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- It would provide for investigation of complaints by technically competent persons not in the administrative line and not directly involved in administration.
- It would be more economical even with the necessary higher salaries than the establishment of a new set of fully equipped district offices.
- It would be a simpler and more direct system from the standpoint of the Commissioner in dealing with important problems affecting individual jurisdictions.
- Transition can be made smoothly from the present system through the establishment of the Division of Planning and Development, the strengthening of the local staff, and a revision of the rules and regulations, progressive and experimental.
A possible objection to this plan lies in the fact that by increasing the authority and responsibility of local superintendents, they would be rendered more directly subject to attack from disgruntled Indians, disgruntled whites, and politicians catering to powerful groups of local whites desirous of getting possession of Indian property or property rights, such, for instance, as water for irrigation. The local superintendent could not so easily shift the responsibility to the Washington office or to minute rules and regulations. This difficulty, however, seems by no means insurmountable.
Broad rules and regulations would still be in existence gradually supplanting the present detailed ones, and they would be drawn with this situation particularly in mind. The superintendent, too, could refer matters obviously ticklish to the ‘Washington office for advice or instructions.
More important would be prompt investigation by the Washington office of matters of controversy. Much good would result from open public hearings of complaints against superintendents, with opportunity for both sides to be heard, especially the persons who are making complaints and finding fault, supervisory administrative officers both from the field and from Washington, and representatives of public spirited organizations interested in the advancement of the Indians. Although such open hearings take time and involve some formalities, they have a curative value that justifies the cost and effort. More or less secret inspections often leave the situation much as it was, because people who believe they have evidence have no recognized established way of presenting it.