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Problem of Indian Administration

munities, and those activities apparently make little appeal to the Indians. The missionaries need to have a better understanding of the Indian point of view of the Indian’s religion and ethics, in order to start from what is good in them as a foundation. Too frequently, they have made the mistake of attempting to destroy the existing structure and to substitute something-else without apparently realizing that much in the old has its place in the new.

The Economy of Efficiency. The survey staff appreciates that these recommendations designed to make the Indian Service an efficient educational organization to accelerate the progress of the Indians will involve a material increase in the present federal appropriations for the Indians. The appropriations for the fiscal year 1928, including the $2,151,800 appropriated from tribal funds belonging to the Indians, total $14,991,485. The staff has not attempted to estimate in detail what will be required for outlays for new construction and for remodeling the existing plant, for higher salaries for existing positions, for new positions, for vastly improving the food supply for boarding school children and patients in hospitals and sanatoria, for furnishing noon meals to undernourished children in day schools, and for effecting coöperative arrangements with state and local governments. Conceivably, for several years, the additional amount required will be almost as much as the present appropriations.

In from five to ten years the heavy expenses for outlays to bring the plant and equipment of Indian Service institutions to a standard comparable with that maintained by other national, state, and private institutions should materially decrease. From that time on, if the Service is brought to a high state of efficiency, a gradual but progressive reduction should be possible in the number of positions required as more and more Indians become self-supporting by their own efforts and as progress is made in getting the states and local governments to render the service necessary for Indians in return for taxes paid by the Indians.

The fact must be remembered, however, that in some jurisdictions the Service is dealing with the first generation of Indians that has come in close contact with the white man. In some schools adult primary classes are found consisting of boys and girls in their teens who have never been to school before, who do not know how to read and write, and have to be taught English. They come from