Waterbury Democrat., 1900-11-12
OUR INptAN WARDS.

GOveTnHCEt GApeEUR OFcr S1O,OOU,e
 900 Annually In Tkeir Behalf.
 WASHINGTON, Nsv. 12.-The total expenditure by the government on ac- count of the Indian ssr]ics frsn March 4, 17SS, up ts and ialaAiag July 1s, 1SGe, has been ssso .86s. 217 according te ths annual report of O~nnissiensr sf Iadian Affairs William A. Jeaes. The exp.n6itures fer the fiscal year ended last July amounted ts S1o,17b, 1o7. Of this amssht at lS.ist $S,ss9, eos was de voted te the cause of Indian education. The report reviews the change in the system of transpertiax supplies by which supplies are skipped ia epen Earket in cemmen carrier at\ tariff er better rates and estimates that this savex 29 par ceRt in cost Under the head ef obstacles to self support ef the Indians the report aepreeatcs the ration system, aAAaity payments and the leasing eff alletaents. The ration systern says the report, is the corollary of the reservation system. The Indian population of the United States is about 2s7, 900, of which 45,27e re ceive a daily ration. The ration issued and it's value vary according ts the tribe. Nearly twsafths ef the number receiving rstiens beleng te the great Sioux nation. The ration has been gradually reduced ia the past few years in accordance with the policy of the Indian bureau. If the Indians claim fer full ratiens . right
 is conceded, the commissioner predicts that the time when they will se self sup porting lies ia tae very distant future, if it ceIaes at all. A aumser of Indians also are assisted by occasional issues. and at several agencies the old and in digent are provided fer.
 There is new in the treasury ts the credit sf Ixdiaa tribes S22 Sir .o55. .oo, 4 per cent. the annual interest amounting to $1 ,646, ,4ss.9e Besides this, several of the tribes have large incsmca from leasiay and other sosrcsy. It is safe prediction that long KS these fuRds exist they will be the prey of designing people.
 The ultimate disposition sf the India, trust funds is subject fer tho asst SC rsux confederation. h some caves they are small and in ethe-s very large. With respect te the former, tkoy can a rule ke paid sxt ts the Indians with little, if any, evil csAssquences. With respect ts tse latter. their proper disposition i. more diHcalt. It is admitted that great wealth is a searcs of wexkHess to any Indian tribe and productive of muck evil''
 Tkers were 2S0 Indian schssls of all kinds conducted hy the government and &E increase Sf 1,412 pupils in enroll1aent and 1,142 is average attendance shswa ever tkS previous year. About 5000 of the 24 GU0 eligible schVsl children are uA- provided fer. Compulsory education of the Indian chldrsx is strongly iadsrsea, and congress is urged tS authorize the coIAGaisxiener ts place every oIe of .caesl age in seMe schosl. tRs selection of the ychsol ts be left largely to educated In dian rsrests.
 TAs report csatrsysrts the conAsxly accepted thosry that by constant csEtzct with ths whites the extinction of the la- dian is only &atter of time. It says 1t can be stated with great decree of csE- iseace that the Indian population of the CnitsA States has been very little dimix- ished frsA the days sr Columbus. Core | made, Raleigh, Captain John Smith and other early explorers.
 The first reliable Indian census was in 1870, and certainly since then the Indian \ population has bsen nearly stationary, whatever decrease there is being attrib- I utabls to Indians becoming citizens.