Show THE TRICKS OF TIlE TRADERS A New Deal For thc Rascnls Whiz Have Kobbctl the Indians WASHINGTON July 3An important reform re-form has been inaugurated by General At kins Commissioner of Indian Affairs For many years the several hundred Indian traders trad-ers who are white men licensed to sell goods upon the reservations have been fleecing the entire family of poor Lo in a shameful manner man-ner These men have practically charged any sort of exorbitant prices for their goods and the Indians were compelled to submit Indian traders have been known to make fortunes in a few years under the protection of the government The new system which Commissioner At kins has inaugurated consists in a large reduction re-duction the number of traders who will beheld be-held to a strict accountability Every trader now holding a license will be removed re-moved and new men appointed Hereafter each trader will be compelled to give a bond of 10000 to insure proper behavior and will have to file with the Indian Bureau from time to time sworn invoices of all goods purchased for tho Indian store with detailed prices cost of transportation etc The trader will be allowed to add thirty per cent profit only on xll goods and the price lists must be written in both English Eng-lish and the Indian tongue and kept posted conspicuously in twelve places on each reservation reser-vation In times past theso traders have I evaded the rules and have charged as high as 200 per cent profit upon simple commodities commodi-ties For instance traders at the Pine Ridge Dakota agency charge the Indians today 75 cents peV gallon for kerosene Cotton Cot-ton suits which are bought of tho manufacturers manu-facturers in Chicago for 450 are sold to these ignorant sons of the prairie for 20 and thus through the entire list In turn the traders will be protected When an Indian obtains goods from the traders on credit or when his squaw runs in debt for a bolt of red calico and a string of beads an order will be made out for the Indian agent who will withhold that Indians annuities or rations until the debt is discharged The pool tables which are much patronized by the giddy bucks at all traders stores will be regulated so that a game will cost a minimum amount in cents and tho mild system of gambling bv which tho loser in the game pays to the winner cigars or tobacco I tobac-co will bo abolished When Congressman Holman and Dr Bland visit tho reservations shortly they will look into the seductive game of pool and determine its civilizing power |