The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-12-18

The COMMON SCHOOL REPoRT.- The
forthcoming report of Superintendent John
son will have the gratifying ifact in its pages
that the number of school children has in
creased during the year from '225, POO to 1885,
143, an increase of 943. The number of
scholars registered at the summer schools has
increased per cent, and at the winter
schools 8 per cent, while the average attend
ance at the summer and winter schools has
increased 10 and II per cert. The percent
age of average attendance out of the whole
number of scholars has increased from AZ to
80 per cent. The average length of the
schools has increased from eighteen weeks
three days to eighteen weeks five days, giving
two days more schooling to the whole crowd.
The number of school houses is eight per
cent larger, and the number Of districts with
graded schools has increased twenty-four per
cent-within one of a quarter. The whole
number of districts with graded schools is
now 1S4 out of 4012.
The expenses of the schools have increased.
The aggregate expenditure this year is over
million dollars and $82,eS5 more than last
have been more costly, and the amount for
each scholar is S2.93 instead of $2.65, as in
1868. The teachers wages have been increas
ed but three per cent, and average $3O.44 a
month for males and S3.04 per week for fe-
males. 1
Mr.. johnson shows that Maine pays less to
school teachers than any other State in the
Union, and that New Jersey pays the most.
CIvH. PROTECTION FOR THE INDIANS
Major General Ord, under date of November
l, Headquarters Department of California, has
sent large mass of papers to Gen. Sherman,
saying that such cases as the within are not
unfrequent:
A harmless Piute Indian boy was murder
ed in cold blood by a worthless vagabond,
few rods from Camp McDermott, last sum-
mer, who escaped. Other similar murders of
Indians have occurred in Arizona since took
command of this department, but the militia
ry authorities have no control over such MUIR
derers. The State or Territorial authorities
in these Indian districts are either powerless
or Indifferent to the killing of Indians by
whites, so that the murdertrs almost always
escape; but if an Indian shoots white man
| it is Immediately demanded by the white peo-
| pie of the district that the whole tribe shall
| be held responsible, and war against them is
| commenced. l think further legislation of
| Congress might meet the difficulty. 1t would
| act as preventive, if in such cases the mur-
derers could be arrested by the military a,l-
thOrity and held or turned over for trial by
| the nearest United States court, and it would
| give the Indians some little show of equal
| justice.
Major General Thomas, in his endorsement
of this letter, says:
| I can see no better method than to extend
civil authority over the Indians now within
the settlements, and enable them to appear
| as witnesses in all cases affecting their own
| conduct and that of the whites towards them
| This affair is fair instance of the cause OF
Indian troubles in the military division, and
until the white murderers and robbers of In
dians are punished, large force of troops
| will be necessary to protect the peaceful white
| inhabitants in the thinly-settled regions OF
the command from Indian revenge 1 was
| present at Fort McDermott few days after
| the murder of the Piute referred to BY Gen.
| Ord, and know the excitement produced in
the peaceful camp of Piutes by the wilful, un-
provoked, and unpunished murder of one ol
their number.
| General Sherman makes the following en-
dorsement:
This case illustrates the origin of most Of
the Indian wars. On our frontier citizen
may murder an Indian with ippunity, but il
the Indian retaliates war results, and the
United States must bear the expense.