Mr. SELLS. Just let me make one suggestion about the chairman's suggestion about the fluctuation of the totals of the Indian appropriation bills. You can't judge the expenses of the management of the Indian Bureau by the size of the Indian bill always. For instance, I have in mind certain things that go in one year one-half million dollars, the next year $100,000. Largely, such big projects as irrigation projects. Those things fluctuate, but they don't run along the same way all the time.

(Thereupon, at 5.50 p. m., the committee adjourned, to meet again Wednesday, September 24, at 10 o'clock a. m.)

INDIANS OF THE UNITED STATES.

COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., Wednesday, September 24, 1919.

SECOND DAY.

The committee this day met, Hon. Homer P. Snyder (chairman) presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen, the committee will come to order and we will proceed with the investigation from the point where we left off last evening, with the commissioner on the stand and Congressman Elston interrogating the witness.

Mr. RHODES. Mr. Chairman, does our record show the call of the roll, and the presence of those who were here? The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

STATEMENT OF HON. CATO SELLS, COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS Resumed.

Mr. ELSTON. Mr. Sells, my general idea yesterday in making the examination, as stated, was to obtain a general survey of all the Indian Bureau activities, in so far as the Washington office was concerned, including the history of the bureau and its development up to the present date, leading to an explanation of its present organization with all of the branches and divisions.

That was to include, in a general way, a statement of the various Indians and Indian tribes that have come under the jurisdiction of the division, and a general view of what their present number and status is, with a brief review of how many had passed through the charge of the bureau and how, and for what reasons, they had been restored or released from its jurisdiction. I mentioned that a general survey was desired, leading to any questions of a general character that would develop on the part of the commissioner, a statement of policy and principles which will give us, to some degree, a key to the theory of your administration, my idea being that if we could understand and sympathize with and appreciate your theory and your principles and the formulas on which you were working, that it might be a very good thing for the committee, because it would afford them a better understanding of why and how you were doing the work, and it would interpret to a large degree the reason for some things that we do not understand.

Now, as to the latter matter, I am speaking particularly of the newer Members, I thought it would afford a good reference reservoir for those of us who wish to refer back and have some starting point to get at in future committee work.

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