Supervisor of Indian Funds Benton informs Commissioner of Indian Affairs F. H. Abbott that $35,000 of Carlisle Indian School students' money is held in the Farmers Trust Company in Carlisle, and the school handles all business and all record-keeping of this money. Benton recommends that the students should have to keep an account book and manage their own funds as this would give each student experience with banking.
Superintendent Moses Friedman recommends this new system as well, echoing many of Benton's points. Commissioner Abbott approves Benton and Friedman's plan and tells Friedman to create account books for each student immediately.
Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane asks Abbott if any Carlisle employee opens students' mail and takes out the money, adding that he believes that the student should always be present if their mail is opened and that a receipt should always be given if they are sent money. Abbott tells Lane that he doesn't know whether Friedman issues receipts when he opens students' mail containing money but that he will direct Friedman to do so if he doesn't already.
Upon receipt of Abbott's letter, Friedman writes to a matron and two disciplinarians working for him and tells them that, from now on, when they receive a letter for a student, the student must be called into their office and open the letter themselves. If the letter contains money, the employee is to escort the student to School Banker Will H. Miller and ensure that it's properly deposited.
Outing System Manager Rosa B. La Flesche describes to Friedman the system she uses to deal with letters and money being sent to students. It involves a ledger, the student opening the letter, and the money, depending on the amount, either being given straight to the student or deposited in their bank account.
Friedman forwards his letter to the matron and disciplinarians and La Flesche's letter to Commissioner Abbott. He informs the Commissioner that no Carlisle employee has ever opened a students' letter and removed funds, and that employees only "occasionally" open a students' letter when their "conduct is under suspicion." Friedman adds that that the only time he deals with students' money is if a Superintendent sends him money for their care and that he immediately takes the money to School Banker Miller and deposits the money to the credit of the individual student's account.
Commissioner Abbott relays his findings to Secretary Lane.
