INDIANS OF THE UNITED STATES HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON THE CONDITION OF VARIOUS TRIBES OF INDIANS ACT OF JUNE 30, 1919 HOMER P. SNYDER, New York, Chairman. PHILIP P. CAMPBELL, Kansas. R. CLINT COLE, Ohio. JOHN REBER, Pennsylvania. (IN TWO VOLUMES) WASHINGTON INDIANS OF THE UNITED STATES. COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., Tuesday, September 23, 1919. The committee met at 2.30 o'clock p. m., Hon. Homer P. Snyder (chairman) presiding. There were also present Representatives Elston, Hernandez, Rhodes, Sinclair, Randall, Cole, Reber, Kelly, Carter, Hayden, Tillman, Gandy, Hastings. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. We will continue the hearing organized under section 28 of H. R. 2480, approved June 30, 1919, which section will be inserted in the record. (The section referred to is as follows): SEC. 28. That during this Congress those members of the Committee on Indian Affairs of the House of Representatives, not less than five in number, who are Members of the Sixty-fifth Congress, are authorized to conduct hearings and investigate the conduct of the Indian Service, at Washington, D. C., and elsewhere, and the sum of $15,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to be immediately available, is hereby appropriated for expenses incident thereto. The said committee is hereby authorized and empowered to examine into the conduct and management of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and all its branches and agencies, their organization and administration, to examine all books, documents, and papers in the said Bureau of Indian Affairs, its branches or agencies, relating to the administration of the business of said bureau, and shall have and is hereby granted authority to supœna witnesses, compel their attendance, administer oaths, and to demand any and all books, documents, and papers of 'whatever nature relating to the affairs of Indians as conducted by said bureau, its branches, and agencies. Said committee is hereby authorized to employ such clerical and other assistance, including stenographers, as said committee may deem necessary in the proper prosecution of its work: Provided, That stenographers so employed shall not receive for their services exceeding $1 per printed page. The CHAIRMAN. The matter has been tentatively under way and under study for several months. The theory accepted by the committee at a hearing some time ago is that the investigation shall be taken up under certain headings, without being confined to those headings, which shall be made a part of the record. (The headings referred to are as follows:) Committee No. 1: Bureau and Administration. Messrs. Elston, Kelly, and Hastings. Committee No. 2: Investigation, reimbursable, and tribal and Treasury funds. Messrs. Rhodes, Hernandez, and Hayden. Committee No. 3: Consolidation boarding schools to increase advantages of pupils and decrease cost to the Government. Messrs. Reber, Sinclair, and Carter. COMMITTEE NO. 1.-BUREAU. Number of employees. Increase in work and necessity for the increase. Overlapping of work. Inspection service, cost, and number of employees. Number of Indians from whom restrictions have been removed; number of employees employed to attain this result. How best to strike from the rolls unnecessary divisions and employees. INDIANS OF THE UNITED STATES. COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., Tuesday, September 23, 1919. The committee met at 2.30 o'clock p. m., Hon. Homer P. Snyder (chairman) presiding. There were also present Representatives Elston, Hernandez, Rhodes, Sinclair, Randall, Cole, Reber, Kelly, Carter, Hayden, Tillman, Gandy, Hastings. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. We will continue the hearing organized under section 28 of H. R. 2480, approved June 30, 1919, which section will be inserted in the record. (The section referred to is as follows): SEC. 28. That during this Congress those members of the Committee on Indian Affairs of the House of Representatives, not less than five in number, who are Members of the Sixty-fifth Congress, are authorized to conduct hearings and investigate the conduct of the Indian Service, at Washington, D. C., and elsewhere, and the sum of $15.000, or so much thereof as may be necessary. to be immediately available, is hereby appropriated for expenses incident thereto. The said committee is hereby authorized and empowered to examine into the conduct and management of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and all its branches and agencies, their organization and administration, to examine all books, documents, and papers in the said Bureau of Indian Affairs, its branches or agencies, relating to the administration of the business of said bureau, and shall have and is hereby granted authority to supoena witnesses, compel their attendance, administer oaths, and to demand any and all books, documents, and papers of 'whatever nature relating to the affairs of Indians as conducted by said bureau, its branches, and agencies. Said committee is hereby authorized to employ such clerical and other assistance, including stenographers, as said Committee may deem necessary in the proper prosecution of its work: Provided, That stenographers so employed shall not receive for their services exceeding $1 per printed page. The CHAIRMAN. The matter has been tentatively under way and under study for several months. The theory accepted by the committee at a hearing some time ago is that the investigation shall be taken up under certain headings, without being confined to those beadings, which shall be made a part of the record. (The headings referred to are as follows:) Committee No. 1: Bureau and Administration. Hastings. Messrs. Elston, Kelly, and Committee No. 2: Investigation, reimbursable, and tribal and Treasury funds. Messrs. Rhodes, Hernandez, and Hayden. Committee No. 3: Consolidation boarding schools to increase advantages of pupils and decrease cost to the Government. Messrs. Reber, Sinclair, and Carter. COMMITTEE NO. 1.-BUREAU. Number of employees. Increase in work and necessity for the increase. Overlapping of work. Inspection service, cost, and number of employees. Number of Indians from whom restrictions have been removed; number of employees employed to attain this result. How best to strike from the rolls unnecessary divisions and employees. |