Pine Ridge. We propose an increase of 60 pupils in the authorized enrollment at the Pine Ridge boarding school raising the authorized enrollment to 270. During the fiscal year 1942 the day-school enrollment at this school was 345 and the average daily attendance was 272.

3. Day schools, $1,266,150 (increase, $3,450).—This amount is composed of the following:

The base for this appropriation was established 6 years ago, and the following statement shows the proposed changes for 1944:

We propose a reduction of one-room unit at each of the following schools because of the poor average daily attendance shown: Pine Ridge (Hisle); Two-room to a one-room unit; Western Shoshone (Goshute): two-room to a one-room unit. We propose the complete elimination of the Ring Thunder School on the Rosebud Reservation because of the fact that the families of that community have moved to other communities on the reservation.

INCREASES

Consolidated Ute (Allen Canyon and Ute Mountain).-Elsewhere in this estimate we have recommended the abolishment of the Ute Mountain Boarding School. Such action is dependent on an allowance for the establishment of a one-room day school at Allen Canyon and a similar unit at Ute Mountain. Facilities are available at both places for this purpose. Present indications are that this arrangement will be entirely satisfactory and that the few children needing institutional care can be accommodated in our boarding school at Ignacio.

Rosebud (Grass Mountain).-This school is carried at the present time as a one-room unit. However, the attendance during the past year has increased so that it is necessary, to provide a second teacher. The enrollment last year was 67 and the average attendance was 49. We request allowance for the extra room unit.

Rosebud (Spring Creek).-This school has been allowed for on a two-room-unit basis, but during this past year the attendance was increased to the point that a third teacher is required. The enrollment last year was 101 and the average attendance 78. We request allowance for the extra room unit.

4. Special consolidated day schools, $551,575.—The following tabulation explains this figure:

To show this detail by schools, there follows a statement indicating the number of pupils contemplated for each of the special consolidated day schools during 1944, together with the number for the upper grades:

We propose no change in this item for 1944.

5. Aid to public schools, $568,910.-A total of $577,240 was used from this appropriation during the fiscal year 1942 for payment to public schools for tuition of Indian children including educational aids such as lunches, tansportation and school supplies. We anticipate additional requests for settlement of outstanding obligations, which will approximate the total amount available. The average daily rate for tuition, exclusive of special aids, was 40 cents. number of the districts employ trained teachers in shop instruction, agriculture, and home economics. It is not possible to estimate the special aids in terms of daily tuition, as some children receive no such aid while others require lunch,

A

transportation, books and possibly some other help. No tuition was paid for children having less than one-fourth Indian blood nor where the taxable land owned by parents or children in the district is in excess of non-taxable holdings of the family. With a few exceptions tuition is not paid for children living in incorporated towns having a population of 500 inhabitants or more. We pay tuition to districts for children coming from other districts or living without the corporate limits of towns.

We have continued the arrangement with the State of Oklahoma whereby a uniform rate of 28 cents a day is allowed in the western portion of the State. Onehalf of the daily tuition in that area goes into the general school fund; the other is used for improvement of the program to meet the needs of Indian children. In addition a small allowance is made for lunch when needed. Tribal funds of the Cheyenne River Tribe amounting to $8,000 were used for tuition payments. There follows a tabulation showing distribution of public school tuition funds during the fiscal year 1942:

6. State cooperation contracts, $445,215 (increase, $44,375).-This amount is composed of the following:

Minnesota ($44,375 from Chippewa in Minnesota fund).-The education of all Indian children enrolled in public schools in the State of Minnesota is covered by a contract with the State rather than handled by the usual agreements with individual districts. Of the total, $44,375 is paid from Chippewa tribal funds as follows: Red Lake, $12,000 and Consolidated Chippewa, $32,375.

In the past there has been available for expenditure an accumulated sum of interest on the Chippewa fund but in more recent years there has been a continual depletion of the funds of these Indians to a point where a considerable portion of these expenditures is coming from the principal fund to the credit of the tribe. Because of this depletion of funds the Tribal Council of the Consolidated Chippewa Tribe, in the spring of 1940 and 1941, and again in the spring of 1942, have strenuously objected to the use of their funds for education purposes.

The Indian Office has promised the tribal council that the importance of transferring this amount to gratuity funds would again be presented in our annual budget.

7. Tuition grants for higher education, $15,000.-The first specific recognition of the need of higher education for Indians was in the 1933 act which appropriated $10,000 "to be expended for the tuition of Indian pupils attending higher educational institutions." For each succeeding fiscal year the appropriation has been $15,000, an amount inadequate for the increasing number of well-qualified young Indians who should have the advantage of professional education and training.

The number of students using this fund increases a little each year, even though the amount appropriated annually has remained the same since 1934. One hundred and forty-two students were aided from this fund in 1937; 157 in 1938; and 179 in 1939; 164 for 1940; 166 for 1941; and 208 for 1942. The average amount granted students during the current fiscal year is $69 and the individual allotments run from $23 to $552.

Good high-school facilities are now available to Indian young people generally and this accounts for the increased interest in preparation for higher education. The demand for assistance in obtaining certain types of professional training in the fields of agriculture, medicine, law, social welfare, business administration, architecture, and engineering has grown correspondingly in recent years. This year we have a student in medical school where the tuition is $552 per year which we paid for him from the above-mentioned fund. Several students in good agricultural schools are receiving $100 each from the above fund. Students are not usually given the full amount of tuition as there are so many qualified students asking for aid that the individual grants must be kept to a minimum.

Colleges and universities located in the same towns or cities as Federal Indian boarding schools are being utilized by the Indian Service for higher education of qualified Indians through payment of tuition and permission to live at the Indian boarding school while attending the nearby college or university. The students pay for this privilege by furnishing to the Indian school certain types of needed service.

8. Tuition, deaf, dumb, blind, and otherwise incapacitated Indian children, $20,000. In 1933 the annual appropriation for aid of deaf, dumb, blind, and mentally deficient children was increased from $10,000 to $15,000, and the fund was made available for any physically handicapped Indian child. For the fiscal year 1938 the amount was increased to $20,000.

We continue wherever possible to secure free care and education for defective and handicapped children in State institutions by having counties and States assume the obligation for payment. Each year, however, many worthy cases are presented for consideration, but because of lack of funds, we have taken care of only the most urgent cases presented. Some of the people whom we assist are those who have been injured in accidents. These handicapped young people