Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
.fREDERnKH. Anborr
ASSISTANT oqn11ss1onrR

sent to escort them and they We're
given everything for their comfort.
Another problem that the Office of In
dian affairs is called upon to consider Is
that of tuberculosis among the Indians.
In some sections the disease has made
great Roadway. Sanatorium camps have
been established where the inmates may
live in the open, be constantly under the
eye of a physician and have their diet.
clothing and habits carefully regulated The
Indian office is attacking the task bu; che
Indians themselves are the greatest meu-
ace to success, for they do not take kind
ly to hygiene. and have no conception of
the art of taking care of themselves.
The medicine mem have handicapped
the efforts of the ply sicians to great
extent for the real Indian believes in his
own customs and traditions above all else,
and especially does he believe in the
medicine man One of the most infiu-
entia! medicine men at Tongue River
reservation. Mont. proposed that he Ice
allowed to work on salary in coniunc-
ton with the reservat on physicians. la
this way the Indians could be induced to
be helped to health, for the native would
simply transmit the orders of the doctor.
The act has been recommended by the
agency, and will doubtless be favoraby
passed upon. There is another disease
that has become prevalent in the south
west. 1t results i'll blindness to the suf-
ferer. AS Yet the government has not
been able to classify it. though it is under
careful investigation al the present time.
These are only few of the things that
come under the commissioner of Indian
affairs notice, and administered and
planned i'll the office of which he is the
head Mr.. Robert @. Valentine is the
present COMMISSIONS, standing in the po-
sition Of guardian 10 the American In
dams, and he takes real and personal
interest in his charges. The assistant
commissioner is Frederick Hiram Abbott.
and Frank w. Broughton is Mr.. Valen-
tines secretary, while C. F; Hauke serves
as chief clerk. Frank La Flesche. full
blOoded Omaha Indian, is employed as
one Of tie clerks. When contracts are I"
be awarded the commissioner goes to the
various supply stations and examines the
samples submitted before the decision is
made. While he has less than 30 clerks
in the Office here, there are nearly 5000
persons continually employed In the field
service, and he keeps in touch with all,
working hard and late. together with his
efficient staff, TO administer the affairs
of the Indians.
In 1908 there was in the Treasury some
thing like $50. COO, 900 held in trust for the
Indians, in lieu of investment. the inter
est of which is available. either for the
purposes of education or for Improvement
of land or in annuities, according to the
-
to the credit of tn Indians. There is also
a treaty fund, which makes an approx
mate total deposited to the credit of the
Indians of StjtUo0,GDO.
Congress appropriates about SlO,OOO.OO0
each year for the work of educa ton and
maintenance, part OF which is later reim-
bursed. Last year the gratuitous appro-
pria tion was S4,1D.GO0, which is money
given outright for purposes for which
there will be reimbursement. The
appropriation of the fiscal
ear ending in 1910 is $11,o90.OO0. BY this
may be proven the fact that the American
Indian is indeed the ward of the govern
ment, and not a pauper. He has deposit
ed in the safest bank in the United States
funds that will prepare him to be a law
self-supporting and intelligent
citizen. Even now part of this fund is
available for his private check when
vouched by the superintendent in charge
of the reservation upon which he lives
But it is the future that the office of In
dian affairs hopes to perfect by the bene-
fits to this generation of American In
dams,