The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-11-24

The annual report of Secretary Kirkwood re-
lates largely to the Indians. Ho says, that
"when the Indian shall have learned to speak
and write our language, to earn his own living
by his own labor, to obey the law and aid in
making and administering it, the Indian
problem will be solved and not until then"
The secretary recommends the following meth
cd of solving the Indian problem; "There arc
now in the States and Territories west of the
Mississippi river 102 reservations great and
small, on which are located, in round numbers,
224, 900 Indians. The numbers on The differ
ent reservations vary from a few hundred to
several thousand. There are attached to these
reservations sixty-eGht agencies. each with its
staff of employees. There are also established
near them tor the protection alike of the whites
and Indians thirty-seven military posts with
larger or smaller galrisona. The transporta-
ton of supplies to go many and so widely scat
Sered agencies and military posts is very eX-
pensive and our army is so small that the gar
risons at many of tho posts are not sufficient
either to prevent outbreaks or to suppress them
promptly when they occur. 1t is my duty to
say, and | say it with great pleasure, that the
military authorities have, when called upon by
this department. always responded with
prOmptness and efficiency; but it must be ap-
parent to all who have had occasion to note
their operations, that they have been seriously
embarrassed in their efforts to concon-
tato speedily at particular points suffi-
cient force to meet emergencies.
The peculiar conditions attending tho
transaction of public business for some months
have prevented me from giving this subject
the attention that in my opinion it deserves,
but | am strongly inclined to believe that if
all the Indians west of the Mississippi were
gathered upon four or five reservations our In
dian affairs could be managed with greater
economy to the government and greater benefit
to the Indians. In view of the facts stated
as to existing reservations, recommend that
Congress be asked to create q commission of
three or four eminent citizens to visit during the
next year the reservations west OF the Mississippi
river for the purpose of recommending to Con-
gress, If they shall deem it wise to do so, the
concentration of the Indians on four or five
large reservations, to be selected in different
parts of the West, on which The different tribes
shall be located; and if this SHALL in the judg-
ment of the commission, not be wise, then to
recommend the concentration of existing
small agencies where that can properly
be done, and the reduction of the area
of others to dimensions prOpOrtionate to
the number of Indians now located thereon"
In regard to the work of the patent Office the
report says that Is, l75 patents were granted
during the last fiscal year, and the receipts Of
the patent Office were s7S9, ,o9j. The report of
the commissioner of education is quoted as
showing that the progress of education during
the year has been substantial and satisfactory
It is specially noted that in the Southern
States the income derived from the Peabody
fund has had the effect of stimulating the
work of education in marked degree. Secre-
tary Kirkwood also quotes, but without COM
ment, Commissioner Eaton's recommendation
that the net proceeds of all sales of public
lands be devoted to educational purposes and
divided among the several States and Terri
tories in proportion to their illiterate popula-
ton