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Show BWOBT OF THE COMMISSIONEB OF INDIAN ~ F A I B S . 69 possible in most districts to maintain more than seven months school In the year, but the people show a commendable spirit by voting the maximum amount of tax that can be levied. In this respect conditions +re constantly improving, as every land sale adds a few thousand dollars to the taxable prop-erty and more and better renters are constantly coming in with properw which increases the assessed valuation. The new railroad recently constructed across the reservation will also add many thousand dollars to the assessed valuation. and in this way will greatly benefit fonr or five school districts. INSTITUTES. Under authority of the Secretary of the Interior, fonr Indian' school institutes were held during August and September of this year-at Tacoma, Wash.;: Standing Rock, N. Dak., and Rosebud and Pine Ridge, S. Dak. Arrangements had been made for'holding at Sanf~mnciscoC, al., the Department of Indian Education, which has met for several years with the annual convention of the National Educational Association, and is the principal Indian institute of the year. The disaster of last April, of course, made this impossible, and the Pacific Coast Institute at Tacoma took its place as far as practicable. All the institutes were well attended, and unusual interest was shown in the discussions. Demonstration lessons with classes of Indian pupils were given by experienced teachers in the service. The ,methods employed in the' great nongovernlnental schools at Hampton, Va., and Tuskegee, Ala., in correlating the literary and industrial work, were particularly set forth, and it was shown how this sort of instruction should be adapted to meet the immediate and practical needs of the Indian. Specimens of class'room papers, carpentry, sewing, bead andbaskel-work from the various schools were exhibited at Tacoma. A collec-tion of practical class-room work from Tuskegee was exhibited at all the institutes, and teachers took notes of whatever could be put to use in their psrticular fields. The purpose of holding' several institutes each year is to bring the system of Indian education to a higher standard of efficiency. In different localities are found different types of Indians and varying conditions, and hy comparison 'of methods and interchange of ideas each teacher present and each school represented receives the benefit of the experience of the others. Thus the local institntes are as valuable in their way as the general institutes, and are attended by many who would otherwise be deprived of any institute opportunities. The proceedings of the Pacific Coast Institute, held at Portland during the Lewis and Cla,rk Exposition, and of the Pine Ridge Insti-tute of last year, accompany the report of the Superintendent of Indian Schools. |