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Show COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 31 along the most practical lines. On April 29 another letter was issued with the view of placing before the Indians, and employees as well, a concise statement of some of the problems with which we must deal, and suggestions were made of some of the avenues through which much can be done to help the Indians help themselves to ad-vance to a state of self-support and fitness to take the responsibility of citizenship. . The character of houses in which the Indians live is a matter closely connected with their industrial progress. A book of draw-ings is in course of preparation showing several different styles of cottages for Indians, and of barns and outbuildings as well. Work-ing plans will be furnished superintendents and reservation farmers which can be shown to Indians who contemplate putting up improve-ments on their lands. By this means better planned, better con-structed, and more sanitary buildings will be obtained. STOCK RAISINQ. In addition to the farmers, 47 stockmen were employed at those reservations where the Indians have important stock interests. The duties of farmers and stockmen are identical, so that those employees carried as farmers oversee also the live-stock interests of these In-dians and those carried as stockmen superintend also activities in farming. Plans for the upbreeding of the Indian stock along practical lines are now under way. As a first step in that direction a letter has been sent to the reservation superintendents, in which their attention is especially called to the necegsity of upbreeding the horses and the elimination of the worthless ponies. A plan of capture and control and upbreeding has been also formulated and sent to the employees at the various reservations for their information and guidance. One of the principal subjects of discussion at the Navajo confer-ence, referred to under the subject of farming, was the live stock belonging to the Navajo Indians. I t is estimated that the Navajo Indians own the fcllowing stock: VaI"e8. 327,300 horses (ponles) .............................. $3,312,400 3 m u l e s 98,000 4,900 b u s 13,250 27,700 c e 571,5M) 140bulls-------------------------------------------- 3.400 1 4 , 8 2 1 a h - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2,9% 960 318,955 goats-----------------------------------.--- 497,910 It is estimated that 3,375,000 pounds of wool, valued at $429,375, were clipped from native sheep, and 293,463 pounds, valued at $35,664, were clipped from graded merino sheep. |