Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-11-01
THE NATIONS WARDS.

Points In the Report OF the Commissioner
of Indian Affairs What tho Department.
Has to Contend with.
WASHINGTON, Oct 2.-Hon. T. J..
Morgan, Commissioner OF Indian Az
fairs, has submitted his annual report
to the Secretary Of the Interior on the
operations OF his bureau during the
past year.
The report devotes considerable space
TO the school question and Indian edu-
cation. 1t shows that there are now
twelve schools in operation. The aver
age attendance Mt the training schools
during the fiscal year ended June 30,
1880. was 1878 out OF an enrolment OF
9.112. There are now In operation six
ty-threo Government boarding schools
on reservations Concerning these
schools he says they are poorly
equipped. The buildings in many cases
are small, cheap inconvenient and
often inadequately furnished. There
were in operation during the past year
100 days Of school ut the various agen-
cies with IN enrolment OF 1907 pupils
and an average attendance Of 2. 367.
From statement showing the amount
set apart for the various religiou7 bodies
for Indian education for 1891, it appears
that out OF 1854. 55s, S347, $50 were APP
portioned to the Roman Catholic
schools, s44, $50 to Presbyterian and
s27,27 to Congregational. The report
says that the work carried on by the
various religious denominations has
been a very potent, II not indispensable,
auxiliary in the efforts OF the bureau
for the elevation OF the Indians
The Commissioner says that in addi-
ton to ordinary routine work he has
given especial attention to the follow
ing improvements: OF the personnel Of
the service; the development Of indus
tries; the improvement of the sanitary
service; the modification OF the ration
system; the inculcation OF patriotism.
and the encouragement Of Wild West
Show business.
The Commissioner says that one OF
the difficult things to contend with in
the administration OF Indian affairs is
the vice of intemperance. A large pro-
portion OF the Indians live life Of idle
ness and are therefore liable to yield
to the temptations OF drinking and
gambling as they would not II constant
ly employed. The report says that the
practice which has prevailed for many
years OF occasionally permitting Indians
to travel with wild West" and similar
shows throughout the country and
abroad, for the purpose OF giving ex-
hibitions of frontier life and savage
customs, has been very harmful in its
results, and the Commissioner has from
the beginning steadily refused to sane
ton any permits
The Commissioner favors compulsory
education and upon this subject says:
II am in favor of compelling every In
dian child of suitable age and health,
for whom accommodations are provided,
to attend school ten months out Of
twelve. A general law, however, could
not now be applied for the simple rea-
son that school accommodations are
provided for less than half the children
of school age"
At the date of the last annual report
there were 1873 Indian reservations in
the United States having an aggregate
area OF 116, OOO 900 acres or 101, ESQ square
miles During the year about IS, ZOO, 900
acres have been secured by cession from
the Indians, and agreements by which
about 1000. 900 will be secured are pend
ing in Congress The work of making
OF land in severalty under
the severalty acts of Congress has
steadily progressed during the year.
1, 4s4 allotmepts having been made on
the Yankton reservation in South Da-
kota, 952 on the Winnebago reservation,
260 to the Grande Ronde Indians in
Oregon. 70 to the eastern Shawnees and
2o1 to those on the Papago reservation
in Arizona A large part OF the work is
now in progress making 1t impossible
m atnta tho uum hor NJ nj lOtmantS made.