The Alaska daily empire., 1916-03-29

written by Mr. Frank c. Carpenter. on Father Duncan's work. which appeareo in the Issue of the Washington City Star" Of February 13. 19i6 and which also appeared In other papers of tho country.
 We have read tho article in question. Were it not for the wrong impression that it has left on the mind of the read er8 ns Co the proper course Of affairs hero at MetlaSahta, we would have passed this article unchalenged as we have done many times before when ta- thcr Duncan'B work was described 0no exaggerated upon by persons who meant well but who did not know the situation well.
 The article referred to above atatos that ln spite Of Father Duncans protest. ano in opposition to him, tho Government has come into the Metlakahtla commun- ity, established a large public school for the Indians, the result of which was ca division of opinion among the Metlo' kahtla Indians as Co which theory ii tho right one, and Che friction at present existing is not good for Che community. Tho noted writer quotes Father Duncan as saying that tho Mctlakahtla Indian, should bc treated more like ,hildren and that their education should bo al' most altogether Q religious and Indus trial one"
 Tho inference is that the Government should have left Father Duncan and hii Indians entirely alone; that there should have been no interference whatever bl anyone in his work. and that his cours, of treating the Indiana like children, at' ter nll his many years of labor witt them. was the only correct course.
 The Council of Mctiakohtlo wishes tl state the facts In regard co thls matter and those facts are recorded and thes can be substantiated 0t tho office of th' nH u u# IHHmmUNH of the Secretary of the Interior ot Wash
 After Father Duncan failed to fulfil the requirements Of bis mission Co th' Metlallahtla 1ndians between the year. 1887 and about 1907. the lndiane oegor to make complaints to thc uuthoriue' In regard to him and his school work These repeated complaints resulted 1T a series Of Investigations. conducted b, several officials of the Government, or school affairs Of Metlnkohtlo. The ollc ial8 that conducted these invcsugQuonl at different times before the fall O. 1913. were O special agent of the Inter tor Department. tho Chief of the Alaska Divlaion of the Bureau Of Education the Secretary of tho Interior under th' preceding administration, and two Of th' Governors of this Territory.
 It was proved at these public hear lngs that the complaints of the indianl against Father DuncQn's methods wer' well grounded and deeply rooted Ever investigation by these officials nlwayl ended with an urgent demand by h' Indians of Metlnlnhtla that the discour aging and depiorable conditions eNistni In tho life of the Indians in regard C their education. religion. Industries an' tho daily welfare of their community. b' made better.
 Father Duncan cialmed that there wa absolutely nothing wrong with Metla tnhtla The whole thing was gotten ui by a few "blackguords' and ''malcon tonta."
 The Indiana on tho other hand alway. pointed out to the authorities tho differ ent wrongs that Father Duncan delib orately committed wrongs that have al ready spoiled his work. wrongs in Whici peraons. regardless Of their reputation and station in life were amenoble Go th' laws Of the land. These wrongs tho worc perpetrated on the community o MotlaSnhtla, during a period of ovei twenty years, were recorded by the of' flcialH thnt conducted the investigations For the sake of the name of the MetlQ- kahtla m ssion and the cause that il represented tho officials were dumb on the subject of theae wrongs. and they arc still dumb on the subject of these wrongs today.
 This explains why it was that instead of needing Father Duncan's strong pro- tests. which in any other case should have been respected and needed, the au- thorites listened to the petitions of the Indians and granted to them the school facilities that they asked for In the ia Of 1913
 On account Of the lack of funds at the disposal of tho Bureau of Education the Indians paid for the salaries of Enc first two teachers appointed for Metlo- kahtla in tho fall of 1913, provided @ large hall ot their own expense for tho daily use of the school work. save the teachers tho free use of on Indian dwell Ing house. and in every possible way helped in the beginning Of the work
 The Government therefore dld mol come Into Metlakahtln for tho sake or opposing Father Duncan, or opposing hif work It was convinced. after full. conn plote and impartial investigations. of thC justice of the demands Of the Indians Then it granted Co the Mctlallohtla Tn dians tho school and its privileges thoi they themselves had asked for; and Int or on. when they asked for them again tho rights of local self-government
 The matter of Industrial enterprises have been deprived of for many years is at tho present time being arranged for by the Indians themselves under the ndvicc and supervision of the proper of ficiols Of the Interior Department These enterprises principally consist of the sal- mon cannery, the sawmin and tho trad
 The Council wishes to state that the Indians themselves havo subscribed an amount, are Htlll putting their small savings together. and arc at the same time borrowing a sum of money go that some of these enterprises can bc operat- ed this year for the benefit of the whole community after many years Of uncer- tninty and hardship. These nets Of the MotlalSahtla Indians today establish the fact that Father Duncan failed Co do right with his Indian converts between the years 1887 and 1910.
 The friction" of which Mir. Carpenter speaks that exists at Metiakahtla is be- tween Father Duncan and his ten male followers with their families, on tho one hand. and nbout ak hundred and fifty Indian people. who hNvo asked for the advice and aid of tho Government. on tho other hand.
 Tho formor party believes. as Father Duncan did 10 1851, that we "should ne treated more Ike clnldren" "-a false ,el- nfh and inhuman arserton-whilo tho far back as ld5l, whom tncy asked ta- thor Duncan to become their leader. soon after he was dismigscd from tho service of tho Church Missionary Society. that they then had already outgrcw their primitive life and had reasoned and net. cd as full grown men. The theory Of Father Duncan that the Met,akahtln ln- dlans are stiil mere children. and car only be treated as such without thcir over saving a single word about them selves and tholr nffairs is certainly we'll contradicted by Mir. Carpenter. him- self. who speaks of tho samo Indians as