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Show REPORT OF THE COXXLSSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 19 porting by utilizing the agricultural possibilities of their allotments to supplement revenues from their stock, need more than anything else to be encouraged in the development of those allotments; but they must also have opportunities for outside work, and any knowl-edge thus gained they can put to use in improving their' own ham&. These Indians would doubtless make good workmen if properly han-dled, although few of them are experienced at any kind of labor, except, perhaps, as horsemen in handling stock. They need to be placed in good agricultural districts, and an effort will be made to send them to the beet fields around Greeley, Cola. ' The representa-tives of the beet growers there have assured Mr. Dagenett of their willingness to cooperate with him, and this is an exceptionally good agricultural region, whichwill afford employment for a large number of Indian laborers if they prove satisfactory. The matter of obtaining outside employment for the Pine Ridge Sioux has been well handled by the agent, Mr. Brennan. Early last spring hk dropped from the rat,ion roll 1,600 Indians who'were able-bodied and let them. support themselves by work on the railroads, ranches, etc. ; and ayear or so ago he dropped 800 from the ration roll permanently as they were sufficiently advanced to a r e for themselves. A considerable number of the Pine Ridge Indians are working as section men and freight handlers and as construction laborers on the railroads near the reservation. In such work Mr. Dagenett will coop-erate with Agent Brennan in every way possible. WORK FOR INDIAN WOMEN. On the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota we are making an experiment in furnishing employment to girls and women. Girls who return home after attendance at either reservation or nonreser-vation schools find little occupation for minds or hands unless they drift back into the old life or marry Indians who have ambition and enterprise. On the recommendation of the day-school inspector for the Rosebud Reservation, arrangements have been made to employ educated girls as assistants to the housekeepers of the day schools, and for that purpose the expenditure of $3,000 has been authorized. This will help some of the girls over the roughest part of the in-evitable readjustment which comes when they exchange school life for Indian home surroundings. Furthermore, on the recommendation of the agent, an attempt is being made whereby Indian women of the Rosebud Reservation can be employed under proper management to manufacture garments of various kinds, to be sold to traders and others. He has been allowed $2,000 with which to make the venture, and he believes that the enter-prise will eventually become self-supporting. AE this work began last July, it is still too early to look for resulk |