The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-12
organization and Operation
OF the Bureau.
AN EIGHT MILLION DOLLAR INSTITUTION
A Circumlocution Office in the
Interior Department.
MYSTERY OF INDIAN AGENTS ACCOUNTS

Tho new Commissioner OF Indian Affairs does not
enter upon his Official career under very encouraging
auspices. His clerks arc more or less demoraized by
extraordinary which the epthet
chamber' has been literally applied. One nvestigat-
irg committee has found much inquire into that
after four months hunt frauds in Washington and
Two visits to the Indian country has not nearly
ciudcd It's iabors; and tho report Of another
ing committee, which, rendered. lod 10 the
dismissal OF tho chiet OF division Of accounts,
Sill hangs over the bureau Ike IN unsltis-
ned Judgment The business of the Office,
unless report speaks falsely Is arrears and the
affairs Of one branch the division or accounts arc
hoved to be somewhat ixed hence the dismissal OF
the chief. In addition to ali this transactions OF
the bureau and its agents have long been Vowed
with suspicion that every rumor of fraud sinuous
dealing meets with unquestoning credencc. Under
these circumstances It is evident that Commissioner
Hoyt will have two excellent chances-one to dis
tingush himself a nrst class executive officer and
corrcctor OF abuses tho other to make nrst class
failure, like too many Of his predecessors. In either
case he may safely anticipate full share of adverse
criticism and apuse.
The monetary transactions OF the Indian Bureau
during the last ten years have averaged upward OF
$4,000 900 annum, besides tho expenses OF
tine bureau ITSELF which amount to SIS, 900 more.
statement OF the manner In which the business OF this
5000 600 establishment Is conducted Will no doubt
interest many OF your readers especially those who
have never learned by sad experience how many
yards Of red tape be tied around one small claim
against tho United States.
ORGANIZATION OF THE INDIAN SERVICE.
In the first place, them the Indian consists
OF one commissioner at $4,000 chief clerk at
$4,000 forty clerks, six copylsts two messengers and
one laborer the Washington payroll amounting 10
$69sSo year. with So. 500 for fuel lights books tee
graphing and miscellaneous items Outside the office
there three inspectors AZ 900 each and
ling expenses, for which annual appropriation Of
$4,000 is made; two superintendents at 81 600 each
sxty-seven agents at 81, 500 and two 5000, four
special agents at 500 and $780, sixty seven
Interpreters at $500, with $4,000 additional dis
tributed among them in the discretion OF tho Secre-
tary OF the Interior, and $4,000 Tor hire at tho
central SUPPLEMENTARY Lawrence Kansas, making
altogether $685. $50 per annum for salaros &c There
is also ahost OF miscellaneous employees tho various
agencies, such as physicians, toachers clerks, farm
ers, milers, blacksmths, gunsmths, millwrghts,
wheewrights, carpenters, tinsmiths shoomakcrs
wagon Makers sawyers and laborers, some
OF whom, chiefly physicians and skilled
mechanics, are employed in fulnment OF
treaty obligations II will be observed that the saa.
rics OF Indian officials excessive The
Commissioner, who has more thankless If not moro
other bureau officer receives during his prccarous
tenure OF Office much less than one-hai tho cmolu-
Of War Department brigadicr general and one
fourth less than commodore Of tho head or a naval
bureau
SUPPLIES ARE PAID FOR.
1t is pretty we'll known that Indian supplies are
purchased by contract but is not generally known
how they are paid for. In fact not person in Gvo
hundred who receives Treasury draft in payment for
.olAtr IrJlu n
what complicated Official machinery has been set In
motion TO produce that draft A description of this
machinery, though perhaps a little tedious to tho
general reader, cannot fail to be both suggestive and
instructive TO the civil service relormer Tho
successful bidder with whom a contract Tor In
dian goods-rying pans tor iDstance-has been made,
delivers his pans with an invoice 10 another successful
bidder who has received contract Tor transporting
the trying pans to some designated point in tho West
This invoice, which must bear tho certificate OF a
special Inspector that the trying pans correct
quantity and quslty" is rcccipted by the transpora
ton contractor and forwarded to the Commissioner OF
Indian Affairs by whom 1t is referred TO The Board OF
Indian Commissioners for examination and approval,
and thence to the Secretary OF the Interior, who
dorses 1t as foows-"The action OF the Board OF In
dian Commissioners Is sustained" Then tho invoice
goes for tho second tmc to the Commissioner OF In
dian Affairs, who cnvcops II In yellow jacket bear
ing un Endorsement showing from what appropriation
tho claim should be paid TO whom and where II is
payable and the name OF the Indian agent against
whom the Trying pans arc to stand charged untli no
shall have properly accounted for them These tto
prclimnarics called ''adm nstrative action" and
arc considered absolutely essential before tho
accounting officers OF the Treasury Depart
ment can take official cognizance Of the Try
ing pans. The Contractors bill, having thus
received the necessary touches of administrative
paint, Is next referred TO tho Second AUDITOR who
ccrtincs tho amount due the claimant and
tho account, formally stated, 10 the Second Comp
roler .or his decision thcreonn II the Com ptroer
"admits and certines'' the balance declared BY tho
Auditor the certificate is forwarded 10 tho Commits
soner OF Indian Affairs, who requests the Secretary
OF tie Interior 10 mako rcqusiton the Secretary Of
the Treasury tor warrant to issu in the claimants
a hp n
terror, countersigned by the Second Comptroller and
registered by the Second Auditor, is transmitted to
the Secretary OF the Treasury, who thercupon issues
his warrant TO the Treasurer OF the United States,
authorizing and directing him to ssuc draft payable
to the person designated IN the rcqusItion. The
has TO be countersgned by tho FIRST Comptroller
registered by the Registrar OF the Treasury and
tho rrcusurcr's draft must DO countcrs ned by the
Registrar before the Assistant Treasurer, whom
II is drawn, VIII honor IT,
CIRcUMLoCUrroy.
Some claimants arc unreasonable enough 10 COM
PLAIN that they are not promptly paid tor supplies
furnished tho Indian Department. but when they learn
through what devious chanuel full OF pc snags
and routine sawycrs their GAINS have pass, they
wi, doubt, be astoundcd that they paid ut
all IL is stated as positive fact thae the cLlin OF
Indian contractor must hroush the hands Of nty
persons before the Treasury draft payment thereof
Is ready 10 be mailed TO him Some Of the
might be easily removed. For example, the Board OF
Indian Comm issoners, which first appoin under
April 10. 1859. was perhaps at that tme
necessary check and safeguard, Is supereroga-
tory board so lar as tho examination aud pay OF
claims sconcerncd for although the law that
tho Board shall supervise the expenditure Of money
appropriated for the benefit OF Indians IL also says
Dut The cxamina ION OF vouchers and accounts by
executive committee of said board snail a pre-.
requisite Of payment" (ievised Statues z,0Il-I2
IL has been asked, "Why cannot some BOMBED
obccr DO appointed 10 pay on presentation all verified
CLAIMS for supplies purchased under contractgu Ihe
answer that readily suggests itself 49, "Becausc that
would DO too busincsslike and would SAVIOR TOO much
of republican simplicity" The present system Is so
ropeto with all tue "modern convcnenccsh OF cheeks
aud counter checks balances ana eouutcr.ba
that error or fraud ought 10 be simply Impossible.
the philosophy OF system that makes him ener wait
two or three months ior his money have recourse
to one oil three alteruatives-Firs to 20 to Washing
ton and follow up hts claim step by step until the
issues second, to employ clam agent or, thrd, 10
sell his claim at a discount Some experienced con.
tractors who know the ropes" adopt tho first alter
native and combine business with pleasure trip TO
the national capital
INDIAN AGENTS ACCOUNTS
With every advance OF public funds mn Indian
agent receives from the Commissioner OF Indian
Affairs a detailed statement OF now the moneys re-