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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 5 cultural lands are practically valueless without water. The ~ovein-ment holds the allotted lands in trust for the benefit of Indians for a period of 25 years, because of the fact that they are deemed incompe-tent to protect their property rights. It seems equally important to conserve the water rights of the Indians, at the same time encouraging them to make beneficial use of the water by farming their allotments. In this connection it should be remembered that the Indians, in a' large number of cases, live'far removed from railroad facilities, that they are handicapped by lack of adequate live stock and farming implements, and that they are living and working under conditions which would discourage even the most progressive white farmers who are well trained and accustomed to hard work on their farms. Legis-lation will probably be necessary in a number of cases to protect fully the water rights of the Indians. I find also that Indian tribal funds have been used in construction and maintenance of irrigation projects, and that only a certain portion of the Indians have received any benefit from the irrigation systems. This ia a question that will necessarily have to be worked out with great care, in order that t.he Indians who receive the benefits from irrigation projects shall be required to pay the cost of the same. It is proposed to give the question of water rights of Indians very thorough and careful consideration, with the hope of fully protecting the rights of the wards of the Government. 8. I h d the work of this bureau is very materially in arrears and that it is practically impossible with the present force to bring the work of the office up to date and keep it current. The employees of this office, as a rule, are diligent, intelligent,, and faithful. The records show that they did 1,522days voluntary over-time during the last fiscal year in an effort to keep the work of the bureau as nearly current as possible. Because of t,he breaking up of tribal relations and the making of individual allotments, the necessary work of the Indian Office has been very much increased during recent years without a corresponding increase in the number of employees. For example, the increase of work for 1913 over 1899 was 361.34 per cent, while the increase in. employees in the Indian Oflice for 1913 over 1899 was only 134.65, per cent. The number of letters received in the Indian Office during: the year 1899 was only 59,707, while the number of letters received during the heal year 1913 was 275,452. This wai an increase of 23.97 per cent over the preceding year. It is apparent that the policy of individualizing Indian property and the removing of restrictions from the Indian as fast as he demon-strates competency, together with the proper protection of incompe-tents and minors, will greatly increase the work of this office for sev-eral years, and that the faster these th'igs are accompliihed the |