OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE COMWSSIONEB OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. -3, assential that the forest cover be maintained on tribal lands for water. conservation purposes, it is frequently advisable that the forest be: perpetuated as a source of fuel and lumber supply. One of the difficult problems which confront the Indian Service is the administration of these timber lands so as to derive a sustained; revenue adequate to provide for the needs of the Indians as agri-cultural, development takes place within the Indian reservations and yet not affect unfavorably the future needs both ss regard the timber and water supply. The solution of this problem will require sound business foresight, enlightened by the scientific principles which. form the basis of the practice of both forestry and irrigation. ... Practically nothing has yet been done in the line of valuation; surveys and the preparation of workmg plans. The timber upon tribal lands in the Western States has heretofore been inaccessible, but railroads recently constructed or now projected will afford an-outlet for a large amount of such timber. The valuable timber of the Iridians should be made a very potent agency in promoting their' p,rugress. 4. Notwithstanding the fact that the Government has provided'. since 1876 approximately $80,000,000 for schools among the Indians, there are to-day about 10,000 Indim children without any school-facilities whatever, principally in the Southwest and more particu-larly among the Navajo and Papago Indians. There are also about 7,500 defective Indian children, either physically or mentally, for whom no adequate facilities are available for their care and training. The present available appropriations for Indian schools provide for 223 Indian day schools situated on Indian reservations near the: Indian homes, 76 boarding schools located on the reservations, and! 35 boarding schools located off the reservations and known as non-: reservation schools. Of the 65,000 Indian chidren of school age,, these schools care for approximately 25,000. There are enrolled in mission and public schools 22,500 Indian children, leaving 17,500. normal and defective Indian children unprovided for. Efforts will be made to procure increased appropriations for Indian school work so that all Indian children may be provided with school facilities., All Government schools for Indians are largely industrial. f 5. 1 h d that the hialth conditions among the Indians are deplor-able. Under the jurisdiction of this bureau there are approximately 25,000 Indians suffering from tuberculosis. Available Indian hospital. facilities for all these patients, adults and children, will not exceed 300. , beds. During the last fiscal year 1,905 Indizns were reported as having died from tuberculosis. This is probably not more than 75 per cent of the total number of Indians who have died from this. disease during the fiscal year. Of. the whole number of death reported from the various Indian reservations, 32 per cent were due |