The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-01-18
REPORT ON UNCLE SANS EF-
FORTS TOWARD PUTTING IN
DIAN ON SUSTAINING BASIS.
RAPID PROGRESS IS MADE
Especially Has the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs Given the Red Man
Assistance in Learning to Farm
Proficiently. ... -. -. ......

Washington, January 1S.-yln at
tempting to put Uncle Sans Indian
wards on se'fsustaining basis
the bureau of Indian affairs durns
the fiscal year ended June 30, 1910
bent every effort to bring about
that end, according TO the annual re-
port of Commissioner Robert G. Val
entine to the secretary of the inte-
rior, made public yesterday. Through
the efforts of its educational, farm
ing and employment branches the
! bureau has been we'll rewarded in
its efforts to make the Indian a
competent citizen of the United
! States.
Wonderful progress was made dur
ing the year covered by the report
in teaching the Indians how to work
their own lands, says the commits
sioner Speaking of the farming prob
lem, Commissioner Valentine says:
The Indian service realizes that
| instruction in farming is an essential
basic part of its present educational
policy and is, therefore, making use
| OF every possible resource in order
to promote farming among the In
dams During the year a number
Of expert farmers were employed 10
teach the Indian the art of agri-
culture. Declaring that the agricul-
tural fair has been convincingly
proved means of stimulating in.
terest in farming among the Indians
by its success among the Crows, Com
missioner Valentine continues: "The
fair promotes healthy rivalry among
Indians and furnishes a rational ba.
sis for meeting together, which
ought eventually to take the place
of the indiscriminate gatherings of
indians, which are usually product
I've of considerable harm"
Reporting that two large railway
systems have offered to provide Oh
portunities for school boys who are
learning trades or who are mechan.
ically inclined, the commissioner
says that the systematic connect.
ing OF the industrial education of
the schools with the real work of
the world will mean the dawning
of new day in Indian education.
and from the human side. the bridg
ing over of that critical period in
boys life when he leaves schol
and starts to work, is a service of
far-reaching importance. Sympathet.
lc direction during these two or
three critical years. the commits.
sioner goes on to say. will mean
the economic and moral salvation of
many boys and young men"
In declaring that the health work
OF the bureau is not merely to
care for and cure those who are
sick nor the reduction of the death
rate. but rather to increase the
vitality OF the Indian race and TO
establish for it a new standard Of
physical weIl-being," the commission.
er says thai one of the princlpal
features of the attack is "an inten-
slve attack upon the two diseases
that most seriously menace she
health of the Administrations and
tuberculosis"
AS a result OF the increased ap-
preparation for the suppression of
the liquor traffic, the report says,
unusually extensive operations were
conducted covering practically every
state OF the union in which Indians
reside" During the year." the COM
missioner says, 1857 new cases
were placed on the dockets, 1867
arrests were made, 747 indictments
secured, and 1865 convictions OBJ
tanned. Cases against 2SO persons
were dismissed and % persons were
acquitted"
The commissioner says that the
bureau has been aided in its ef-
forts along this line by the coop
Grafton OF the state officials, and
continues:
1T is gratifying to find in a
few cases that the Indians them