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Show r -- -~ ~~ -~-~- I REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 47 school authorities to count all the Indians they can in order to secure a larger share of the funds, notwithstanding'the fact that often the Indians are to get no benefit whatever from the money. 4. The length of term at the public school varies. from three to nine months in each year. It would probably average about six months. 5. The places where race prejudice against the Indian is partic: ,ularly obvious are Fort Totten, Hayward, Pala, San Jacinto, Seger, and Tnlalip. In many neighborhoods the whites object to the Indian pupils on the ground of their dirty habits, their diseases, and their morals. If the Indians were generally clean, healthy, and morally decent accordiug to the white social code, and contributed their share toward the support of these schools by taxation or special tuition fees, the objections of the whites would be largely overcome. 6. Indians living off reservations and having no tribal connections are nearly all taxpayers if they have any property on which to pay taxes, and the school tax figures with the rest; those living on reser-vations are, in a few cases, taxed on their personal property and poll. In only one case, Cherokee, N. C., some Indians pay a land tax. The children of reservation Indians are, in most cases, admitted free to the public schools, but here and thereas at Navaho, N. Mex. ; Osage, Okla., and Oto, 0kla.-tuition fees are charged. 7. Few of the agents and superintendents are able to give full par-ticulars as to the enrollment and average attendance of the whites and Indians in the public schools. From such facts as are at hand, however, the Indian enrollment appears to be small compared with the white. Two notable exceptions to this rule are Flathead, Monk, and Pala, Cal., where the reports show the Indian attendance to be better than the white. 8. Accurate information is not forthcoming as to the number df mixt bloods and full bloods, respectively, attending the public schools, but obviously the attendance of full bloods at these schools is very small. In most instances on which a clear report is made the Indian attendance is entirely mixt blood. 9. The majority of the Indians seem to have little preference as to what sort of a school their children shall attend, but in general the mixt bloods prefer the public schools and the full bloods the Gov-ernment schools. Many of the Indians who profess to prefer the public schools do so because these school are not directly under the supervision of the Indian agent or superintendent, and therefore the Indian pupils can not be. so closely watched and compelled to attend so regularly. Very few Indians; if left to themselves, would care to have their children attend any school. 10. A majority of the agents and superintendents are favorable to the public schools, and some have tried to procdre the establishment of such schools near them; but nearly all are of the opinion that a |