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Show I 14 OOMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. There is much good land on the reservation not yet farmed and much can yet be accomplished toward making these people self-supporting if they have the implements and seed necessary. With-out rentals, land-sale money, or other individual funds, ,I see no practical way of accomplishing this without reimbursable issues." LEASINO. While it is the intention that each able-bodied Indian so disposed shall cultivate at least a portion of his allotment, on many of the reservations the acreage of agricultural land is greatly in excess of that which the Indians themselves will cultivate. In such cases it is the policy to lease the surplus land under the provision of existing law, sometimes for all cash, but more generally part of the considera-tion is in the shape of permanent improvements on the land, which become the property of the allottee upon'the expiration of the lease. The maximum period for which allotted land can be leased is five years, except that irrigable land of this class may be leased for not to exceed 10 years. The recent law simplies the execution of such leases by providing that the restricted allotments of any Indian may be leased for farm and grazin purposes by the allottee or his heirs, subject only to the approval o f the supbrintendent. I INDIAN EMPLOYMENT. The growing force of Indian activity is recognized in their per-sistent work throughout the year in whatever they could find to do, their readiness to turn from one gainful occupation to another ex-emplifying industry and resourcefulness. They worked in the expan-sion of the natural resources of the reservations, in oil wells, mining, road building, agriculture, etc. Fishing, also picking berries for ersonal use and for sale, occupied whole families in some localities. !?he wild-rice and maple-sup industries added, to the food su ply and to the exche uer of Indians in the north-central regions. $hey gathered and sol 1 roots havinw food and medicinal properties; they also contributed,,as formerly, Kom their native arts articles of utih-tarian and esthetic value, as canoes, makuks to hold maple sugar, and other articles of birch bark, baskets, beadwork, pottery, blankets, home-tanned pelts of animals, which find ready markets. The sheep industry engages the activities of man Indians, half of the popula-tion of one tribe being shepherds. Bne railway system found it profitable to continue to provide attractive workrooms for families of Indian artisans at stations along the line, where their handiwork sells readily. Forty Indians are diggng a tunnel at one point. In professional athletics the Indian continued to "make good" last year; a few found work in shops vending athletic goods. Sev-eral conducted summer camps for guests and acted as guides for tourists and in Boy Scout work. Thousands of dollars were earned by Indian students workin in families as housekeepers, nurses, farm hands, in dryin fruits an f vegetables, and in the sugar-beet fi ds of many States. $ the Arkansas Valley the vacation camp of fnd.~an student beet-field workers was maintained, and as a vacation lesson in economics the boys paid their transportation and board and had spending 1uont.y. .Cpair of their earn6gs was deposited as a nucleus of a bank account. Purposeful recreation was provided. The Jndisn |