Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-08

view or tho circumstances. Within tn
past year many tribes have shown In
degree greater than ever before an al
probation Of the necessity Of work
Inls charged attitude Ia In part due t
the policy recently pursued of reduc
ing the amount of subsistence to tn
indians and thus forcing them through
sheer necessity to work for liveli
hood. The policy, though severe, is
useful one, but it Is to be exercised
only with Judgment and with full
understanding OF the conditions which
exist IN each community for which i
Is intended On or near the Indian res
erVations there is usually very little
demand for labor, and if the Indians
are TO earn their living and when work
cannot be furnished from outside
which is always preferable. then il
must be furnished by the government
Practical instruction of this kind
would in a few years result in tile
FORMING of habits Of regular industry
wnch would render the Indian a pro-
Queer and would effect a great reduc-
ton IN the cost of his maintenance.
1t is commonly declared that the
SLOW advance of the Indians Is due to
the unsatisfactory character Of the
men appointed to take immediate
charge of them, and to some extent
this is true. While the standard of the
employees in the Indian service shows
great improvement over that of bygone
years, and. while actual corruption or
tagrant dishonesty is now the rare ex-
ception, 1t is nevertheless the fact that
the salaries paid Indian agents are not
large enough to attract the best men to
that field Of work. To achieve satisfac-
tory results the official in charge of an
Indian tribe should possess the high
qualifications which are required in
the manager Of a large business, but
only in exceptional cases is it possible
to secure men of such type for these
positions. Much better service. how
ever, might be obtained from those
now holding the places were it practi.
cable to get out of them the best that
Is in them, and this should be done by
bringing them constantly into closer
touch with their superior officers. An
agent who has been content to draw
his salary, giving in return the least
possible equivalent in effort and serv-
Ice, may by proper treatment, By sug-
gestion and encouragement or persist
ent urging be stimulated to greater eff
fort and induced to take more active
personal interest 10 his work.
Under existing conditions an Indian
agent in the distant west may be Who'll
" out of touch with the office of the
Indian bureau. He may very we'll feel
that no one takes personal interest in
him or his efforts. Certain routine du-
ties in the way of reports and accounts
are required of him, but there is no one
with whom he may intelligently con-
suit on matters vital to his work eX-
cept after long delay. Such a man
would be greatly encouraged and aid
ed by personal contact with some one
whose interest in Indian affairs and
whose authority in the Indian bureau
contact would be certain to arouse
and constantly increase the interest he
takes in his work.
The distance which separates the
agents-the workers in the field-from
the Indian office in Washington is
chief obstacle to Indian progress.
Whatever shall more closely unite
.hese two branches of the Indian serv-
ce and shall enable them to cooperate
more heartily and more effectively will
De for the increased efficiency of the
work and the betterment of the race
sor whose Improvement the Indian bu-
'eau was established. The appoint
nent Of field assistant to the commits
'ioner of Indian affairs would be GER
ain to insure this good end. Such an
official if possessed of the requisite en-
orgy and deep interest in the work
would be most efficient factor in
bringing into closer relationship and a
more direct union of effort the bureau
Il Washington and its agents in the
ield, and with the cooperation of its
branches thus secured the Indian bu-
eau would in measure Fuller than ever
before lift up the savage toward that
elf help and self reliance which con-
titute the man. i
jamestown Tricentennial.
In 1907 there will be held at Hamp-
on Roads the tricentennial celebration
# the settlement at Jamestown, Va,
With which the history of what has
low become the United States really
'egins. / commend this to your favor
bile consideration. 1t Is an event of
rhine historic significance. in which all
he people Of the United States should
eel and should show great and general
interest
Postal Service.
In the postofIice department the sery-
,e has increased in efficiency, and CON
ltlons as to revenue and expenditure
ontlnue satisfactory. The increase OF I
evenue during the year was $685.
Sl.1O, or 60 per cent. the total re-
eipts amounting to S143,33SS29 624 80
he expenditures We're S152, 362l16.TO.
n Increase of about per cent over
ne previous year, being thus S8979,.
92.3G in excess of the current revenue