Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-09
NEWS FROu WASHINGTON.
Land Commissioncr urFntin,, = -,
mort


| WAsniNGroN, d. G., Nov ]. Land t,,m
missioner McFarlana's rcuort shows that N,
disp sal of public lands under all the acts o
Congress embraced 10, 430, 600 acres, an in
crcasc over last year Of j120,0O0 acres. m,
over 1881 Of 8 j3j 600 acres. The recent.
from all sources were S11,7l3,OOO an in
crease over last year Of 1898, 900, and over
| 1881 of G,305, 900. Mcfarland recommt nj,
the repeal Of the presumption law and say.
| that valuable lands in whole ranges ol
townships in certain districts have been
entered when the land shows no cvi.
dcncc of settlement at any time but is held
| us portions of large estates. The homestead
| laws should be amended so as t. REQUIRE
proof of actual residence and improvement
for not less Than two years before the home
stead entry may be commutcd by a cash pay
mcnt. The report recommends the repeal OF
the timber culture law and says its abuses
| are inherent in the law and beyond the reach
OF administrative methods. The majority of
entries under the act are made for speculative
purposes, not for the cultivation OF timber.
Compliance with the law is mere
pretencc. The construction of 1910
miles of land grant railroad was reported
during the year. -Four hundred and seventy
seven thousand acres were patented under
railroad grants during the year, and 44O, 900
acres for wagon roads, an increase in the
patents for both over the previous year of
I42, 900 acres. The commissioner recon-
mends the erection of fire proof building
in which to preserve the records of the land
office also in view of the large increase in
The business of the office that hundred ad-
dtional clerks be authorized and that pro
n IN fpr nm n MT ;,,;o
and that the salary Of the commissioner be
increased to $4,000.
Adjutnnt General Drums Report. n
Adiutant General Drums annual report
says the reports of the officers detailed to
inspect the State militia encampments show
steady improvement in discipline, soldierly
bearing and knowledge. Referring to the
competitive drill. held in addition to the
regular State encampments the adiutant
general says that besides the drill competi-
ton should be had in camps in cleanliness,
in kitchens and messes, in discipline and
conduct, on guard and out post duty.
Competition should determine which are the
best troops instead of the best drilled men
simply.
There were 357s assertions during the past
year The report recommends that re-
duction OF the term of service from five to
three years be made. 1t says that many
men who desert would serve their full term
If they could realize that q comparatively
short time will honorably free them from the
engagement.
The Reduction OF Ta1atiOn-Rcceipt,
and Costs.
WAsHISGToN, ID. c., Nov, 4.-The report
of Internal Revenue Commissioner Evans
says of the consolidation of collection dis.
tricts that the estimated annual saving by the
reduction is $4,000. In regard to the re-
duction of taxation Mr.. Evans says: 1T is
estimated that the aggregate amount of these
reductions will not be less than $4,000, 900
per annum, nclu ling the $4,000, 900 tax on
the capital and deposits of National banks.
While this is so it is also estimated
that the increased revenue from distilled
spirits the current year will so augment the
receipts from that source as to make the az
Cregatc receipts this year at least S120,000
900, should there be no further change in the
revenue laws. "The total receipts from all
sources of internal revenue taxation in the
year ended June 30, were S14i, BOB, 900 as
compared with SAG, 523, 900 for the year
1889 and sl3j, 229, 912 for the year 1881 In
the first three months of the current
fiscal year the aggregate receipts from
these several objects Of taxation were
S29,67l, 900 being decrease of ST.
$685. 600 The total cost of collection in the
past fiscal year was S5,l13,0 900. 1t is stated
that the total expenses of the service will he
about 81 per cent on the amount collected
Mr.. Evans says : II am gratifcd to be able
to state that the condition of the service is
excellent. In ore or two localities there are
some things to be corrected in the manner of
admin stration, but these are not Of very
great moment, and it is thought all cause Of
complaint will soon disappear. Nocxtcnsvc
frauds are being perpetrated upon the gov
eminent by persons required to pay taxes.
1t is confidently believed that violations are
neither very frequent nor very injurious to
the revenue. In the sections where once it
was not regarded as disreputable 10 resort to
any device TO defeat the collection of the
internal revenue there is healthy change of
public sentiment, and it is not difficult to
secure the conviction Of the guilty"
Mr.. Evans refers to the operation of thc
revenue laws in Indian Territory. On Sept
10th deputy collector while visiting Indi an
Territory to see the revenue laws observed
was grossly insulted by Overton, governor of
the Chickasaw Nation, being denounced and
.old he should not collect another dollar of
internal revenue in that nation. This st ate
mcnt raised the interesting question. whether
the internal revenue laws have any force in
Indian Territory and specially whether as
the President has never attached it to a COL
lection district a deputy collector has any
authority to attempt to execute the law
and collect taxes in Indian Territory.
The whole matter was referred to the secretary
Of the treasury for his action. The estimate
for the expenses of the internal revenue
service in the fiscal year ending June 80,
1885, is S4999,000 The report says the
reductions made by the act OF March, 1888,
will on the basis of last years business
cause q reduction of revenue from tobacco
during the next year of at least S25 900, 900,
The commissioner says that about SO, 900, 900
of unpaid income taxes still remain charged
to different people. He recommends that
measures be taken for its collection. He also
recommends the repeal of the law permitting
manufacturers of vinegar to separate alco-
hoic property from fermented mash.