Arizona citizen., 1878-01-18
THE INDIAN BUREAU OVER
 HAULED.
Just Where she Trouble LIes-Thf Weakness and Inemcieney of the Service has its Source in Wash In.tOn and not Among the Indian Agents.


 week on the Annual Report of Secretary Schurz; other matter crowded it out but we give it today. We are quite willing to give Secretary Schruz credit for true reform should he effect such in any branch or bureau of his De. partment. but at the same time we shall demand of him justice. We are sincere in what We have said about his Annual Report, and the telegraphic report we give below will support our assertion that reform must begin at Washington within the departmental doors. We are not sure, however, that thls report is unbiased, for we notice that the United States Army represent one-third of the Board of Inquiry, and we have just faith enough in human nature to believe that the animosity of the army toward the Indian Service would be sure to crop out when such a favorably opportunity was offered. We would like to gige the report in full but our space does not permit, hence we condense as follows;
 WASHINGTON, JanuaTy The See retary of the Interior, in letter t0 S. \. Galpin, late Chief Clerk Of the Indian Bureau, informing him that his ser vices are no longer required, says the Board of Inquiry appointed in June to investigate the accusations made against him by Wolff, and others failed to find most of the charges sustained, but the accusation of unjust and i'm proper treatment of subordinate is sustained The Secretary, in addition, accuses MT. Galpin of neglect of duty, in that he neglected to inform the Sec retary of the Interior of Irregularities at Agencies.
 THE INDIAN BUBEAU.
 A report submitted to Secretary Schruz by Joseph McCammon, of the Department of Justice, Captain Thom- as H. Brandley, of the United States Army, and George M. Lockwood, Chief Clerk of the Interior Department, be. ing the Board of Inquiry convened by him in June last to investigate the In dian service, is a very elaborate and voluminOus document, making sixty, five printed pages.
 The reports says the regulations pre- scribed by the President for the man. agement of Indian affairs, and the directions from the Secretary of the Interior, seems to have been absolutely necessary to q full compliance with the law; but no regulations or dlrec- tiOns under the Statutes have been found by this Board tor the control either of Bureau officials or subOr- dinales in the Indian Service here or elsewhere. The instructions, Tegula- tiOns and other advIces promulgated by the Commissioner over his own signature have had a limited effect, not having been rigidly enforced or fully respected. Under the circumstances, the fact exists that no Bureau or office of the Government has afforded more opportunity for downright irregularity and cOncealment of fraud than has the management of the Indian Bureau and Service during the late administration of the Indian Office by the COmmis- siOner and Chief Clerks, with three others, namely, the StenOgrapher, the Correspondence Clerk and the Annuity Clerk, the former group of which gave direction 10 all matters of importance passing through the office, and Otlen acted upon the same by means of per- sOnal or unofficial correspondence The report continues: There is no doubt, after considering the evidence, which member of the group wielded de factO the greater power or influence oyer official matters. The evidence of va rious witnesses and documentary evi- dence show that the Commissioner, after making promises or decisions, based upon his conviction, refused tO fulfill or execute them, or absolutely departed from his own views, in order 10 indulge the capriciousnesS of his Chief Clerk. These irregularities of correspondence, and relinquishment ot authority operated to cause several questionable transactions, and keep iavOrIte persons in secure positions. This kind of correspondence, with the fellOwships 1t engendered, readily spread throughout the office, and some continuance of it will doubtless exist until removals are made, or orders is- sued to break up the evil. The Board says they desire to interrOgate the Com mission upon sundry matters, and otherwise to have the benefit of any statements that he might be pleased to make, but it did not urge its request after he wrote first to ascertain con- ditionally il any evidence had been submitted reflecting on his character as an officer or in his purity and ef ficIency of his administration of the business of the office. This was con sidered by the Board as an evasion, and no further efforts were made to SC. cure his attendance as a witness. The evidence shows that the Chief Clerk was too strong n lis attachments, and too bitter as an enemy, ,J bc entrusted with the power and prerOgalycs thai belong to the position. He WAS un. able tO control himself and, therefore, could not satisfactorily discharge the duties of q high administrative office After reciting various instances of loose management on the part of COmmis- sioner Smith and his subOrdinates, the Board remarks: The absence of regula tions, systems and methods, the sup pression of charges and specifications, the carrying on of semi official cor respondence. the careless disposal oi papers and records, the relinquishnenl of authority or the delegation of of. ficial power to another, the loss UT dis appearance of valuable papers, The unwarranted and factious opposition tC the Board of Indian Commissioners the unfitness for their respective posi- tons of the Chief Clerk, the Cores pondeuce Clerk, the Annuity Clerk and others, the prosecution of the Chiei of the Medical Division, the incom