Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-12-15
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Annual Report of Secretary kirk
xxnnI.

wood.
A large part Of the report Of Secretary Kirk.
wood Is devoted to the discussion Of the inter.
minable Indian question. The Secretary be-
heves in dealing leniently with the Indian. in
educating end civilizing him, and absorbing
him into the mass of our citizens. To this end
he recommends liberal appropriations for the
maintenance Of the schools at the agencies.
When the Indian shall have learned to speak
and write our language t. earn his own living
hy his own labor, to obey the law and aid in
making and administering it, the indian prob
lem will be solved, and not until then. Money
wisely applied to these ends viii be well spent.
Money withheld from these ends Will be ex-
travagance."
Secretary Kirkwood deprecates the practice
of constantly compelling the Indian to "move
on westward, before the march Of the white
settlers. He believes in giving him a little
show for his white alley" 1heS onstant alb.
rogalion Of treaties and the hustling of tribes
off OF reservations where they have long dwelt,
TO make room for the white man, has, in his
Judgment, been q serious obstacle to the paci-
hcltion and civilization of the savages. The Sec
rotary thinks we are asking the Indian too
much wien we ask him to build up farm in
the timber or on the prairie, with the belief
that at some future time he will be compelled
to choose between abandoning the fruits of his
labor or his kindred and tribe. White men
would not do so, and we should not ask lndians
to do SO. Mr.. KirkwoOI recommends inst ex-
isting reservations be curtalied in size, that
the titles to them be placed by patent as fully
under the protection of the courts as are the
Titles Of all others of our people to their lands,
and that encouragement and aid be extended
to the Indians in building houses and culti-
waiting the soil.
There are now in the States and Territories
west of the Missouri river 102 reservations,
large aud small, ON which are located, in round
numbers, 224,000 Indians 1t is recommended
that Congress create a commission Of three or
four eminent citizens to visit during the next
year the reservations for the purpose OF recon-
mending, if they shall deem it wise to do so,
the concentration Of the Indians on four or five
large reset yations.
Further legislation is, in the Judgment OF
Mr. Kirkwood, necessary for the definition and
punishment of crime committed on reserYa-
lions.
The Indian trust fund now amounts to
81, 1S6,050.
Secretary Kirkwood states, during the last
fiscal year, public lands were disposed OF as fol.
lows: Cash, 5S7. CIT acres homts stead entries,
5.02S, 100 acres timbet-culture entries, l763.-
799 acres ,military-warrant localities, 55.662
acres Supreme Court scrip locations, 28,25S
acres.
For railroad purposes to States: Iowa, 49,.
32l; Minnesota, 4S3 1855 Kansas, 28l, 277.
To corporations: Pacific railroads, 2ll, 992
State selections approved for school indemnity,
1880; swamp, 569,001. Grand total, To-
12S, l75.
The cash receipts from all sourses, ISLES,
fees and commissions for the last fiscal year
amounted to -, 402, 1l2 The total area OF the
land, States and Territories 1914, 7S8, 922
acres. Of which 7s4, 996, $50 acres have been
surveyed. The area of the land surveyed the
lqatf Ex-
than that of the previous year. The area of
public land disposed of the last fiscal year was
less by 3,s9s, 974 SO acres than that of the
previous year the aggregate cash receipts
were greater by s. 50S, 642.56.
Secretary Kirkwood states that on the 30tb
Of June, 1881, there were 268,S3 pensioners
on the rolls, classified as follows Army il.
valids, 153,025 army widows. children, and
dependent relatives, 1858 navy invalds
g 1877 navy widows, children and dependent
relatives, 2,008 soldiers and sailors of the
war of 1912, S,S98; widows of soldiers ano
sailors of that war, &c. 029
During the year Is, 40 names were placed OF
the pension roll, and 10,7l2 were dropped,
making the increase for the. year IN the mum.
Der OF pensioners 8,023.
Since 1861 the sum of $500, 345, 04421 has
been paid to pensioners.
The Commissioner renews the reco nmenda,
ton of his predecessor that the law fixing the
sion at the date of the surgical Examination es.
tablishing the right to increase be repealed, anc
that authority be given for the readjustmeni
In certain cases of rates of pension which were
allowed.
The report of the Commissioner of Patents
shows en- increase of business for the year
ending June 30. 1881. The number Of applica-
tons for patents was 22,932. an increase of
1,942 over the previous year. Applications fol
designs, 5S5 reissues, 5S8; caveats, 2,342
trademarks, 464 appeals, III disclaimers, 49,
labels, 337.
The number Of patents granted, including
reissues and designs, was 1915, an increase
over the former year Of 1926
Number Of trademarks registered was 462
labels registered, 1871; patents withheld for
non-payment Of final fee, l,439; patents ex-
pred, 4.272.
The total receipts of the office were $751;
s95.52, an increase over the previous year OF
S59.3434O.
The progress of education during the year
has been substantial and satisfactory. The in
crease of normal schools aud teachers insti-
tutes has made the facilities for special train
ing more accessible to the rank and file Of the
teaching classes especially in the South