Page:LewisMeriam-TheProblemOfIndianAdministration.djvu/103

were dealt with fairly, because such work was impracticable in a survey such as this. Such evidence as is available suggests the very plausible conclusion that traders differ widely. That some exploit the Indians, especially where the government cannot readily control the situation, is notorious. That others are actually philanthropic, extending a very considerable amount of credit where prospects of early repayment are, to say the least, doubtful, is not so commonly known. In the Navajo country it was almost the rule to find the traders with large collections of native silver work upon which they had advanced goods or money, sometimes in very considerable amounts. Although under the law or the regulations they could sell those pawns after a certain time, they almost invariably declined to take advantage of this means of liquidating assets. The general comment was to the effect that “these are good Indians, they pay when they can, and we don’t want to sell these things which they prize as long as they are living.” At Darrington, Washington, two members of the staff visited some desperately poor Indians, who were said to have been, several years ago, summarily ejected from their homes, built on land which they believed to have been allotted to them, because the land had been included in a national forest. Because of the inaccessibility of their old homes they said they were obliged to leave behind practically all their household goods, among which they enumerated such things as stoves, beds and bedding, sewing machines, and a phonograph. They had for some years been squatters on a rough hillside, living by casual labor. The local trader and his wife had extended them considerable credit. At the time of the visit the trader’s store was a smouldering ruin having been destroyed by fire that very night. Both the Indians and the trader and his wife were wondering how the Indians would manage without the credit which the store had been willing to extend. Several of the traders have lived for years in their present locations and know the Indians more intimately than do the changing government officers. In a few cases, traders took members of the staff out to see Indians whom they thought the staff ought particularly to meet.

Contact with Officers of State and Local Governments. Insofar as the limits of time and distance would permit members of the staff visited officers of state and local governments who were concerned with Indians. The ones most commonly seen were in the