Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-25
WELFARE OF INDIANS
Annual Report of Commissioner Browning
Submitted Today.
The Race is Making Progress-With
No Trouble Has Occurred.

Commissioner Of Indian Affairs Brown
ing has made his annual report to the
Secretary of the Interior, which was to-
day made public. It shows progress in
nearly all directions. The only new i'm
portant development during the year is
the trouble between the Bannack Indians
and the whites at Jackson's Hole. Wy
oming. On this matter Commissioner
Browning incloses a former special re-
port he made on August II. Since the
report, however, the whole matter has
been referred to the Department of JUS
tice and the Attorney General has report
ed that no Indians are now confined in
Wyoming for violating the game laws Of
that state, those who were held having
been allowed to escape. The Department
of Justice does not see how redress can
be obtained for the Indians who have paid
their fines. Commissioner Browning quotes
from recent reports of Agent Teter to
show that the Indians are still sullen and
that they demand that the whites who
wronged them be punished, and the COM
missioner asks whether or not the De-
partment of Justice cannot do something
toward Furnishing the offenders.
Indian Exhibits.
The commissioner speaks with pride of
the Indian exhibit at the Atlanta exposi-
tion. The educational interests of the In
dians show gratifying improvement.
A new feature in Indian affairs has
arisen over contests initiated by white
men for allotted Indian lands The re-
moteness Of the Indian claims from agen-
cies and settlements has made 1t difficult
to give the Indians proper defense, but
agents and district attorneys have been
requested to look after their interests. The
contests have caused the Indians a great
deal of annoyance.
The commissioner reviews the history Of
the trouble at the Omaha and Winnebago
agency, which concerned the Flournoy Com.
pany and Capt. Beck. the acting agent
Col. Browning says the office desires to
break up the system-which the Flournoy
Company pursued of leasing Indian lands
and making subleases.
Indorses Missionaries.
The commissioner says that missionary
work Of all denominations has the hearty
consent and cooperation of the Indian Of
flee. The commissioner found some diff
Guilty in making the 20 per cent reduction
of contract schools required by the last
Congress. and finally decided not to make a
horizontal reduction, but to continue the
contract schools where the government had
not adequate school facilities Several con-
tract schools have been purchased by the
Indian Office. The attempt to conduct mix
ed schools Of whites and Indians has not
proved very satisfactory, owing to race
prejudice.
Some of the Indians taken out for show
purposes have not been properly treated
and the Office will be very slow to grant
authority to new companies in the future
The commissioner urges more stringent
Hesitation to meet the decision Of Judge
Bellinger relative to the sale OF liquor to
Indians on allotted lands
The commissioner thinks that the pay
ment of the Indian depreciation claims
should not come out of the annuities of the
Indians, which are now barely sufficient for
their support.