THE GEOfcGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 811 



Indian affairs placed under the War Department in 1787 so remained 

 until March 3, 1849, when the Indian Office was transferred to the newly 

 created Department of the Interior. The Indian Office is now in the 

 Department of the Interior, with a Commissioner, under the general 

 charge of the Secretary. 



THE INDIAN BUREAU IN 1877, 1878, AND 1879. 



[From the Report of the Joint Committee of Congress to consider the expediency of transferring the 

 Indian Burean to the War Department. Senate Report, No. 693, 3d sess., 45th Cong.] 



For condition of Indian affairs in 1873, see also H. R. Eeport No. 98, third session Forty-second Con- 

 gress, March 3, 1873. 



REFORM IN THE INDIAN BUREAU— COMPARATIVE STATEMENT. 



It is contended that the expense incident to the conduct of the Indian Department 

 is greatly diminished, owing to care and economy in the disbursements. The num- 

 ber of Indians who are continually being added to the self-supporting list also aid in 

 the reduction of the appropriations required. The improvement in the management 

 of the Indian Bureau is marked, as compared with the past. The organization of 

 the Bureau is as follows: A Commissioner, chief clerk, five chiefs of divisions, a ste- 

 nographer, forty clerks and copyists, ten messengers, and one laborer. The manner 

 in which the business of the Indian Bureau is carried on in these five divisions is 

 given in detail in the accompanying documents to this report, and shows that the 

 system in the Department is very efficient, and should be a bar to all outside irregu- 

 larities. From this statement, showing the methods of conducting business in the 

 Bureau, the following facts are elicited : 



" Until the fiscal year of 1876 and 1877, each Indian agent had charge of the disburse- 

 ments of the funds which were appropriated for his agency. At the present time the 

 total disbursements of Indian agents for other purposes than the payments of cash 

 annuities and the salaries of amploye's do not exeeed $100,000. 



" Formerly almost all the money expended for the Indian service was spent in 

 payment for open-market purchases. Now almost all expenditures are made by pay- 

 ments through the Treasury Department for goods purchased under contracts made 

 by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. 



" Formerly agents were the sole judges of the necessities for making purchases. 

 Now they must submit their proposals and estimates and give satisfactory reasons 

 to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, who, if he approves, must ask the Secretary 

 of the Interior for authority to make the purchases. 



" Formerly there was nothing to prevent contractors putting in straw bids or with- 

 drawing after a contract had been awarded to them, in order that a bidder at a higher 

 price (oftentimes the same party under another name) might receive the award. 

 Now bidders are obliged to deposit certified checks upon some national depository for 

 five per cent, upon the amount of the contract to be awarded, which checks will be 

 forfeited if, upon the award being made, the party fails to enter into contract. 



" Formerly contracts were so drawn that those to whom beef and flour contracts 

 were awarded could and did habitually take advantage of the necessities of the In- 

 dians to force agents to accept grades inferior to those called fbr by the contracts. 

 Now these contracts are so drawn that if a contractor fails to carry out his agree- 

 ment in good faith he is subjected to a heavy loss. 



" Formerly agents hired as many employe's as they saw fit and paid them such sal- 

 aries as they chose. Now all employe's must be approved by the Secretary of the 

 Interior, and legal limits are fixed to the amounts which may be expended for agency 

 employe's. 



" Formerly agents' accounts ran on for years without settlement, ifrow their ac- 

 counts are settled quarterly. 



