Book Description

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1914, the field force of the Bureau of Education in Alaska consisted of 5 superintendents, 1 assistant superintendent, 106 teachers, 11 physicians, 11 nurses, and 3 hospital attendants. Seventy-one schools were maintained, with an enrollment of 3,666 and an average attendance of 1,991. The following recommendations were made for Alaskan natives: (1) The imperative necessity for adequate and special provision by congressional appropriation for the medical relief of the Eskimos, Indians, Aleuts, and other natives of Alaska can not be too strongly urged. Three school buildings have been remodeled for use as improvised hospitals, a few physicians and nurses have been employed, and the teachers have been supplied with simple remedies to enable them to treat minor ailments. This makeshift arrangement should be replaced by an adequate medical service such has been repeatedly recommended by the Bureau of Education in the estimates submitted to Congress; (2) One of the greatest difficulties with which those responsible for the work of the Bureau of Education have to contend is the fact that the congressional appropriation for the support of this work is usually not available until the end of August. With the exception of the southern coast, all of Alaska is icebound for eight months of the year. It is only during July, August, and September that supplies can be delivered at places in the interior of Alaska and on the shores of the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean. It is therefore recommended that the estimates for the support of the work of the Bureau of Education in Alaska be taken out of the sundry civil bill and included in the urgent deficiency bill; and lastly, (3) It is recommended that the appropriations for the support of the Alaska school service and of the Alaska reindeer service be made reimbursable, as is the case with regard to several of the appropriations for the support of the Indian service in the States. (Contains 17 plates and 1 footnote.) [Best copy available has been provided.].