OCR Text |
Show '42 REPORT OF THE COMM~SSIONEB OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. not exceeding five hundred dellars or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court: Provided, That this section shall not apply to any lease or other contract authorked by law to be made. INDIVIDUAL INDIAN MONEYS. The method of handling individual Indian moneys by depositing them in national banks under a proper surety bond, subject to the check of the Indian depositor when approved by the superintendent in charge of the reservation, has been continued throughout the year. The educational value to the Indian of the training in handling money is kept constantly in mind by the office in managing these individual funds. An important forward step in training the Indian for self-support was taken last year. On October 29, 1909, instruc-tions were issued to the officers in the field to recommend in their discretion the allowance of individual Indian "privileges" in the unrestricted use of a limited amount of their land proceeds. The object of these "privileges" is to widen the experience of those who are already started in the way of self-support, although still under supervision. The amounts allowed by the office under the recom-mendation of the superintendent in which he shows the Indian's com-petency in each case, varies from $1 to $500, according to the ability, opportunities, and resources of the applicant. Under this regulation the first allowance, if expended wisely by the Indiaqs, may be fol-lowed by a second, larger in amount. If the Indian has not shown good judgment in the handling of his money, a smaller amount is tried the second time. These carefully guarded tests are calculated to awaken a sense of responsibility in the care of funds and at the same time avoid the disaster of a total loss. At first, requests for these '' privileges" were extravagant, and the office was obliged to disallow them in whole or in part. The effect of this policy is now being manifested, however, in the increasing number of applications for smaller allowances without restrictions, showing the Indian's awak-ened sense of caution in money matters and his realization of the advantage of always retaining a small balance in the hank for a possible emergency. Another forward step of very great importance has been the abso-lute abolishment of the "credit system." Under the old arrangement of indiscriminate allowances to all Indians having income from their lands it was the practice of licensed traders and other dealers to encourage the Indians to purchase on credit anything and everything invented or used by civilized man, thus obligating far ahead the funds they could hope to receive. In spite of strbgent regulations this worked great hardship upon the Indians, so that it became necessary to definitely stamp it out, so far as the jurisdiction of the office |