever earned, and seemed pleased that it was poeaible to secure money without waiting for annuity or lease payments. * * * Then is no queation but that the time was ripe for the adoption of the w present policy. Another: I think this new policy haa bad a very desirable and stimulating effect upon theae Indians to look for employment, while a great many of them &re always ready to work when they can see that they are to be compensated for it; yet they seem now to he more anxions far work than ever More. |
