The Topeka state journal., 1901-06-22
INDIAN CH1LDREN's WAGES
tFrom the Arizona Republican, ]

fFrom the Arizona Republican,
How are the Indian pupils hired out,
and what is done with their wages?'
The Indian pupils are sent out from
the government school at Phoenix to
work in good families as helpers. The
girls and some of the boys are en-
ployed as house servants. The large
boys are employed in various capacities
on farms The girls are employed
through the chief matron. the boys
through the disciplinarian-all under
rules issued by the superintendent
There are constantly from one hundred
to two hundred girls enjoying outing
benefits The demand for boys is not
so great The wages the pupils receive
vary from IS per month for small boys
or girls to $25 per month for the large
and more capable. The outing syS-
tenn is controlled absolutely by the su-
perintendent who can call every pupll
in at any time desired. What a howl
would go up from the residents OF TINS
valley If the superintendent should ex-
ercise this authority
The highest wages ever paid to any
Indian pupils are paid by the superin-
tendent. He now has two boys work
ing for him at $50 a month. Besides
this $50 in cash a month. he pays for
their board and lodging. He has at va
rious times employed boys at from pO
cents a day up to $25 a month he pays
his laborers always according to their
/ worth, ana II a DOy Is GGAD&S& C0 d. ~
cents a day and earns 81 a day he is
paid 81 a day. The superintendent has
| always employed a ho0sematd, though
l he might have had all his houSework
done for nothing. He has paid as high
as SIS a month for such service, ana
boarded the girl besides, although he
could with perfect propriety have sent
/ the girl to the school dining ROOM
Not every applicant can secure q
pupil from this school. It is keen
| pleasure to accom- modate the worthy.
\ But when a girl is sent out, compelled
/ to do all the dirty work OF the mouse,
kept toiling from early until late. never
given a word of encourag cement, never
| permitted to enter the living rooms OF
! the home, compelled to always eat her
meals from a plate in the kitchen alone,
permitted to leave the house unattend-
ed at night and return when she pleases
! If she is there to begin the drudgery
! of the next day, and then offered pay
ment in castoff clothing-the superin-
| tendent when he discovers the slaVish
| condition of the child, utters some
pretty strong anathemas to the invis-
/ ible spirits of the air and brings that
| girl back to the school There are not
At the end of each month the Tnatron
and disciplinarian collect the pupils
wages They, in turn, give this money
! to a clerk in the Office. who receipts for
same The money mother deposits
| the money in the bank, entering the
| same in the child's bank-bOok. This
| books of any other person A child IS
compelled to save at least one-haif OF
/ his earnings. When his savings nave
| amounted to IS, interest is paid al the
rate of per cent. When child takes
| final leave of the school his money is
paid in full These accounts are kept
! in proper ledgers in proper form ana
| are inspected at the same time and IN
the same manner as other school ac-
counts BY the system of checks-by
| pupils Ynatron, diSciplinarian. cash
clerk. chief clerk and superintendent,
all of whom are inspected by govern
rnent Supervisors. special agents and in
spectors. mistakes and errors are prac-
/ tieallv impossible and detection is GER
Some OF your children are white
/ Are vosl allowed to take white children
into Indian schools?
The government does not authorize
| +,,rs q o.s,oieaSo1 of white children into IN
1 dian schools except the children OF
/ school employees. Every Indian schooa.
I however has enrolled some children as
1 fair as any child born OF white parents
! These are the children Of mixed blood
/ Children possessing one-thirty-secono
| part Indian blood are entitled to scnooi
F, privileges. Until recently. since the ue-
! velopment of the school into an lnslltu-
| tion Of the first rank, there were rev
] light coIored Indians in the Rhoenlx
/ school, now. however. there are ABOUT
| one hundred OF the seven hundred VINO
/ are Of mixed blood. Nearly every chilo
/ Of mixed blood now attending the
/ Phoenix school has beea transferred
| f,ft11er from Indian schools in other
states and territories