Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-12-06

tie employees Ia the Inc ~ service
lsalNs great Improvement yer llat
,f tAstte years ant wh'l1 actual cor
ruption or fragrant dishonesty Is now
the rare exception, II Is nevertheless
the fact that the salaries paid Indian
agents are not large enough TO attract
tho best men To that field OF work, To
achieve satisfactory results the official
In charge of an indian tribe should
possess the high qualifications which
are required In the manager OF u large
business. but only In exceptional cases
IL IL possible to secure men OF such
a type for these positions Much bet
ter service, however. might be obtain.
ed from those now holding the places
were II practicable TO get ont of them
the best that IL In them, and THIS
should be done by bringing them con
stantly into closer touch with ,heit
superior officers. An agent who Mas
been content to draw his salaty xiv.
Ing In return the least possible equiv
alent In effort and service, may, by
rroner treatment, by sue sc''.1l ard
announcement. or persistent urgins
bo stimulated 10 greater effort and IN
dnced To take a more active pttsoaal
interest In his work.
Under existing conditions IN Indian
agent In the distant west may be
wholly out of touch with the office ~
the Indian bureau. He may very wei
feel that no one takes a personal In
terest In him or his efforts. Certain
routine duties In the way OF reports
and accounts are required OF him. bur
there Is no one with whom he may
intelligently consult on matters vital
TO his work. except after long delay,
Such a mar would be greatly encour'
aged and aided by personal contact
with some one whose interest In In
dian affairs and whose authority In
the Indian bureau were greater than
his own. and such contact would be
certain to arouse and constantly In
crease 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 a chief obstacle to Indian progress
Whatever shall more closely unite
these two branches Of the Indian ser
vice. and shall enable them TO co
/, operate more heartily and more effec
, lively, will be for tho increased effi
, cheney of the work and the better
/, ment Of the race for whose improve
ment the Indian bureau was establish
/, cd, The appointment OF a field assist
, ant to the commissioner OF indian ar
fairs would be certain to insure this
good end. Such an official. II pos
sesed of the requisite energy and deeI
/. interest In the work, would be q mos
, efficient factor in bringing into closer
, relationship and a more direct unioi
of effort the bureau In Washington
/, and its agents In the field; and will
/ the cooperation Of its branches thus
{ secured the Indian bureau would, II
measure fuller than ever before. iii
up the savage toward that self-helI
!, and self-reliance which constitute thu
/. man.
jamestown Tricentennial.
? In 1907 there will be held at Hamp
! ton Roads the tricentennial celebration
of the settlement at jamestown, Vir
ginia. with which the history Of wha'
Has INV DNNoLiV iut 1Iiiti sD'atN'
really begins. | commend this Il you
favorable consideration. II is an even
of prime historic significance. Ii
which all the people of the United
States should feel. and should know
. great and general interest,
i Postal Service.
G In the postoffice department thu
service has increased In efficiency
= and conditions as to revenue and eX
4 penditure continue satisfactory, TIL,
incease OF revenue during the yea
was $9,35S, ISL, 10, or 60 per cent, tn
total receipts amounting TO $143,3S2,
Q 62f.3i. The expenditures were St52,
t 362,1l6.70, an increase of about 3 pc
2 cent over the previous year. beini
r thus $S,979, 1926 In excess Of the cur
rem revenue, Included In these eS
6 penditures was q total appropriation
9 of $l2, 956, 637. 36 for the continuation
and extension Of the rural freetieliy
! cry service, which was an increase o
Y $4.902. 237.35 over the amount eXpend
t ed last year. Large MS this expendi
/ lure has been the benefjcent result
G attained in extending the free distrI
Y button Of mails 70 the residents OF ri
c raj districts have justified the wisdom
G of the outlay. Statistics hrough
down to the lst Of October, 1904, shoy
2 that on that date there were 27,i3
p rural routes established. serving az
) proximately 12,000.000 of people In ru
raj districts remote from postoffices
u and that there were pending at tina
time 1850 petitions for the establish
ment of new rural routes. Unaues
0 ~tionably some part of the general In
d crease In receipts is due to the In
l. creased postal facilities which th'
$ rural service has afforded. The rev
$ enues have also been aided greatly b.
amendments In the classification O
mail matter. and the curtailment O
g abuses Of the second.class mailing
o privilege. The average Increase II
). the volume OF mail matter for tn
S period beginning with 1902 and end
ing June. 1905 chat portion for 1870
being estimatedD. Is 40.47 per cent, q
compared with 25.46 per cent for tn
d period Immediately preceding. an,
1892 for the four-year period immet
n lately preceding that.
n Consular Service.
Our consular system needs improve
ment. Salaries should be substitute