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Show COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 11 INDUSTRIAL SURVEY. Last spring superintendents were directed to make an industrial survey of their entire reservations by visiting the homes of the Indians accompanied by the farmer, field matron, ,and physician, to ascertain their condition, needs, and resources, with the view to organizing the work of the reservation service so that each family will make the best use of its resources. This survey was the ini-tial step in a campaign for improved homes and surroundings; more intensive farming of areas already in cultivation; increase in the acreage farmed where practicable, with resultant reduction of leasing; proper care of domestic live stock, and one or more milch cows for each family; the extension of the range stock industry, with pigs and poultry on every Indian farm. Preliminar~ replies have been received from 100 superintendents outlinin their plans for the work, and 30 have submitted final re-ports o f the original survey. The reports consist of a separate sheet for each family, with photograph in many cases, and detailed information relative to each family's industrial and economic status and resources. It is the intention of the office to make the industrial survey tho basis of a more comprehensive survey of each reservation, which will embrace on one hand the needs along the lines of health, educa-tion, home building,, sanitation, and social welfafe, and on the ot.her hand will take in all the resources of the Indlans, both tribal and individual. The purpose of the survey is tp formulate for each reservation a definite program or policy which may be fol-lowed for such term of years as will place the Indians on a self-supporting basis. It is believed that ? program can be outlined in each case so reasonable and businesslike that succeeding admin-istrations will follow it without material change, thus giving sta-bility to the work and a clear hope of eventual success. The personal visits of the superintendents and other employees to the homes of the Indians have brought about a closer under-standing between them, whlch can not fail to be productive of good results. The plan has already developed large increases in the cultivated acreages, and in better crops, gardens, and home.=. INDIAN HOMES. During the past year special efforts haye been made with a yiew to improving the home and living cond?tions amou the Indians. It is realized that substantial progress is being ma 8 e along these important lines. However the radical changes necessary in bring-ing a people's ancient mode of habitation, originally based on the simplest idea of construction without modern materials or tools, to our present standard of construct~onala dvancement must of neces-sit be a slow process. Srogress along these lines is necessarily dependent upon a general change from the early tribal customs and language to a standard similar to our own. This particular phase of the work is to re-ceive special emphasis dur,ing the cqming year, and the importance of improving home and living conditions and how to attain them will be a feature of Indian school work. |
