The Irish standard., 1912-03-30
Investigation of Indian Schools
Under Government Direction
Proves Interesting.
Protestant Member of Board Says
Catholic Schools are Models
of Efficiency
At Much Larger Cost the Govern
ment Schools are Rendering
Inferior Service.

The Bureau Of Indian Missions, pre-
sided over by Rev. w. H. Ketchum.
with headquarters in Washington, D.
c., have just cause to feel elated over
the testimony that was adduced at a
hearing before the Committee on Ex-
penditurcs in the Interior Department
OH March 20. and preliminary to quot
ing vcr batim the testimony of Mr..
Moorchcnd a member of the Board of
Indian Commissioners, it may be stated
that the Catholic School referred to in
his testimony is one under tho super
vision Of Father Kctchum's Bureau
and was built by Rev. Mother Cath
crime DrexeD.
The testimony was given in the ex-
animation conducted before the Com-
mittee by Judge Bur,h, an assistant
attorney general of the Department Of
Justice. Neither Judge Burch, Com
missioner Moorchead nor Inspector
Linnen arc Catholics, though Repre-
sentative Graham. the chairman of the
committee Is a good practical Cath
Olic and n Fourth Degree member of
the knights Of Columbus.
Judge Burch-"Wllat did you find in
the Government school at Pine Point"'
"Was Doing Fine Work." rs;sr
Mr. Moorehead-"We found not Il
very satisfactory situation at Pine
Point, but a worse one at White Earth
in the large school. Mr.. Linnen spoke
to me one day, and asked me to so
up to the school house where / be-
licve. Superintendent Gowan was in
charge. He had, think, from 100 to
$50 children. l went up with Inspector
Linncn. We went into that school
room, the dining room, tho dormitories;
In the warehouse, and into all build
ings relating to tho school system. We
found Il wrctchcd situation. We found
the children in ragged clothes scrub
bling the floors, arranging tables, etc.
The table covers were dirty and none
the older children sat, were provided
with knives forks and spoons. At the
other tables the children had either a
knife or spoon. or fork, or, in some
cases, a knife and spoon. Mr.. Linnen.
who did the greatest part Of the work
on that, made a report, roasting the
management. He discharged that man
from the United States service. We
went into the warehouse, distant 200
or 300 feet, and found new uniforms
there, new knives, forks, spoons, plates,
cups etc. and we had these tables put
in decent condition for the children to
sit at and cat. He was very angry
over that situation and it was the more
inexcusable he claimed, because he
had been there two or three weeks be-
fore he went on that inspection tour,
| and the superintendent ought to have
known enough to get things in shape
in that time. But that was the situa-
| tion we found, which you can verify
| by the report. I did not make that
report; l was simply a witness to it.
and found it in bad shape. That re-
port was in the files"
Judge Burch-"What did he do?"
Mr.. Moorehead.-"He discharged the
superintendent"
Judge Burcf-"Did he take the sup
| erintendent down to the Catholic
| school?"
Mr.. Moorehead-"I understood that
they took some Of these teachers down
to the Catholic school, three miles
away, and showed them how a school
should be run, and the people there
did not like it, that is, the teachers
and others. The Catholic school was
something like an orphan asylum, and
the children of either the poor Indians
or children who had no parents. It
was large institution, and think be-
tween 100 and $50 pupils in it. They
had nice clean dormitories a good
garden, and very satisfactory tables.
These children were all in uniform, and
seemed to be well fed and contented.
I believe Mr.. Linnen asked them some
questions, If my memory serves me
correctly, as to how they were getting