The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-13
NUMBER OF LAZY
INDIANS REDUCED ];
Secretary Hitchcock Reports on
the Nation s Red Wards and
Their Achievements.
Special to The Journal,

Special to The Journal.
Washington, Dec: 13-Many Indians
work. Ethan Allen Hitchcock, secres
tary Of the interior department, admits
this to be true, in his annual report,
just issued. But the trouble is all in
their bringing up. For 10! these many
years, Lo has rocked not Of the NOR
row, or if he has rocked, he has not
shown it. But now the white mans
government has decided that he must
begin to reck, and for 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
developed into a provider. Work, has
promptly paid, thus enabling, him to
white man. /
The money saved by the reduction Of
rations goes to pay for the red man 8
labor in building roads, dams, reser--
voirs for the storage Of water and other
needed work on reservations. For all
this he receives $l.25 a day Of eight
hours--and here the red man is truly
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
so it is impossible to say how many
lazy, shiftless Indians there are. But
"work or starve'' system, the first
years reports show $4,000 to have been
dropped 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; that
the Indians are beginning to under
stand that only the sick and physically
disabled will be fed and cared for with
out work.
Redskins in the East.
Tho the provincial resident Of New
England and Manhattan still thinks Of
Indians and bufaloes as peculiar only
Of the real and the Buffalo Bill wild
west, there are $500 redskins still with
in the borders of New York state,
total acreage is IS, 900. Of'the remain
der, about 10000 occupy 1856 reserva-
tions in the various other states and
territories. Ten agencies have been
abolished in the year, and the duties
Of such agencies devolve upon bonded
superintendent of Indian training
schools.
Indian Education.
The arrow Of knowledge is put in
the young Indian g hands at 253 schools,
and the distinction of going away to
of the paleface child, either, for there
are TWENTY-FIVE nOn-reSerVatiOn board
ing schools. The total school enroll
ment is 25,248 pupils and the average
| daily attendance is 20,S76-an increase
| of 52S over the previous year:
No figures are given bearing upon
such palehf aco 9ceomplishmeats
made piI' to- h a2in' in Boarding schools
That football is not regarded evidence
of increased civilization is shown in the
fact that no mention is made Of this
modern adjunct Of the college course.
Secretary Hitchcock finds grounds
for applause in the results Of the recent
chang in the methods Of leasing unal
enue from this source has increased
greatly-which the ordinary business
man, IMMERSED in Indian affairs might
have told him would be the result OF
applying business system and basine
leases on competitive bids instead Of il
| ulduucI
The Indians Thirst.
Judging by Secretary Hitchcock 4
conservatively hopeful statements the
Indian is thriving. But tho he ap
parently is taking kindly to work, and
thus becoming more nearly like the
ideal white man, nevertheless he re
mains possessed of a thirst for, drink
No figures are given, but the lack OF
| 1n61PH1lOT
that no considerable number Of red me1
are recorded as having taken and kept
the pledge.
Indeed, there is no hopeful element
in the tone Of Secretary Hitchcock &
references to the drink problem. The
secretary wants fund to enable him to
put detectives on the trail of the white
man who sells liquor to the Indian. He
says some convictions have been Sc
cured, but he seems almost discouraged
about the matter.
True, he shows that water is coming
into favor, thanks to the irrigation pro
jects on numerous reservations. 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
man 3 in securing good Liquor, however h!g
case Of the death of nine Indians at
Turtle Mountain, n. D., from drinking
HFlorida water' sold to them fol-
whisky, thus furnishing one sort Of in
dication that the Indian is at least as
civilized as his white brother Of Gotham
saloons.
The Dawes Commission.
Annexed to the report is that Of Tams
Bixby Of the Dawes commission to the
five civilized tribes. Other than in
this, Mr.. Bixby's name is not men
toned, but the work Of the commission
| is thus summarized
Marked progress has been made in thu
enrolment of the members Of the five
civilized tribes in the Indian Territory
and the allotment to each member OF his
proportionate share in the commune
property. A final adjudication has beer
made of the rights Of more than 81 pei
cent of the whole number of applicants fol
enrolment to membership in the severa
tribes, and selections of allotments have
been made by about IS per cent Of the
| number of allottees duly enrolled. The
bulk of the work Of enrolment of mem
bers and the allotment of lands, except az
to contests, and the determination OF the
rights of certain applicants now pending
in the courts it is believed will be COM
pleted on June 80, 1905 and that the sur
| vey of all the towns and the appralSemen'
of lots therein will be substantially fin
ished by July 1, 1905, as required by law.
Holiday Excursion Rates Via North
Western Line.
Round trip tickets will be on sale
| Dec. - to %, with return limit Of Jan.