Arizona weekly miner., 1874-02-27
From W~iuesday's Dalyl MILITARY A.ND INDiAN AFFiIRS

on the Mll- for the support of thc Army and of Indians on reserves and pass over we'll known thieving bills with scarcely n word Oi debate. The Army oppear' 10 them as n ioot ball to be kicked from one position tO another Nor do they ever get tho fact through their wool that 1t is not the Army proper-that is the seryicable part Ot the or gani1ltion--that deserves uyerbaulinc. No, they styaightway assevcratc on the great cost of maintaining troops in active service, and pay no attention whatever, tO Army side shows kept up at the East to carry out, or, rather lend fierce 10 put in operation their ncfafious schemes for keeping in place and power men who usurp State governments. Iop of, if you please, all useless expenditure of money which goes to pay for fancy sol diering in the Atlantic States, but do not, eternally and everlastingly, raid upon the men in the field and labor to destroy their usefulness. Think well and say at once, how many men the country needs in the
 service and appropriate sufficient money to deray all thelr expenses. By 50 d"'ng you will enable the Department to pay as it goes,
 whereas, at prysent and for some time past, ! it is and has been in debt to contractors and others, who, if once assured that they will
 be paid, immediately after the performance
 of any service, would gladly perform said
 service for less pay than they have been in
 the habit of doing.
 Here in Arizona, where Gen Crook has
 less than 1000 men to take care of nearly | 20, 900 Indians and guard several hundred miles of our country fronting on Mexico, he
 is continually troubled for want of sufficient
 means to defray the expenses of even so small command, since no more is allowed for the expenses of the soldier here than at the East, where everything needed by the soldier and the service is so much cheaper, and, as il 10 add to his troubles, as if to bind hini hand and foot to letter his useful ness and prevent him from doing his duty, he is ordered to discharge all, or nearly all, cit- izen employees in his department. This when two or more tribes of Indians are in open hostility to the Government, threatening the lives of citizens and soldiers and the destruc- ton of private and public property. Crook must head these fellows of, or be cursed by citizens and growled at by Government. To do this, he wants the assistance of citizen guides and packers, but cannot get this as- sistance, owing to the fiat of Congress, which has GU; down the Army appropriation and made it incumbent on Crook to dispense with the services of men whose places sol diers are not competent to fill, and if they were, they are not to spare for such duties. To this working of soldiers, as laborers, thousands of assertions are traceable, and the sooner Congress quits tinkering with the Army, the better will it be for that institu- tion and the country. If, in your wisdom, Congressmen, you think that 20,0O0 men are all who are needed to perform the services required, say 20,000 and don't, for Gods sake, keep everlastingly threatening the or ganization with reduction and throttlng it with inability to defrly it's necessary ex- penses. But, remember, that men who have enlisted to soldier do not take kindly to the service, when, instead of doing soldiers du- ty, they have, in addition, to pack mules, dig wells, build roads and do numerous other
 things.
 In dealing with and providing for Indians
 Congress has been equally unhappy and un- conscious of its duty, as will be seen by the
 following article on the subject, which We
 copy from leading Eastern paper:
 l Thc Committee on Appropriations In the House | has been making a thorough examination of the
 wants of the Indian department of public service, and find that the testimony of men wLo are com. ! O Uivp iuformatiOu n he suhiecf l in showing that t has beer the custom of Con
 gress each year 10 appropriate much less than the
 service required. trusting to the passage of def ! ciency bill at the next session. WLle cutting | down on the sums asked for the several Depart
 meDts, the estimates for the Indian service have | been each year equally reduced, notwithstanding
 it is known at the time that they not sufficient | and it seems to have been the established policy 1 that the Commissioner of Indian Affairs must al
 ways be in debt to contractors and let contracts | on the good faith of the Governments promise.
 and its intention tO carry out settled policy
 This fact has forced the department 10 accept only l the bids af such contractors as were known 10 bC ! able to wait long time for their money.
 | IL has also resulted that bills have been made
 for supplies with interest added sufficient to cover
 losses in waiting for money. Most of these con tractors have been obliged 10 pay heavy interest l on sums advanced in most cases as high as two | per cent per month, and now, in view of the pres | cnt possibility of agnin cutting down the appro ! pr5tons, there is danger that these contractors | VIII refuse 10 ald the Dti1aftiDept any iurthcT ! The Commissioner Of Indian Affairs says that Il ! Congress would appropriate sufficient money tC ! cover the necessary expenses for each fiscal yeai
 as far as they can be ascertained with certainty
 he could save in his expenditures at least thirty | per cent. by purchasing for cash or accepting | from small bidders. Last winter, notwithstaud l ing tue fact that General Crook had been ordered ! to force the Apaches to go upon reservations ! when the Government promised to feed them 1 Congress made very small appropriation foI | auppiez and afteF tle deDaFtIHeuE fDuul ! itself in difficulty, being without money aud ye
 eaiIed upon by the people 10 carry into effect th'
 peace policy Of the Administration. At that tim,
 certain contractors came forward at the special in l ytatiOH of the Secretary Of the Interior and th' sOiscitation Of army officers, who did not want C l lose tbe beneGts of a successful Indian war, anC ! took tbe new eoDtracts at Inc same prices whicl | had be.sa eivea before, and thus sccured thu
 means ot iulhliiHg Lbe Indian treaties.
 1 It Nas shown to the Appropriation Committed l Ia.L ...oL Nat.A..ver nl Ile Indian In