Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-14
Interesting Statistics and Comment
Or the Indians and Their Relations
With the Government-Evils OF the
Drink Habit Are Explained-lndian
Education.

begin to reck, ana LOT three years the
red man has been given to understand,
and has had the fact brought close to
his attention that If he would eat he
must toll. That he might understand
this the more completely, his rations
have been withheld. and he has been
developed into a prov1der. Work has
been offered him. and he has been
promptly paid, thus enabling him to
purchase the necessities Of life like
white man.
The money saved by the reduction Of
rations goes to pay for the red mans
labor in building roads, dams, reser-
voirs for the storage OF water and other
needed work on reservations. For all
this he receives $1.25 a day of eight
hours--and here the red man is truly
q trades unionist. If he works with
his team he receives $3.50 day.
How Many Are Lazy.
Secretary Hitchcock fails to state
how many Of the 100000 Indians in
the United States are adult males, and
20 II is impossible to say how many
lazy. shiftless Indians there are. But
ne does assert, that, as result Of this
work or starve' system, the first
yealr's report show $4,000 to have been
drt,pped from the ration rolls as wholly
self-supporting and many Of these
never In their lives had worked before.
Secretary Hitchcock says this policy
has passed the experimental stage,
TINT the Indians are beginning to UNI.
dsnstand that only the sick and physi..
oally disabled will be fed and cared for
without work.
Radek1ae Il. AZ Eat
Though the provincial resident OF
New England and Manhattan still
thinks OF Indians and buffaloes as PEI
culiar only Of the real and the Buffalo
Bill wild west, there are $500 redskins
still within the borders Of New York
state. dwelling on small reservations,
whose total acreage IL $4,000. OF the
remainder about 10000 occupy 1856 res
1fvations In the various other states
/ aald territories. Ten agencies have
bsen abolished In the year, and the du-
des Of such agencies devolve upon
bonded superintendents of Indian
training schools.
Indian Education.
The arrow Of knowledge is put In
tie young Indians hands at 253 schools
and the distinction Of going away to
boarding school Is not the prerogative
Of the paleface child, either, for there
are twenty-five non-reservation board
fig schools The total school enroll
itient is 25.24s pupils and the average
daily attendance Is 2o.876-an increase
OF 52S over the previous year.
No figures are given bearing upon
ouch paleface accomplishments as
playing hockey" nor is reference
tnade to hazing In boarding schools.
THAT football is not regarded evidence
+ ef increased civilization Is shown in the
fact that no mention is made Of this
lnodern adjunct Of the college course
Secretary Hitchcock finds grounds
{ for applause in the results Of the recent
change In the methods of leasing unal-
lotted Indian lands. He says the rev.
e.nue from this source has increased
t;reatly-which the ordinary business
man, IMMERSED in Indian affairs might
have told him would be the result Of
applying business system and basing
leases on competitive bids instead Of
in haphazard manner.
Tho Indians Thirst.
Judging by Secretary Hitchcock's
conservatively hopeful statements the
indian is thriving. But tho he APP
parently is taking kindly to work. and
thus becoming more nearly like the
Ideal white man, nevertheless he re-
mains possessed Of thirst for drink.
No figures are given but the lack Of
them may be taken as an indication
that no considerable number Of red
men are recorded as having taken and
kept the pledge.
Indeed there Is no hopeful element
In the tone OF Secretary Hitchcock's
references to the drink problem. The
secretary wants a fund to enable him
to put detectives on the trail Of the
white man who sells liquor to the In
dian. He says some convictions have
been secured. but he seems almost dis
couraged about the matter.
True. he shows that water Is coming
into favor, thanks to the irrigation pro-
jects on numerous reservations. On the
Crow reservation in Montana and on
the Fort Hall reservation extensive
systems have been constructed I'm
der department supervision. And
other similar work is in progress else
where. But there is no other evidence
that the Indian Is taking to water.
That he has troubles like the white
.iiaii IN securing Sood Hquof, however,
Is shown in the report, which cites the
case of the death Of nine Indians at
Turtle Mountain. N. D.. from drinking
Florida water" sold to them for
whisky. thus furnishing one sort of in
dlcation that the Indian Is at least as
civilized as his white brother OF. Goth
am saloons.
OIL WELLS TURN TO VOLCANOES.
I ava and pL.L.....x