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Question, Wm. L. Paul.
We have a new Area Director appointed for Alaska and none of the Indian groups to be effected by his administration were consulted. We have a large group. What particular merit did Hugh Wade have so that he could have such an appointment without consulting with Indians?

Answer: The law provides that the Commissioner of Indian Affairs shall be responsible for appointment of personnel and shall be responsible for their acts. As long as I'm going to be held responsible I will have to reserve the final right to appoint people to carry out the final responsibilities.
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Question, Hiram Robbins, Klamath Agency, Oregon.
Do you have any late answer, are we going to have to pay income tax?

Answer: The Indians are in the same category as anyone else. Income from trust funds is taxable.
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Question, Joseph Garry, Coeur d'Alene, Plummer, Idaho.
I very much appreciate the Commissioner's firm stand on the present program. I have no intention in any way to arouse any criticism here as to what I have to say. Last spring before the Commissioner took over I aroused sentiment against the area offices. I have lived on the reservation for 40 years and I challenge anyone to know more about the program and problems than I do. First, all of us are aware of the fact that the geographic location of the area offices is too distant to be of any great assistance to you. They have to be with you from time to time and that is impossible without consuming a great deal of funds. These officials at the Area office are not familiar with the problems that exist. The theory at the beginning, the idea for establishing area offices in the first place, was to centralize authority from the Washington office to the Area office. It has worked the other way because of rank in position. Now today the Area Director holds power of authority above the Superintendent. This sort of organization slows up progress. First you write a letter. It has to go to the Area Director then on to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. This is the type of organization that makes possible irrational decisions. The Area offices prevent participation in your government. We have to have a man living with us like the Superintendent to recognize what the facts are. In 1947 because of lack of funds the law and order funds were cut. To prolong the Indian Bureau as long as it can [[strikethrough]]operate[[/strikethrough]] help people our Indian Service must operate at its very highest calibre. I want the Indian Bureau as long as we need it, but so long as we are just going to use those funds for a bookkeeping enterprise I do not see it. The Indian bureau today is still and it will remain so long as it is a human problem. At any time that the Indian Bureau fails to be a human problem then we won't need an Indian Bureau. Any time that the Indian [[strikethrough]]Bureau[[/strikethrough]] race has so advanced that you can control them remotely from the Portland office there won't be any need of an Indian Bureau. There is a bill in Congress to abolish the Area offices I understand.
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