The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-12-13
THE INTERIOR.
Annual Report of the Secretary Of Tn Mt
Department..

Annual Report Of the Secretary Of Tn Mt
Department.
Tho report of Secretary OF the Interior
Teller for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1888,
marks chieny emphasize recommendations
made in the report OF the preceding year. In
substance the report Is ~ follows:
IL says that there has been very considerable
! Improvement among the various Indian tribes,
with but little dissatisfaction, and but one out
break, and that among the Apaches OF Arizona
The amount appropriated In 1883 for Indians
with whom there are no treaty engagements
was 81 So, 900.
There is marked improvement In Indian
schools, and Is suggested that half the chill
dren Of school age be put In manual labor
schools. The Government ought to spend $2.-
500, 600 during the coming year In order to edu-
cate lO,0OO additional Indian youths The Sec
! rotary urges, Also the creation OF contingent
fund on which the department might have a
discretionary power, not 70 be used Tor subsist-
ence, bat for aiding exceptional cases for civilz-
Ing purposes, such as employing farmers, me-
chancs and others to teach by practice the In.
dams TO become farmers, mechanics, stock-rais-
ers and general laborers. The salaries OF agents
should be increased Each tribe should have
patent for the land the Government has guar
anteed TO 1t, leaving the Indians to determine
the question OF allotment for themselves. In
regard to the leasing OF Indian lands Congress
should provide some system by which the I'M
! occupied lands can be leased by the tribe or the
department for the benefit of such Tribes and
the money expended for the tribe without COW
eriDg 1t INTO the treasury.
|
tains AZ, 924 square miles, it is said IF the con-
ditions OF the treaties or 1868 and 1876 together
with those In the present agreement, are carried
! out In good faith on the part of the Government,
the Indians will need no further aid from the
Government, and can readily be made self sup
porting within the next ten years"
The Secretary recommends that Gen Crook q
prisoners OF should be removed from the
agency to some point Were there will be less
danger OF their escape, and where their evil in
nuences Will not be felt by the more peaceably
disposed of the tribe. There are valuable coal
and silver mines in the San Carlos Reservation
which the Government should buy.
The Crow Indians could be rendered self-sup-
porting for few years If S,Oo00 900 acres OF their
reservation were sold.
It's recommended that appropriation be
made to settle Chief Moses and his band OF Iu-
dams in Washington Territory. on the Colvile
Reservation, so that the Indians will abandon
the Columbia Reservation, and thus throw open
mates that this result which was agreed upon
by treaty with Moses in 1879, could be brought
about by the expenditure of sS5, 900.
Helen Hunt Jackson Oh H., OF the Century
MaQdzine) was employed by the Department Of
the Interior to investigate the condition of the
Mission" Indians OF California. She and her
semi-cvilized and attached to the Catholic
church, number 1907. They are slowly but
surely disappearing, and have been barbarously
treated by the Government having been re-
peatedly dispossessed OF their homes. Some
provision should be made for them at once
The report of the Commissioner of the General
lands under all acts OF Congress aggregates TO-
$50 032 80 acres, of which amount 49, 235 81 acres
were Indian lands, and 1893, 1886 II acres railroad
sections under various acts of Congress.
1t Is again recommended that the redemption
law should be repealed. The Secretary further
recommends that the Homestead law be SO
six months after a settlement claim has been
placed on record before final proof shall be ad-
mitted. This will prevent fraud.
The necessity still exists for legislation in ref
erenCe to laI6ed railroad land-grantS.
he attention OF Congress Is invited to the tax
alton OF railroad lands.
The report OF the Commissioner of Pensions
shows that at the close OF the last fiscal year
there were 30366S pensioners, classified as fol-
lows:
Army invalds ..........................1 9S, CAB
Army widows, minor children, and de-
penoehU felati'es' ...................... 1874
Navyy widoWs minor children. and de. Z'i0'
pendent relatives. Observation-Disclosures. 1907
Survivors of the war of 1912 .............. 1881
Widows Of those who served in the war of
There were added during the year s,l62 new
pensioners, an excess over the number added
the previous. year of lO,6i5. The Government
should provide for the payment of pension
money every month when it becomes due.
The number of applications for patents re-
ceived was 81, s45; number of patents granted,
21ls5; receipts from all sources, slO95, SS4; ex-
penditures, $70I,348, The increase in receipts
of 1883 over 1882 was $l65.020.
There is large increase of work in the office
Of voluntary statistical information Is the most
complete in existence. The General Govern
ment should supplement the work begun in the
several States by affording to the State such
financial aid as may be needed.
The total indebtedness Of the several subsi-
died Pacific railroads TO the United States is
Sl23 845, Cos The total credit for transportation
and money paid into the treasury Is So, 469, 49,
The necessity for Government for Alaska is
becoming very apparent. The total population
of the Territory of Alaska Is not far from 80 600
OF this number about 5000 are Aleuts, who are
not barbarians II they are not of the highest or
der OF civilization Before the cesson by Rus
STA good schools were maintained by them but
since the cession the schools have been discon-
tinued, and the adult Aleut who received his
education under the Russian Government and at
its expense sees his children growing up with
out education Suitable provision should be
made for the educa ion OF the children OF the
Aleuts, which can be done without great expense.
1t is reported that plural marriages have de-
creased In Utah since the passage OF the act un-
der which the Utah Commission is acting. The
board shall not go out of existence until the
Legislature shall have enacted such laws as shall
prohibit all poygamists from participating in
the election of public officers, or from holding
any such Office. 1t is not provided who shall
determine the question whether the Legislature
provided for the filling OF said offices in accord
ance with the provisions of the said act or not
Any laws which may be passed should be sub
mitted for the approval OF Congress-
In regard to the Yellowstone National Park il
would seem TO be necessary that more con-
venient and practicable means should be pro-
vided for the protection OF person and prop
at