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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1931)
CHEMAWAfAMERICAN Printed at Chemawa, Oregon, and Devoted to the Interests of Indian Education Vol. XXXII Wednesday, Apr. 22, 1931 REORGANIZING THE INDIAN BUREAU No. 32 conducting a recruiting program for all types of posi Complete reorganization of the Office of Indian Af tions. The directors are to keep actively in touch with fairs has been put into effect. The plan for reorgani the field and are to make trips to the field as often as zation , which has just been approved by Dr. Ray Lyman it is found necessary in order to maintain the efficient Wilbur, Secretary of the Interior, is the result of more working of their divisions. They are to aid the As than ayear’sstudy by Charles J. Rhoads, Commissioner sistant to the Commissioner in the selection of new em of Indian Affairs, and J. Henry Scattergood. Assistant ployees, and are to recommend to him any change Commissioner. needed for the continuance of a high standard of work. Five field divisions of Health, Education, Agricul The Assistant to the Commissioner on Property will tural Extension and Industry, Forestry, and Irrigation be directly responsible for all activities dealing with have been organized with a technical or professional the guardianship of Indian Property (tribal and indi director at the head of each division. This new staff of vidual), Land, Irrigation, and Forestry. He will keep . experts now has direct executive and administrative all the activities of his group in harmony with the powers over the respective field services. These di plans and projects of the branches of the Indian Ser visions are grouped under two Assistants to the Com vice which affect the human side. missioner whose spheres are defined as: “Human Re Since Mr. Rhoads and Mr. Scattergood first started lations” and “Property.” to map out a constructive program for the betterment The old organization, basically unchanged for over of the Indian Service, they have gradually taken on 50 years and operated largely along purely clerical lines, new people, technically-trained in their lines of work, was cumbersome. Division heads lacked the necessary who now form the complete corps of directors and as executive powers and, with the exception of those of sistant directors. Health and Forestry, none had a technically-trained Dr. W. Carson Ryan, Jr., formerly Professor of Ed man in authority. The standards of qualification for ucation at Swarthmore College, is Director of Educa the administrative offices, directors and assistant direc tion. He was appointed last August, and now will tors, have now been raised, and salaries have been made have full authority over the educational activities of more attractive. the Indian Service. Under Doctor Ryan, Miss Mary Both Mr. Rhoads and Mr. Scattergood consider that Stewart, formerly of the Department of Labor, is As the new plan will work out to the best advantage in sistant Director of Education. the administration of Indian Affairs. They hope it Dr. M. C. Guthrie is Director of Health. He was will make for a simplification in the management of detailed to the Indian Service in 1926 by the United the complicated affairs of the Indian Service and will States Public Health Service and was formerly Exec make the Office much more responsive to the needs of utive Officer in the Surgeon General’s Office. the field through simplified procedures and direction The Director of Agricultural Extension and Industry by trained people who know the Service conditions. is A. C. Cooley, who joined the Indian Service in Feb Co ordination and co-operation is the keynote of ruary of last year. Previously he had been in charge the new system. For instance, the new Assistant to of Demonstration on Federal Reclamation Projects for the CommLsionei of Human Relations will be directly the United States Department of Agriculture. responsible to the Commissioner for the co-ordination An experienced social executive, Robert T. Lansdale, of the divisions of Health, Educational, and Agricul formerly Executive Secretary of the Council of Social tural Extension and Industry. His office will serve Agencies of Montclair, New Jersey, and member of the as the co-ordinating center for all reports and corres staff of the New York School of Social Work, is the pondence affecting the human program of the Indian Acting Assistant to the Commissioner for the above Office. He will be responsible for the co-operation of group. Mr. Lansdale is another who joined the Office the three divisions and will call frequent conferences of Indian Affairs last year and has been field represent between the directors and their assistants. All per ative and personnel officer. sonnel problems and policies of the field activities will The Assistant to the Commissioner on Property has be worked out by him, and he will be responsible for (Continued on page 2)
