The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-12
According to Its Report the Conditions El-
listing Are Most DsplorabIe.
While Large Amount Of Money
Mas Been Appropriated by Con-
gress for Educational Uses In
the Northern Territory, It Has
Been Frittered Away in Useless
Expense for Summer Jaunts OF
the General Agent Of Education.

JUNEAU (AlaSka), June D WA &c
attic, June 11).-The Grand Jury of the
United States District Court for Alaska
has made a sensational report on the
conduct of educational matters in
Alaska.
The report reads: 'sIn the hope that it
may be able to effectually reach some
remedial power, or authority, the Grand
Jury desires to direct attention to the
deplorable condition of educational at
fairs in Alaska.
THE blame cannot be justly laid at
the doors of Congress. Between the
years 1884 and 1897, inclusive, there
was appropriated for education in
Alaska an aggregate of $415 900, a sum
which, had it been judiciously expended
ought to have given Alaska a school
system commensurate with the require
ments of our people. We do not under
take to stay that there has been any
dishonest or direct misrepresentation Of
any part of this large sum of money,
but we do aver that considerable por-
ton Of it has been FILTERED away in
payment of the expenses of wholly use
less summer jaunts by the general
agent of education to remote parts OF
the territory, and in the establishment of
schools at points where none were
needed, unless indeed it be conceded
that the education of the children of a
people who, by day catch the ermine,
and by night chase other vermin, are
to be given the preference over those
of the intelligent white people who form
the advance guard in the march OF civ
ilization into Alaska
M ho hot
that a large amount of money has been
uselessly expended, and, the truth not
being made manifest, will continue to
be expended under the direction of the
general agent of education in Alaska,
while yet the neglect of our educational
interests is prolonged, the Grand Jury
would hesitate to refer even casually 10
his extraordinary scheme for revolu-
tionizing the mode of travel and trans
portation of mails and supplies in
Alaska by the Introduction of domesti-
Gated reindeer from Siberia. But we
submit that his utter neglect Of the
duties, for the performance of which he
, is paid salary, and the consequent de-
moralized condition of our educational
system, demands and justifies even a
harsher criticism than that which fol-
lows: -
I'VE charge that this man is untruth-
full, and that he has persistently
embodied in his official reports concern
ing educational matters in Alaska, that
which he knew to be absolutely false.
He has charged time and time again
in his Official reports that the clergy
of the Greco Russian Church oppose the
teaching OF English in their schools, and
threaten parents that if they allow their
children to learn English their boys will
be taken away and put into the Ameri-
can army as soon as they are old
enough to do duty as soldiers. whereas,
the truth is, that English has always
been taught in the principal Greco
Russian schools. If he has been guilty
of deliberate falsehood, in this official
report on schools and education in
Alaska, what reliance is to be placed
on those he makes concerning the use OF
reindeer in Alaska? The plain, simple
truth is, that each and every attempt at
the use of reindeer for transportation
in Alaska has been failure.
THE Grand Jury, therefore, earnestly
protests against any further recon-
mendation for the importation of do
mesticated reindeer and respectfully
begs and prays on behalf of a long suf-
fering people that the honorable Secre-
tary Of the Interior may in his wisdom
see fit to relieve Alaska of the incubus
of an official who enjoys neither the re-
spect nor confidence Of any considerable
portion of her people, white or native
and whose days Of usefulness so far as
Alaska is concerned, were long since
buried"