New-York tribune., 1906-03-27
DISAPPEARING RACES.
Three Hundred Languages in
american Nation.
Three
TFrom The Tribune Bureau. ]

| Washington, March 26-To carry on what the
1 Bureau of EthnOlogy terms "the most important
duty Of primitive man ever planned" Congress
viii be asked this year to make larger appro-
priations for the scientific branch Of the govern
| ment than ever before have been asked for.
Professor w. H Holmes. chief Of the Bureau OF
! Ethnology, viii urge the appropriations COM
mittees Of Congress to provide In the Sundry
/ civil bill for an extension Of the work Of the
bureau to enable investigation and study OF the
races inhabiting the newly acquired possessions
OF the United States. He win ask that expedi-
tions be sent to Hawaii, Samoa, the Ladrones
and, If possible, the Philippines. Relative to the
need OF explorations in these countries Professor
Holmes says: In Hawaii and Samoa we have
to deal with some fifty thousand people repre-
senting a separate branch of the human family
4nese people still In a measure retain their
pItnltVe languages, beliefs, arts. industries,
Haolts ana customs, but their condition is under
gong rapid change, and the native culture will
soon De oDliterated. The race itself IS rapidly
disappearing and so far no adequate scientific
record has been made Of race charactertstfcs
"A nVe years chronological survey Of these islands
snQuid Q De undertaken by the government with
out delay II Congress is willing to modify the
law which, as It stands limits the research to
the American Indian"
Ihere is some likelihood that Congress viii
nIIllt the Investigations OF the bureau in accord
ahce With the general policy Of economy prac-
use tlseu IA the appropriation bills this year, but
ule etnnOIog1sts VIII present a strong plea for an
extension Of the work Professor Holmes in re-
Viewing the work Of the bureau in a recent re-
port said that the facts obtained from the in
vesuEations were OF incaIculabIe value For
t"ehly-slX years according to his report a
corps OF especially trained workers has been dis
ulputed among the various Indian tribes in tha
CAlted states studying such groups as promised
70 yieid valuable results. This has enabled a
GIasSlncatlon OF the tribes into groups allied bv
language and. in Professor Holiness opInfon
EdS resulted In obtaining knowledge fndfsDeD-
SdDle IN the proper administration of a country
Nhere mere are so many different elements of
! Iace. Inc work has included study of the
numerous sociological religious and Industrial
PICpIeHlS involved, an acquaintance with which
- usCIStred 10 be essential in adjusting the +rbaq
20 Ihe new and strange requirements of civil
LztCion I one or the interesting branches of the
.Sl VOTE Is the compiling of a dictionary OF the
lIIDss, einDodyinS In condensed form the aC
= = LuHIuIaled UNI information Of many years II has
zen Iouho that within the area with which ~.
,IeLI0h mas TO deal there are spoken some three
m IuI0red languages as distinct from each otber
as as frehch Is from English, and that these ian
) uases can be grouped In some fifty or sixtv
IHIoush these Investigations" says Professor
i1olInes, "a deeper insight has been saI1od 80
ne ne inner life and character Of the peopIs ana /
oS - N = large sense Of all the primitive peopIes
whatever" ~ any agency