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Show COMMISSIONER OF INDL4N ABFAIRS. 39 NATIVE INDUSTRIES. The Navajo Indians continued to make blankets, but in less quantities than in previous years, primarily because the price of wool was so much better than in previous years, and they found it more profitable to sell the wool in its raw state than to weave it into blankets. Unfortunately the plan of tagging blankets, heretofore inaugurated for the purpose of guaranteeing their genuineness to the pubhc, has not proven as successful as was hoped. Tags were placed hpon blankets, for which the Indians received 75 cents or more per pound from the majority of the licensed traders on the various Navajo Reservations, but it developed that those traders, quite largely, sold the blankets bought from the Indians to wholesale dealers in nearby towns, and the wholesale dealers removed the tags, apparently for commercial reasons. Notwithstanding the existing war conditions, advantage was taken of every opportunity to encourage the Indians engaged in native handicraft work to make more and better articles than heretofore, so that the products of their industry might be worth more to the buying public, and consequently bring them larger returns. From present indications it does not appear that the supply of the various articles made by the Indians is equal to the demand, and hence no steps have been taken to open up new markets. LACE MAKING-T~B Sybil Carter Lace Association of New York City has continued its cooperation with the Government in the advancement of the lace industry among the Indians. I believe that the foundation has been laid at a number of reservations in California, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Minnesota from which this important industry will later become a wonderful help to the Indian women in the profitable use of all, or a part, of their spare time in a remunerative occupation. At all places where it has been possible to give instruction in this art the Indian women have manifested much enthusiasm, resulting in better homes and better methods of living through incomes derived from lace making. ROAD AND BRIDGE WORK. The construction and maintenance of roads and bridges on the various reservations has proceeded as rapidly as available funds would permit. Excellent progress has been made on the construc-tion of the Meaa-Verde-Gallup highway across the Navajo Reser-vation, for which an appropriation of $15,000 to commence the work was made by the last Congress. This work will be continued during the ensuing year under an additional appropriation. A road is being constmcted across the Kiabab Reservation which will form a part of an international automobile highway extending |