Arizona republican., 1913-01-06
Former Commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Af- fairs Recommends Aboli- tion of Paternal Care of Government
STANDS UPON
 EQUAL FOOTING
Believes Time is Coming When United States Will Finally Have Lifted It's Hands From Red Mans Affairs
ASSOCIATED PRESS prspArcn1

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.--That the American Indian should be released as soon as possible from the paternal care of the United States government, now his guardian in virtually everything he does, was the opinion expressed in the annual report from the bureau of In dian affairs submitted to Secretary of the Interior Fisher by Robert G. val- entine, until recently commissioner and made public today.
 The then commissioner voiced the hope that the day might be near when the United States will finally have lift ed it's hands from Indian affairs, and all Indians in all respects will stand on an equal footing with all their fellow Americans"
 With all the expedition compatible with the Indian welfare" he added they should be made subject to the laws of their states and be taught to look to their local government instead of the national government. My con- VictiOn is that no possible obstacle should be placed in the way of the ! transformation of Indian affairs ad- minstered by the United States into the affairs of normal citizens under the | ordinary jurisdiction of the states. T do not suggest further authority l for enlarged federal jurisdiction over 1 minor offenses on reservations. Im- l rOrtant questions of marriage and di- Vorce illustrate difficult points, of which the only proper solution appears to be education of Indians. whether or not 1 they are citizens to comply with the ! laws of their states
 1 Progress during the year m teaching 1 the Indian to be sober and industrious. l in educating him to be better farmer and mechanic. and in imparting health 1 principles, both as they apply individ- ually and in the home. was reported.
 Every Indian, like every white i man." declared the Commissioner, 'fs best fitted for some one thing. We are | trying to find that thing. One of our
 newest activities is to make every eff
 fort, both in the schools and among the | adults on the reservations, in the di- rection of vocational guidance" l The Indian service in all its parts l showed increased activity during the year, the report stated not in exten-
 sion of jurisdiction. but in grappling 1 more deeply and more intimately with
 the problems it has to solve. The com
 
 efficiency among the Indians continued with increased momentum, the need for
 this work being shown by the fact that the death rate among the Indians is 60 per cent greater than that among l other classes of people in the registra-
 ton area of the United States. while the mortality from tuberculosis is three
 and half times as great.
 The war against the sale of liquor
 to Indians was "waged with contin- uous vigor and successful results" the 1 report added, and the fight against l gambling is beginning to bear fruit" | Mir. Valentine pointed to the fact that two convictions were secured for the 1 sale of liquor to Indians in Washing ton, under the dome of our Capitol, showing, he said that the Indian l though hundreds of miles distant from
 his home, has not lost his lust for fire
 water, and that the laws as now in | force are applicable anywhere The home condition of the Indians l is one of the most unsatisfactory feat
 ures of the Indian problem, said the | commissioner. for which reason special
 attention is being given to the instruc- ton of Indian girls. The character and l efficiency of the training given to them must be improved, he said, because it is realized that for the girls more than for the bows the instruction should be of an intensive form. Girls can De kept in school only for a few years , after they nave developed into woman s hood it was stated.
 The greatt investment the indian Q 1 service has, coI. inues the report, IS in the so-called returned stu6ents who , thaye been away at the larger schools Y and have returned to live at or near their home reservation. There are n about 35.O00 of these Indians, who rep resent an economic investment. It Is f estimated, of about $5OO00,00O. These n students frequently are considered merely trouble makers by the superln- - tendents of the reservations, declares n the commissioner The superintendents 1 forget entirely, he adds, that his class = of Indians protest against the order oi 1 things as they find it when they return n to their reservations because they a have seen better things, but have not
 ouite found their own way to them y And I am sorry to say, he continues Il that frequently the greates. oostacle
 to their finding their way lies III the V government machinery and personnei l (Continued on Page Seven)