and for intellectual and social improvement; and anything else that will promote the civilization of the Indians, particularly with respect to their home life and surroundings.

The industrial progress of the Indians is largely dependent upon their health. Thousands of dollars are expended each year for promoting the education, civilization, and self-support of the Indians, and for physicians and hospitals for the treatment of disease among them. But all this vast expenditure will result in little permanent benefit to the Indians if they have not the health and strength necessary to do their part in carrying out this extensive industrial program, and if we do not remedy the conditions which breed disease on the theory that "prevention is better than cure." In this important work the field matron occupies a necessary and vital place.

The success of the field matron work depends very largely upon proper facilities. There must be adequate quarters, a good team, and certain supplies, such as special food for the sick, etc., besides traveling expenses, which are necessarily incurred in many cases.

Field matrons, 1918.

"For the purpose of preserving living and growing timber on Indian reservations and allotments, and to educate Indians in the proper care of forests."

In addition to salaries and wages paid from this appropriation for forestry purposes, provision must be made for forage and other supplies; teams, harness, saddles, etc.; the construction and repair of telephone lines, roads, and trails; and for an emergency fire-fighting fund."

It will be observed that was appropriated last year. lation carried in this item. lation in this bill.

we are asking for the same amount as We are omitting the permanent legisIt is not necessary to repeat that legis

Mr. HASTINGS. That is the reason for its elimination?

Mr. MERITT. Yes, sir. We are also asking that the word "shall," line 13, page 12, be changed to "may", so that we will not be compelled to expend the entire $25,000 unless it is deemed desirable. That would seem to be a reasonable request.

We are also asking for the new language appearing in line 18, "nurses, and other hospital employees.' We find that at some of our reservations we are now up to the limit of expenditures on those reservations, as provided under the act of August 24, 1912. That limits us to $15,000 for agencies and for consolidated agencies not. to exceed $25,000 for employees. Because of the allotment of these reservations the activities necessarily have been materially increased. over what they were when purely tribal propositions, and we need nurses and other hospital employees at some of those reservations where we have recently constructed hospitals. We are not asking for additional money, but simply for additional authority.

Mr. SNYDER. Mr. Meritt, will you tell me what is the function of field matrons?

Mr. MERITT. A field matron is usually a woman of mature years, from 35 to 50 years old, who goes out among the Indian homes and teaches the women sanitary methods of living and modern methods of housekeeping, and helps in various ways to teach women modern domestic duties. They are very helpful in civilizing the Indians or promoting better living conditions.

Mr. SNYDER. And they are generally distributed throughout all the reservations?

Mr. MERITT. Yes, sir.

Mr. TILLMAN. Does the Indian family usually take kindly to that sort of work?

Mr. MERITT. Yes, sir; they appreciate it.

Mr. TILLMAN. They do not resent it as an intrusion?

Mr. MERITT. No, sir.

Mr. DILL. You have an unexpended balance here of $54,000, which is much larger than you had a year ago? I wonder if you will need this $475,000-all of it?

Mr. MERITT. That unexpended balance is the result of vacancies that have arisen largely on account of the war, and as soon as the war is over it will be necessary for us to fill those vacancies in order to carry on the work we have been doing heretofore.

Mr. DILL. This appropriation used to be $450,000, as I remember it. It was two years ago it was changed, I think?

Mr. MERITT. We have materially increased the industrial activities on the various Indian reservations of the country, and we need more money now than we needed a few years ago.

Mr. DILL. What about these farmers? Are you able to keep the farmers at $50 a month?

Mr. MERITT. We have very few farmers at $50 a month. The salaries of farmers are usually from $840 to $1,200 a year. We have 184 farmers paid out of this appropriation and 60 farmers paid out of other available appropriations, making a total of 244 farmers in the Indian Service. We have 39 stockmen paid from this appropriation and 30 stockmen from other funds available, making 69 stockmen in the Indian Service. We have 82 field matrons altogether. We have for forestry 10 general supervising officers, 5 deputy forest supervisors, 86 forest guards, and 11 assistants, rangers, etc. Mr. DILL. Did you make an explanation for the record as to why you wanted "shall" changed to "may"?

Mr. MERITT. Yes, sir.

Mr. DILL. I didn't get that. You need not go into it again if you did.

Mr. SNYDER. Mr. Meritt, following up the chairman's suggestion about your unexpended balance, I note that, contrary to the other items, you have in this analysis here an item, "Outstanding liabilities, $22,000." Now, in the other items that has not been shown, and therefore it would seem that the $54,000 was a new unexpended balance.

Mr. MERITT. Yes, sir.

Mr. SNYDER. Well, in that event wouldn't it be safe to reduce this item to $25,000?

Mr. MERITT. No, sir; because a great many of our field positions have been vacant during the last two years on account of the war.

Mr. SNYDER. I appreciate that, but you still have your outstanding liabilities provided for here in the liabilities, and you have a net unexpended balance of $54,994.

Mr. MERITT. But the salaries for those vacant positions have not been paid, and now that they will be filled, necessarily it will take up practically all of that unexpended balance.

Mr. SNYDER. All right.

Mr. MERITT. We have made a splendid showing along industrial lines during the last few years. The Indians have increased their cultivated acreage over 100,000 acres during the last four or five years.

Mr. DILL. That is due partly to the efforts of the bureau to get them to produce for war purposes?

Mr. MERITT. Yes, sir. The Indians have responded wonderfully to our appeal for greater production.

Mr. DILL. I know they did out in my own country. They produced more on that reservation than they ever produced before. Mr. MERITT. The next item reads:

EXPENSES INCIDENT TO PURCHASE AND TRANSPORTATION OF INDIAN SUPPLIES.

For expenses necessary to the purchase of goods and supplies for the Indian Service, including inspection, pay of necessary employees, and all other expenses connected therewith, including advertising, storage, and transportation of Indian goods and supplies, $500,000: Provided, That no part of the sum hereby appropriated shall be used for the maintenance of to exceed three warehouses in the Indian Service.

We offer for the record the following justification in support of this item:

NOTE.-$51,939.96 of the total amount was expended on account of the warehouses.

Expenses incident to purchase and transportation of supplies, 1920.

No part of this appropriation is expended for supplies, except such equipment as may be required to operate the Indian warehouses. The fund is used, except as noted, in the payment of expenses incident to advertisement, purchase, inspection, and transportation of supplies for the Indians and for the Indian Service generally, including the cost of maintaining the Indian warehouses.

The appropriation for the fiscal year 1918 was expended as follows:

Fiscal year ended June 30, 1918 (the following figures are as of Oct. 1,

1918):

Amount appropriated.

Amount expended...

Overdrawn..

Analysis of expenditures:

Šalaries and wages..

Traveling expenses..

Transportation of supplies.

Heat, light, and power (service), including fuel

Telegraph and telephone service..

Printing, binding, advertising, stationery and office supplies.

Equipment, etc.

Rent..
Miscellaneous.

Total.....

$300,000.00 410, 287.52

110,287.52

34, 387.42 3,086. 77 354, 771.94

710. 21 590.93

7, 181. 21 202.50 9,000.00 356.54

410, 287.52

NOTE.-$55,515.58 of the total amount was expended on account of the warehouses, and inspection and advertising of supplies, awarding contracts, etc.

It will be noted that to date this appropriation has been overdrawn to the extent of $110,287.52. At this time last year there were outstanding indebtednesses in the