OCR Text |
Show 18 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. the fact and reasons should be submitted when authority is asked for the other expenditures. There wlll be no objection to correspondence with agents and reservation superiutendeuts for the purpose of presenting the merits of yolw schools and enlisting their aid in obtaini~igp upils; or to the liberal circulation of advertis- 1116 matter setting forth the attractions of your buildings, grounds, course and methods of instruction, etc. Where parents desire to send their children to some nonreservation school, but leave the selection to the agent or superin-tendent, he will use his discretion, taking iuto consideration in such cases cli-matic conditions, distance, ages of pupils, expense of transportation, and char-acter of industries taught at the various schools; but if the selection of the school is not expressly left to him, he will send the children to the school which the parents designated. Before enrolling the children of Indians not living on a reservation, or mak-ing any expenditure with a view to their enrollment, every supermtendent must assure himself that they are eligible under the roles. The consent blank now in use must be properly Alled in every case, except the '"Voucher of solicitor," which, of course, is not henceforward to be filled. In localities or under ron-ditions where there is any doubt as to the value of the vouchers, you should require affidavits as to degree of Indian blood, etc. This caution will be neces- Bnry for the reason that superintendents will be held strictly accountable for any pupils found in thelr schools whose blood does not justify their enrollment, and such pupils will be sent home at the personal expense of the superintendent enrolling them. The other circular, in which was inclosed a copy of the one above quoted, was addressed to all United States Indian agents and super-intendents in charge of agencies, and said: YOU will note that a radical change is made in the method of procuring pupils for these schools in that, hereafter, the superintendents will not be permitted to send collecting agents into the field for the purpose of inducing parents to send their children to their respective schools, the power and authority to arrange all transfers requested by parents living on your reservation being hereby vested in you. YOU will allow Indian parents the largest latitude in their choice of schools, insisting only that all children of school age who are physically eligible be placed in some good school and kept in regular attendance. When parents or guardians wish to give their children the advantag-e s of a term of trainine in a nonreserratlon school, they will make their wishes known to you, desigmating the echo01 of their choice. You will then correswnd vromptly with the suver-intendent of the school and make the necessary inrol&entar~angements f i r a term of not less than three years. In each case the official consent blank must . be used, and you will see that it is properly prepared in duplicate, one copy accompanying the child and the other being retained in your files. Where a parent or guardian desires to place his children in a nonreservation school, but leaves the selection of the school expressly to you, you will use your discretion in the matter, taking into consideration climatic conditions, age and characteristics of the pupils, distance, expense of trahsportation and character of industries taught. No pressure must be brought to hear, by you or any other government em-ployee, to force hny child into a nonreservation school, or to keep any from going to a school designated by the parents or guardian unless, because of health or mental or other deficiency, association with other pupils should be prevented. |