The New York herald., 1876-12-06


aud widows OF those who served Ia the war
OF 1872, rs OF which were Tor pensions to survivors
and l6s widows, making IN all IL, 45l claims which
were examined ami admitted during the year.
The annual charge TO The government involved by
the allowance Of said claims is as ioows:-For army
invalds. S324 407; increased pension to invslids,
5000 93S widows &c, $5i3 $50; increased pension TO
widows S32 9eS; for navy invads, Sl4 0o7 increased
pension to ipvalds So $50: Widows &c, Sic, 222 IN
creased pension widows 81 57o and for survivors
OF the war 1872. $7.00s, and widows OF those who
Dua 10 ssls o Or sss sn the an
nua value OF the claims admitted during the year
ending June 80. 1875.
unadjudcatcd pension claims, 81, 100 OF which were
for invalid pension 053 Tor pension to widows, &C.
OF those who served said At The close OF tho
year ending June 80. 1875, there on die 500
unaoJudicssTa poa,va n ro s racs,vsS
during the year S77 claims for pension, WHILE dur
ing the same time, l7,45l claims were admitted aud
1912 rejected making all 81 $50 claims disposed
Of about sixtyfour per cent OF the number died.
The claims Tor invalid pensions nled during ;hs year
about fifty per cent greater IN number than
those flied during the preceding year. ana exceeded
largely tho number received during any year sncc
1864 tho ofnce has beca greatly embarrassed
calls upon the Surgeon General for the medical history
OF claimants during their military or naval service,
without which Il Ia impossible, with few exceptions TO
properly adjudicate their claims. There are nj
present 200 unanswered calls upon tho Surgeon
General for tho hospital record OF claimants, and. in
consequence Of the paucy Of clerks in his olce this
number Is being constantly augmented instead OF
diminished
During the year, $50 applications for bounty land
received l24 warrants issued. aggrcgaIing
IL, 760 OF land, which ~ 500 less than the
number OF issued for the preceding year. ISL ap-
plications were rejected 9S OF which were without
title, the remainder, 2a3 wcrc denied on account
OF warrants having been previously Issued Tor the same
service.
The number OF cases investigated by special agents
OF the office was ,6SS and the amount Of Ok. money
over three times tho cost OF investigators. Twenty
seven persons have been prosecuted for violations OF
sk~ cn.l,r rto Rnf
whom awaiting sentence; SIX werc acquitted, ana
IN four cases noe proseqi was entered Forty cases
are still IN the hands OF various United states ntor
neys, undisposed OF and awaiting action.
II Is estimated that tho sum Of SIS, ,533 900 will be
necessary Tor the pension service during tho ensuing
fiscal year
In my last report suggested q change In the pres
ent cumbersome system OF medical examinations Tue
has clearly indicated IN relation TO tho neces
SHY which for departure from ihe present sys
ten which requires the services Of upward OF 500
examining surgeons The plan proposes is in brief
divide the country into districts not exceeding sixty
giving TO each compeent surgeon ana an experienced
clerk. Their duties would be TO personally examine
the claimants and their witnesses and transmit the re
suit 10 the Pension Oce and thus do away with much
OF the "a pdrtc testimony which under the present
system involves he necessity OF extended and unccr
tain correspondence.
posed the clerical force OF his Office could be largely
reduced the necessity for special agents obvated
ana estimates that the ooss 70 the would
the system would afford against the payment OF fraud
ulent claiInA
The magnitude OF the interests involved renders the
subject OF great Importance and earnestly COM
mend the views Of the Commissioner to the attention
Of Congress As worthy Of special consideration
The report OF the Commissioner Of Education for
1876 contains the abstract OF tho reports Of tnc
several State and city superintcndens ana other
official educational publications. showing tor each
State and Territory the school population and
the enrolment and attendance In the public schools
the number Of teachers IN The schools, with rate OF
compensation, tho public school income and expendi-
ture and tho constitutional and Legislative provisions
In each State touching public instruction, with more
or less full Information for each State respecting KIN
dorgaren and other private schools; also, detailed
statements tor each State respecting instruction In
normal schools, academies, high schools, collegiate
preparatory schools business colleges, colleges tor
women, scientific aud agricultural schools, colleges
and universities schools or theology, law and mod
icne institutions for the deaf and dumb and blind and
other special schools s wa1 ~ o
piled from replies 10 especial inquiries addressed by
the Commissioner the several State and city super
ntendents and 10 educational institutions throughout
tho country.
Much interesting information is also given respect
ing tho history OF the administration Of educaton bo
sides detailed account OF the educational exhibits
made by several Of The 81 ates and by foreign govorn
increased interest in all that pertains 70 the history
and present condition oi education In this country has
everywhere been awakened by the centennial com.
Eoraton, and calls upon the 0ltcc Tor educational
Information have been greater than at any former
period, especially from foreign officials and those au
thorized by foreign 10 make reports upon
education IN the United StuIes.
The SPECIAL report on public libraries the United
States, which was announced In my last report In
preparation was com peted 10 October as aud is now
through the press The report traces tho history and
development Of the several classes OF pubic and semi
public libraries in the country and presents important
contributions by prominent librarians and OK
perts tho leading questions connected with
tailed statistics Of noarly 800 public libraries.
containing IN the aggregate l2276,964 volumes
libraries OF the general governmens ana Of the past
and relations OF tho general government to the
State Territorial and other public libraries Of the
country together with statement OF the aggregate
government expenditure for libraries and sundry pub
lications from 1900 10 1874, and historical outline
OF the laws and regulations respecting the distribution
and exchange Of public documents copyrights duties
on imported books, &c
Notwithstanding tho liberal provisions of the govern.
ment in respect furnishing ITS publications to public
hbrarer appears that there Is not At present, IN any
public depository IN tho Unod States not even at the
National Library, complete series OF government
publications. II is hoped that tho specific information
presented In the report respecting the method Of
obtaining these important publications. will lead
moro systematic collection and careful preservation Of
them by tho leading libraries Of the country.
:, Several foreign governments arc Offering TO the
United States the articles composing their educational
exhibits at Philadelphia Tor a National Educational
Museum. The Commissioner hopes that It may be mo
occasion whom this great desidcratum In American
education can be supplied
In view OF the embarrassed condition OF large scc-
tions OF the country he earnestly ronews his recon-
meniatons that some way be devised by the general
government mako available for Immediate education
al purposes az least portion OF the income from tho
sao OF public lands and the devotion OF the remain
der the creation Of "a permanent educational fund
GEOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY.
The United States Geological and Geographical Sur
vey Of Territories undor the direction OF Professor
Hayden during tho brief OF 1876 continued its
work Colorado, completing the western ana north
western portions, including considerable portion of
Eastern Utah, embracing AN area of about U,O0O
square miles. Tho survey the present season was
divided into five parties four Of them Tor Topographic
cal geological woi x, and ith Tor making coIec
tIons In natural history. The Typographical well
the geological OF tho surveyed the
present season OF The highest ntere5t
The work Of the geographical and geological survey
OF the Rocky Mountain region under the direction Of
Professor w. Powell during the past year, WILL II Is
becved, show practical and important results.
On the arrival Of the parties from the field late In
the Ia OF 1875 work the Office promptly organ
ized and pushed with all possible vIgor through tho
wincr spring and early summer until the appr0pria-
Tor tho nscal year of 1sT677 were available Tor
the continuation Of held operations After completing
the report tho Uinta Mountains above mentioned,
Professor PoweIs timc was chiefly occupied in the
study OF the ethnographc and linguistic materials col!