The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-10-20
TO ACQUAINT THE
INDIANS WITH BET
TERMENT PLANS
Proposal Made That the United States
Government Maintain Regular
Bulletin Service Along News
paper Lines.

Mohonk Lake, n. Y, Oct. 20.--A regu
lar bulletin service, conducted by thu
government along newspaper lines like
the consslar trade reports, to keep tha
Indians and Indian guardians informed
of what is being done in their interest
was advocated to-day by John M. 0ski
son of New York in an address before
the Lake Mohonk Conference on the In.
dian and Other Dependent Peoples.
| He said:
Zone item of the platform of the So.
eiety for American Indians is embodied
in this section:
"'The present confusion of reservation
Indians as to their legal rights is due
very largely to their lack OF essential
information. They have no easy means
of knowing what their tribal claims are
or the letter of the laws and rulings gov
erning them.
"'This information should be common
~ available, as also should be report
OF the income and disbursements of the
tribe through rents, leasings or trust
funds.
"'To bring the Indians to the position
of enlightened citizenship, the Indians
must know the details that affect their
progress 10 this point.
"'We, therefore, call upon the interior
department, through the bureau of In
dian affairs, to prepare set of simple
booklets giving digests of the laws gov.
erning reservations, and TO publish the
special rulings of each agency
"'To these should be added the finan-
cial accountings, in order that the In
dians most affected may be given that
confidence in the governments interest
that is so necessary for good citizen.
ship
Certainly If we believe him capable of
taking some part In solving these prob
lens, we ought to let him know the ae-
tual laws and Indian Office rulings under
which he must act.
very jealously, and properly, the In
dian Office has refused 10 make public |
the financial conditions Of individual In
iians. But when il is possible for In
iians 10 be deceived as 10 the source of /
money expended for their tribal benefit /
believing IL TO come from the govern
nent as a gift when, in fact. il is taken
rom Indian money!. IL is time at least 4
% publish fully the facts as to tribal
.unds.
Il would welcome a regular bulletin
Iervicc by the bureau Of Indian affairs.
yet this be issued az regular intervals.
ct il be Of the character Of the excel.
ent consular reports Of the department
i commerce, gathering up from al the
Material which comes into the Washing
on Office all suggestions for the better
nent of the service.
let these regular hints. new items
nd reports Of progress 60 70 a. many
Z the Indians Is can read them. Give
be intelligent Indians on the reserva-
ions q chance 20 know what is being
one IN the reservation world. Give
hem chance 20 take the initiative In
utting some Of the plans into practice.
II would have this bulletin service
repaired. not by any clerk bound b. tie
JHtine Of the Office nor by an overworled
commissioner. but By q person trained
b Eift material for the significant and
lteresting grains and 70 put this in
mple reading form. . wouid have
-ained Newspaper writer O. establish
81 maintain this bulletih sefsice under
le direct supervision Of. and with the
sarty co-opsration 81. the bureau