The New York herald., 1872-12-02


Report Of the Secretary OF tho Inte-
We publish in another part of the paper the
report of the Secretary of the Interior. sd-
dressed TO the President and to be laid before
Congress. It is ON exhibit of the operations
OF the department during the year, with sug-
gestions as to what is needed in the way of
Congressional action. The Secretary says he has
made this report as concise as possible While
this is an unusual merit in such public docu-
ments, and we are willing to give Mr.. Delano
credit for not being unnecessarily diffuse on
some topics, we think he has been too concise
on others.
Indian affairs are first referred to in the re-
port The Secretary claims that the present
Indian policy of the government has proved
successful. In setting this forth he asserts
that for three years the extension and develop
ment of our railroads and frontier settlements
in the far West have been attended with far
less loss Of life and property and less obstruc-
ton from hostile and rowing tribes than under
is in favor of forbearance and uniform kind
ness, as far as practicable, in the treatment of
these "wards Of the nation" and Of the policy
Of feeding, civilizing and Christianizing them
The percentage of increase in agricultural pro-
ductions, in schools and scholars, in stock and
in everything that shows progress was very
great. The Secretary speaks of the good done
by missionaries from the different religious
societies, and invites their cooperation on o
more extended scale with the Executive and
the department. Still he thinks the agents Sc
lected by the religious bodies at the instance
of the government might have been in many
cases more suitable; that they ought to be, in
fact, not only efficient business men, but good,
earnest Christians as well. The Secretary re-
commends, at the same time, that the military
posts adjacent to the Indian country shall be
kept up, as it will be both necessary and USE
full for the government to show its strength
while pursuing kind and humane policy.
Under the head of public lands the report
shows that II, 1864, ,975 acres had been disposed
of during the last fiscal year., $40, 800 acres
were for cash sales; 4,671, 1912 were taken under
the Homestead law; 1854, 1887 acres were
grants to railroads. This was greater quantity
disposed Of by 1,O99, 270 acres than during the
previous year. The cash receipts, under
various heads, amounted to $3,218,OOO. There
were surveyed 90 DIG, 6O8 acres, which, added
to the quantity already surveyed, amounts to
$50, 1854, 780 acres. The public domain remain
ing unsurveyed is estimated at 1881, 633, $40
acres. We regret to say we do not see in
the Secretary report any suggestion as to the
necessity of preventing the public lands, which
are the precious inheritance Of the American
people and future generations, being squan-
dered upon railroad monopolies and gigantic
lobby schemes. Congress has been far two
lavish in this respect. Some remarks of the
Secretary on this subject would have been
appropriate.
Of the different bureaus under the Interior
Department that of the Patent Office is the
most successful and unexceptionably good. It
pays its own expenses and has surplus over
Of STA
The Pension Bureau has expended for the
year for pensions of all classes, including the
cost Of disbursement $780, 169, $40, which is
less by 50, 9Os,O43 than the amount paid the
previous year. It is estimated that $50, 4SO, 900
will be required for the pension service the
next fiscal year. The grand total of pension
ers on the rolls the 30th Of last June was
232,229. The number Of pensions granted
during the fiscal year was 49, 838. There were
82,51S claims remaining unadjusted-
37,176 for invalid pensions, SO, 762 claims of
widows, orphans and dependent relatives and
II $50 claims Of soldiers and widows Of SOL
diers in the war Of 1912.
The Secretary gives hearty endorsement to
the object and operations Of the Bureau of
Education. Speaking of the report of the
Educational Bureau he says :-'.No previous
volume contains such mine of educational
facts and statistics for the guidance and infor-
nation Of the country. Irecemmend increased
appropriations for the Office"
The report Of the Superintendent of the
Ninth Census announces the completion of
what the Secretary terms s'that great national
work" It is mentioned with pride as the
most complete report ever made. A census is
recommended to be taken in 1875, on the CEN
tenary of American independence, and every
five years thereafter. One feature Of Pacific
Railroad enterprises worthy of notice here is
the vast amount Of money loaned by and
owing to the government and people of the
United States. Besides the enormous amount
of land given to the several railroads we find
that the Union Pacific owes the United States
$27, 236,512, the Central Pacific, s27, 1855, $50;
the Central Branch Union Pacific, 81, 900, 900;
the Kansas Pacific, s6,3O3, 900, and the Sioux
City and Pacific, s1,62S, 800. In all, the
amount is nearly sixty-fve millions Of course
there is little or no prospect of the railway
companies ever paying the government.
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