VOL.11 DECEMBER 18,1908. . NO. 26
President Roosevelt's Message
on the Indian and Education.
INDIAN AGENCIES
It has been my purpose from the be
ginning of my Administration to take
the Indian Service completely out of
the atmosphere of political activity,
and there has been steady progress to
ward that end. The last remaining
stronghold of politics in that service
was the agency system, which had seen
its best days and was gradually falling
to pieces from natural or purely, evolu
tionary causes, but, like all such sur
vivals, was decaying slowly in its later
stages. It seems clear that its extinction
had better be made final now, so that
the ground can be cleared for iarger con
stiuctive work on behalf of the Indians,
preparatory to their induction intb the
full nieasure of responsible citizenship.
On November 1 only 18 agencies were
left on the roster; with two exceptions,
where some legal questions seemed to
stand temporarly in the' way, these have
been changed to superintendencies, and
their heads brought into the classified
civil service.
MORE MONEY FOR EDUCATION
The share that national Government
should take in the broad work of educa
tion has not received the attention and
the care it rightly deserves. The im
mediate responsibility for the support
and improvement of our educational
systems and institutions rests and
should always rest with the people of
the several states acting through their
state and local governments, but the
Nation has an opportunity in educa
tional work which must not be lost and
a duty which should not longer be
neglected.
The National bureau of - Education
was established more than 40 years ago.
Its purpose is to collect and diffuse such
informations ;'as shall aid the people
of the United States in the establish
ment and maintenance of efficient
school systems and otherwise promote
the cause of education throughout the
county." This purpose in no way con
flicts with the educational work of the
states, but may be made of great ad
vantage to the state by giving them the
fullest, most accurate, and hence the
niot helpful information and suggestions
regarding the best educational systems.
The Nation, through its broader field