The responsibilities of the place are onerous. The agent is held accountable, under a heavy bond, for all funds and property that come into his hands, as well as for all the acts and failures of his subordinates. He may be ordered away for months at a time, on public business, and in the meantime he must depend entirely upon the fidelity of the agency clerk, who is not a bonded officer, to discharge his duties and care for agency property. Release from bonded accountability can only be had after complying with all the forms of law and going through a long and tedious process of examination of accounts. Two years after closing his term of service, an agent was required to account for one iron wagon-bolt (purchased by a subordinate, three years before), in order to secure release from his bond, and five hundred dollars arrears of salary. The agent’s family must endure practical exile, separated from society, schools and churches. Every agent, honest or dishonest, suffers in reputation. If a man is thoroughly honest, dishonest contractors and jobbers invariably slander him, to get rid of him. This consideration keeps many competent men out of the service. The salary paid is entirely inadequate. It is that of a country postmaster, an army lieutenant, a school-teacher or a traveling salesman. Here is the root of the whole difficulty. Even in the present state of the labor market, it is impossible to get a $2,500 man for $1,500. The expenses of the position are high. The agent keeps open house for all strangers, newspaper correspondents, army officers, Indian inspectors, and others. His family supplies are brought from a distant market, at a heavy expense. This matter has been presented to Congress by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, each year for several years, but without effect. In spite of these disadvantages, the service is much better manned than might be supposed. Indian-Inspector E. C. Watkins said to the writer: “I have visited a large number of agencies, and, in view of the meagre salary paid, and the difficult service required, I have been surprised at the capacity and fidelity displayed. As a class, the agents nominated by the religious societies perform their duties with ability and success.” When a thoroughly competent agent is found in the service, one of three things will almost invariably be true: Either he enters the service with the idea of supplementing his salary (honestly or dishonestly); or he is in search of novel experience or a change of climate for himself or family; or (as is often true) he has the spirit of a missionary, and seeks the advancement of the Indian race. If we wish to escape the burden of providing for idle Indians, we shall have to employ competent agents, at fair wages, to train them to habits of industry. * * * * * “HAMPTON TRACTS.”