Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-04

Cato Sells, commissioner of Indian
affairs, today made the following
statement concerning the Indian APP
preparation bill just passed by Con-
gress, which carries appropriations
| amounting to about $11, 100000, ST.
800 900 of this amount being appro-
| priated from Indian funds.
| Commissioner Sells says the bill is the
result of very careful consideration by
the Senate and House Indian affairs
committees. Altogether, 1t is consid-
cred one of the best, If not the best,
/ Indian appropriation bills enacted
| for a number of years.
The Indian committees of Congress
with the cooperation of the Indian
bureau have in this bill worked out
constructive legislation for the In
dams of the country along progress
sive lines. For example, for the first
time in the history of the government
there has been appropriated a large
amount of money for Improvement in
the health conditions of the Indians
and providing hospital facilities for
them $500, 900 is appropriated for
this purpose, 100000 of which will be
used for constructing hospitals at
cost not to exceed $4,000 each. In
| addition to this the Indian bureau is
now constructing three hospitals for
[ COGN
mately $4,000 each on the Rosebud,
Pine Ridge and Cheyenne reserva-
| lions. An appropriation is also made
| in the Indian bill for a hospital In
| the Chippewa country in Minnesota
/, and $50 900 appropriated therefor out
of Chippewa Indian funds. The
health Conditions Of the Indians have
been found to be deplorable and little
| little attention has heretofore been
| .4t, af-
The appropriation in the current In
| dian bill will be a long step forward
in solving this important problem.
] The appropriation for educationa
purposes for the Indians is consider
| ably increased and special provision
made for the education of deaf, dumt
and blind children, who have hereto
| fore been unprovided for. There IL
also a specific appropriation for edu-
| cational purposes among the Papagc
| and Navajo Indians. These Indians
heretofore have been neglected ano
several thousand Indian children
among these Indians are without
school facilities.
| On the recommendation or the In
dian bureau large reimbursable ap'
preparations have been PROVIDED IT
| this bill for industrial work among
Indians. These reimbursable appro-
priations will amount to more thar
$500. 900. The Indians have heretofore
been allotted land, but they have no,
been provided with tools and genera
farm equipment. This appropriation
will enable the commissioner of In
dian affairs to improve stock condi.
tons and place herds of cattle on Q
number of Indian reservations. 1t Is
expected that this appropriation vii
aid very materially the industrial
| activities among the Indians of tho
country and go far towards develop
ing their self-support.
This bill carries a somewhat re-
duced amount for irrigation work or
Indian reservations and contains 8
clause which will require detailed in
| formation regarding each of these
projects to be furnished Congress a.
| it's next session. The Indian irriga-
ton projects have heretofore beer
appropriated for and constructed
largely without adequate detailed in
formation and it is expected at tht
next session OF Congress that the In.
dian Office will furnish a complete
statement regarding each of these
projects so that Congress may have
a thorough understanding Of condi'
tons on each of the reservations