Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-02
Affairs of the Indians,

Concerning the Indians the report says:
considerable progress has been made by
the Indians generally toward civilization.
No uprising outbreak has occurred dur
ing the year. The Indian schools have
been vel managed and productive of good
results, particular attention having been
give TO the Industrial instruction of the
Indians, 50 as TO fit them for estab. iShng
homes for themselves by taking up allot-
mer-s and properly working the SAME
Excluding $50 Indians IN New York
and 5000 indians embraced in the live
civi ICED tribes, the Indians number ap-
pro- imaiely Isl $50, as against 49,, 49, re-
por Cd for the previous year.
Concerning the education Of the Indians,
he avs:
~ he entire educational system Of the
Ind m bureau cOntempiates the ultimate
abo. shlng of Indian reservations. To his
end many preservation schools, nOtao oily
Car isle, lay great stress upon their out
ing yst"m, by which pupils are paced for
hXe,a periods IN private families, usually
farmers, where they learn, as no institu-
ton can teach them, how white people
work and live. As another step in that di
rect on some Of the smaller agencies have
been discontinued and their du-Ies devUived
upoI the superintendent Of the reservation
school"
Discussing the financial condition of the
various Indian nations. the Secretary says:
The present financial condition of affairs
IN theSr various nations demonstrates the
fact that their revenues and disbursements
have not been properly made or their laws
enforced, a has been shown by investiea-
ton in numerous Instances. The ChOctaW
nation apprUpriaJes about $4,000 per an
mum for its tribal courts. Such courts
have been abolished in the Creek and
Cherokee nations since October ], 1898
Thvle appears to he no necessity for their
establishment, and apparently there is
none Tor the continuance of the tribal
courts in the Choctaw and Ch.ckaSaW ma
tons
5r-E he nI,Sr, hat
ii * absolutely essential that all schools in
the territory be placed under the SuperVi-
sion Of the department. and suggests the
advisab.lity OF legislation requiring that
all taxes and revenues throughout the va
rious nations be collected by the depart
ment and used as a general school fund for
all nOn-citizens and others.
LAS the government is now handling all
funds of the Creek and Cherokee nations
and assuming advisory supervision Of their
schools. and the various councils in the
different nations are costing their people
large amounts of money without accom-
pIishing any practical good, he urgently
recommends that all tribal governments
be abolished or modified to the extent of
having one general council consisting of
| two or more members with the chief from
each nation. which shall meet annually for
| the purpose of passing uniform laws
| throughout the territory, to be approved by
| the President and enforced in the United
States courts until further legislation is
| enacted concerning affairs in the Indian
| territory
| The Pension Bureau.
| Under the head of pensions the Secretary
| reviews the work of the pension office for
| the year. He says among other things:
| Under existing laws the pensions OF
| soldiers sailors whose applications have
| been filed since July 1. 1850, or may here
| after be filed, commence at date of filing
| the declaration in the pension bureau The
| same provision of law applied to claims OF
! widows until the passage of the act OF
| June !, lSSS which removed all limitations
| as TO the date of filing in widows claims
| and made their pensions commence from
| the date of death of the soldier The com.
| missioner reiterates the opinion expressed
| In previous reports, and in which | concur
| that legislation should be had to the enc
| that no pension be granted to commence
| prior to the date of filing the claim. He
| cites cases in which large amounts of pen
| sions have been drawn by fraudulent claim
| ants under the provisions of this act, ant
| characterzes the law as bad one in tina
| II holds out inducements and offers a pre-
MUM to the vicious to file fraudulent claims
| carrying large sums as arrearages auS
imposes great difficulty upon the office 1,
disproving carefully prepared fraudulen
| claims hereunder.
Since the repeal of the act of June q
| 1879. which required biennial examinations
| there has been no way of determining tn
| varying degrees of disabilities except whe,
pensioners apply for increase. In view o