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Show educational work, such w the president of Oregon State University, the superintendent of public instruction, and others. The programme was of a strictly practical nature, and the tone of the discussions showed a thorough realization on the part of the teachers that the Indian child needs most a training that will fit him to earn an independent living and provide for a comfortable home. A lively interest and very general participation characterized the discussions, from which much good can not fail to result. A valuable feature of 1 the meeting was the display of work prepared by the Indian pupils, showing the practical lines along which their training is being pursued. The greatest credit is due to the teachers of this section for their enterprise and industry in conducting these annual institutes, and especially to those who gave personal time and attention to the arduous duties of preparation and the management of the details of the sessions. IMPROVEMENTS TO SCHOOL PLANTS. For the fiscal year ending June 30,1902, Congress appropriated, for construction, purchase, lease, and repair of school buildings, and for sewerage, water supply, and lighting plants, and purchase of school sites, the sum of $240,000. The value of plants devoted to Indian education is between four and five million dollars. As a business proposition, such valuable property, subjected to the hard usage inci-dent to building3 usod mainly by children, requires annually large expenditures in the way of repairs to maintain them in the proper degree of efficiency. Aside from this practically fixed expenditure, out of this amount must be erected new plants at points where there are at present no facilities. It will therefore be readily seen that the amount is really not sufficient for the requirements of the service. This entire amount has been used, and it is believed advantageously to the service. Many old plants have been renovated, water, sewer, and lighting systems installed, while several new plants have been eon-tracted for complete. Aside from the appropriation referred to, there have been others devoted to specified schools designated by Congress. In designing school plants the plan has been the erection of com-fortable buildings, architecturally symmetrical, adapted to the climatic conditions surrounding, and fitted with modern appliances for con-serving the health and safety of Indian pupils committed to the care of the Government schools, and for economy and facility of adminis-tration. Improved systems of lighting are adopted on the score of minimizing the danger from fire incident to the use of coal-oil lamps, and for the protection of the eyes of the pupils. Indian pupils, as a rule, suffer with their eyes when brought from the free, open-air life to which they are accustomed into the necessary confinement of school rooms and shops. Water and sewer systems lessen the danger from fire and ward off dangerous disease germs. With adequate mter facili- |
