The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1920-02-06
GREAT WASTE
IS CHARGED To
INDIAN BUREAU
(N. Y. Tribunc)

Herkimer, chairman of the committee
on Indian Affairs in the House OF
Representatives, says that Cato Sells.
OF Texas, Commissioner of Indian Az
fairs, while an efficient manager of
indian schools and n fine gentleman,
ls impossible as a business execu-
tive, and he has introduced a bill
In the House which would completely
reorganize the administration OF the
commission.
I'm the seven years that Commits
sioner Sells has had charge OF the In
dian Bureau" Congressman Snyder
said yesterday, the cost of operating
Il has increased $1,000, 900 a year
During that period the number OF
Indians has been reduced to 2l,000
or 1000. God knows which.
when the present Commissioner
took II over the expenditures were
about $4,000. 900 or $4,000, 900. In
the estimates for this year they ask
ed us 10 logislate into the appropria.
ton bill s17,i00. 900. During that
Period the number OF statutory m
ployes on the rolls OF the bureau has
INCREASED by thousands. until today
II Is more than 5000. Think of II in
one little bureau!
Bureau Costs $40, OOO. 900.
my opinion is, and state II with
out fear of contradiction by the Com
missioner or anyone else, that this
present Commissioner has cost the
government OF the United States in
the neighborhood OF $4,000, 900.
Think OF an increase OF 5000, 900 a
year. and the number Of restricted
Indians reduced to 1000 or 1000.
Commissioner Sells is a splendid
gentleman, and undoubtedly has a
general knowledge OF Indian affairs,
but as a business proposition he Is
impossible. Originally II was the plan
to develop the Indian bureau in the
interest Of the Indian, to educate him
and 10 encourage him to become a cit
zen. But every single activity which
could be dragged into the bureau un-
der the guise of some benefit to the
Indian has been injected.
For instance, the first witness we
had on the stand in our investigation
of the bureau was the Commissioner
himself. When we got to the point
OF discussing the reimbursible irri-
cation items he made a speech in
which he stated that probably so per
cent of those projects were defend
able; that many of them were of a
doubtful character and that some
should be eliminated altogether.
Unable to Get Information.
Later On in the investigation
when we insisted that the informa-
ton desired from him should be of
his own knowledge and not from the
members OF his staff who sat around
him he was practically helpless, and
when the question was put to him as
to whether OIL not the work under
these projects was being done by
/ force account or by contract he was
able to state that he thought there
was some done each way, but he
could not ell whether any part of the
work was being done by contract or
any particular project, or any part of
II was being done by force account, or
whether any OF the work that was
being done by the Reclamation Ser
vice under his supervision was being
done by contract or by force account.
''Neither could he give the name
of one single contractor, although he
admitted that much of the work was
being done by contract; and, finally,
after having made the statement
which ! have quoted, that probably
SO per cent of these subjects were de-
fendable, that some Of them were of
a doubtful character, and that some
should be eliminated entirely, he left
the stand with the agreement with
the chairman that he did not know
anything about any particular one of
these projects, in particular or gener-
al. e.
Indian Balks mt Farming.
Ninety percent of the land irri-
gated ~ostensibly for the use OF the
Indians at government expense is be-
ing cultivated or used by white men.
Irrigation of Indian lands was design
ed originally to benefit the Indian as
an urinnltnriaf lie mill not ho o.