The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-29
HOKE SMITHS VIEWS
BE Makes q Few Remarks About the
Way to Deal With Indians.
HOW TO PRESERVE FORESTS
He Has a Plan Which He Thinks
Would Work Whereby the Pa
cific Railway Lines Could
Be Put to Rights.

Washington. Nov. 2s.-Secretary
Hoke Smith of the interior department
has made his annual report to the pres
| ident. 1t views the varied work OF ths
department. beginning with the Indiar
service. and calls attention 20 the str'ic,
| enforcement which has been given tc
civil service reform. both as to those
places covered by the classified service
and those to which the rules Of this
service do not apply. The secretary
dwells upon the necessity of elimina-
ting politics from the management OF
indian affairs and conducting each res
ervation upon strictly business princi-
Piles, the object being to make every
Indian who remains upon the reserva-
ton self-supporting and ready. as soon
as possible, to assume the duties OF
citizenship and be freed from the pater-
nal care OF the government.
The secretary Is Of the opinion that
II tha resources of each reservation are
treated intelligently and the Indians
required to labor In those pursuits
which are adapted TO particular reser-
vations, IN a few years practically all
the Indians can be made self-support-
ing. The secretary recommends the re-
organization Of the bureau as follows:
First. that instead OF a single commits
sioner of Indian affairs, the Indian SER
vice be placed i'm charge of three COM
missioners, two of them to be civilians,
to be appointed from different political
parties. and one to be a detailed army
officer. Second. that the tenure OF ONCE
of an INDIAN agent to be dependent
Enl4 Al -
duties and appointments and removals
be made by the president upon recon-
mendatton of the three commissioners
of Indian affairs. Third. that the clas-
sified service be extended over all the
subordinate positions. both at the agen-
cdes and at the schools. The reduction
of 20 per cent. which the law required
TO be made In connection with the In
dian contract schools has been strictly
carried out. and the secretary adds
that there seems to be no reason why
such reduction should not continue
from year to year. until the system of
government aid to sectarian schools
shall terminate.
Referring 20 the subject OF allot-
ments. the secretary says there are a
number of changes which should be
made In the present allotment system
which require congressional action. Ac-
cording to the present law. an Indian
becomes a citizen OF the United States
upon receiving his allotment. In any
case he Is ready to receive land, but
Is he prepared for the consequences of
Allotments should be
made long before reservations are op-
ened. Each Indian should be settled
upon his homestead and be seif-sup-
porting before citizenship Is conferred
upon him. When citizenship IL con-
ferred tho government ought TO let
him alone and allow him to take his
place, surrounding him with no more
restraint and giving him no more help
than is accorded to other citizens
Under the present system Indians to
whom allotments have been made and
upon whom citizenship has been con-
'erred stin receive enormous gratuities
ma they need every dollar they re-
,eive. Upon each reservation a part of
he Indians will be ready for citizenship
before others. and all are ready to own
and and work % before they are ready |
'or citizenship. The law should be |
:hanged so that allotment can be made |
ipoA the Recommendation of the agent |
70 those who are ready for IT, and pat |
.nts should be issued later, on approx |
II of the secretary of the interior, to |
hose Indians showing themselves fit- |
ed TO receive the land. The secretary |
Llso recommends that general author /
ty, with the approval of the president.
,e given to the Indian bureau to sell /
ARTS, OF Indian reservations, the mon
" to be used exclusively in the i'm
OF allotted lands or for the
,urpoSe OF furnishing agricultural I'm
dement's and cattle to the Indians who
nay decide to remain upon the lands.
The report reviews the Jackson Hole
and gives an account OF
he active means taken by the depart
nent 20 secure justice for the killing
( the Bannock Indians on July is last,
md also TO preserve peace between the
ndians and the whites. He commends
he peaceful course OF the Indians un-
er the circumstances. 90 extremely
ggravating on the part OF the whites.
The report estimates the amount of
ubiic lands undisposed of to be about
DO. 0o0. 900 acres at the close of the
seal year and shows that the total re-
cAPtS autArlS Auc year IFOTn PUBLIC 1
lnds amounted to over $1,000. 600. The
nadjusted land grants TO railroads
mount 20 nearly 10000. 900 acres. Az
er reviewing In detail the work OF the
md office during the past IL months.
he secretary takes up the question Of
he disposition OF arid lands and the
OF the forests. He urges
nat these two questions are closely al
ed. for the quantity OF arid land far
xceeds the present water supply. even
II were all utilized for irrigation.
he increase OF the water supply must
epend upon the growth and preserva-
ON OF the forests. Attention Il called
} the failure OF the Carey bfii TO ae-
omp1sh the results expected. The
attributes this 10 the fact
lat the bin intended that money for
rigation should be raised upon the
I'd lands given 20 the states This
as been impossible. ON account of the