The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-10-18

given away for services rendered. and
100000 practically given away TO
$4,000 homesteaders. Besides this
thirty complete town sites were sold,
100 coal mines. 1000 gold mine
claims. and 5000 tracts Of timber land.
This Indicates that Uncle Sam does q
thriving real estate business.
Although the Indians are rapidly DO.
Ing absorbed In the encompassing cur
rents OF superior civilization. there
still remain enough incompetent ones
TO require the continuation OF a ma
tional guardianship. This guardian
ship Is delegated 10 the commissioner
or Indian affairs. who has charge Of
their lands, moneys. schools, supplies
and general welfare. In the early
history of the bureau OF Indian af-
fairs the Indian country was divided
into large districts. which were In
charge Of superintendent. These dis
tricts. In turn, We're subdivided into
reservations, and each reservation had
its own Indian agent. All OF this has
been changed and the superintendent
no longer exist, while the agents are
passing. The Affairs OF small groups
OF Indians are now placed In the
hands or bonded day school teachers
or farmers, who report directly to the
commissioner of Indian AFFAIRS.
Under the present conditions the
commissioners Is authorized to sell an
individuals holding in tribal lands,
where he thinks the money would do
the Indian more good than the land:
or he may transfer to any competent
Indian, the complete management OF
his individual estate. A rule has been
established that all Indian signatures
shall be made by the impression In
wax OF the right thumb OF the signer.
The bureau OF education directs the
national educational interests OF the
country. It's reports are published
annually In two volumes. which are
valuable as statistical encyclopedia
or educational progress. They also
contain summary OF all the latest
Ideas in the educational world. OF all
recent legislation. and or everything
or value In aiding the teachers OF
the United States 10 keep abreast OF
world movements In educational
circles
The geological survey was origin
ally intended TO survey the public
domain and to ascertain the character
or Its mineral deposits, but Il has so
broadened the scope OF its work IA
10 become one OF the most important
bureaus in the entire government ser
vice. Many OF its duties have been
assigned To the new bureau OF mines
under the law passed last winter Be-
tween the two they have charge OF
the work OF surveying the country,
making the Official maps OF the ma.
ton, investigating the water resources
OF the country, studying all questions
relating TO the safety OF miners and
the economical handling OF mine ma
terials, testing building materials, and
many things OF equal importance TO
every citizen. The process OF making
the official maps OF the country Is full
OF interest. One OF these maps IL q
complete one OF the United States,
and when the work IL finished Il will
have cost the nation three million dol
lars. In addition TO this topographic
map there Is one being made OF the
geologic formation Of the country. II
Will be many years before these two
maps are worked out in complete de-
tail. The whole country already has
been surveyed In a general way. but
these maps bring IL down 10 minute
ness seldom undertaken by any gov
eminent.
The reclamation service. another
branch of the interior department. has
charge of the irrigation of the semi
arid regions OF the United States and
the drainage OF the swamp lands OF the
country. Its labors promise TO have
an increasing Importance as the years
go by. AS these lands. when properly
irrigated or drained. are the most pro-
ductive In the United States. the In
creasing population OF the country will
make IL essential that this work be
carried forward with great rapidity.
The government reclaims the land and
then sells II to those who expect to
farm 1t. at a rate SUFFICIENT to pay all
expenses OF reclamation In the irri-
gated country the big water projects
are turned over to the users OF the
water, who mutually share the ex-
pense OF the upkeep. The reclamation
service is spending many millions Of
dollars a year. and Is handling almost
as much material as Is being taken
out OF the Panama canal during the