Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-28
TELLER'S DEPARTMENT.
A SYNOPSIS OF THE WORK OF
THE PAST YEAR.

Five Hundred and Sixty five Indian
Children Placed in SchOOls-Indfan
Lands Leased too CheapIy-What has
Been Done With the Public Lands
Resume of the Business of the
Patent Office.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-The report of the
secretary of the Interior mas Just been sub
mitted to the President. Under the provis-
ions for the placing of Indian children in in
dustrial schools in States at an expense not to
exceed Sl67 per capita, sos children have been
placed in schools in the following States
Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois. Indiana
Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee
Wisconsin and Minnesota. Quite a number
of Indian children who have had some tram
ing in manual labor shoots have been placed
IN private families, mainly from Carlisle and
Hampton.
The greatest agency for the civilization of
deed, do not think l shall be far out of the
way if / say the only agency for that purpose
is the manual labor school.
LEASING OF INDIAN LANDS.
In my last report l called attention to the
occupation of certain Indian reservations by
stockmen with their herds, under an arrange
ment made with the Indians. | declined to
treat these arrangements as leases made on
the part of the Indians, but did treat them as
licenses on the part of the Indians recognized
by section 2ll7 of the Revised Statutes | do
not understand that the parties so Occunvin0 O
these lands with the consent of the Indians
are there IN violation of law, but their con-
dltlOn Is not satisfactory one either to them
selves or the department. The department in
allowing them to remain reserved the right to
put them off of such reservation nOtWith-
standing such permit or license if the DEPART
ment considered it necessary to do so in the
interest of the Indians. How far the govern
ment may disregard the license so given by
the Indians is question that need not be dis
cussed until 1T is presented. but should the
department attempt such exclusion against
the wishes OF the Indians it would certainly
lead to trouble. The amount paid for
such privileges is understood to be about
cents per acre for the lands so occupied. This
amount Is not a fair compensation at this
Time for the use Of such lands, or for at least
considerable portion thereof. Much of the
land so occupied could be leased at from to
. cents per acre. The Cheyenne and Arapaho
Indians attempted to lease 1861. $50 acres of
tnelr reservation, leaving un0ccupied by
stockmen about 100000 acres. From the land
SO occupied by stOcKmen, the Arapahoes and
Cheyennes received last year 2 cents per acre
amounting TO- $77, 1857 90. or an average of $l2 30
per capita. AS il is believed that This reser-
vatiOn might be leased at from to cents per
acre, the amount may be increased to S24 66 or
$50 so per capita. 1t is believed that the cat
tie men Will very readily consent to double or
treble Cne price now paid if they can have
some assurance that they will not be disturbed
at the Whlm or caprice OF the Indians.
THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
The report of the Commissioner of the
General Land Ofice shows that sales, entries,
and selections of public lands under various
act OF Congress embrace 26S34, ,04I .03 acres.
and OF Indian lands 697, ,l2S.97, aggregating
q ,53l, l7O, an increase over the year 1888 of
S,l0l, l37 20. The receipts for disposal of
public lands are $ll, $40 1913 or: Indian lands,
$93S, ,l37 26, or a total of $l2779, l3O 33, an in
crease over that of 1888 of $l,073, 1864 6S, to
which is to be added $40, ,276 rs received for
certified copies of records, making a total of
$l2.7S9,40 90.
PENSIONS.
The report of the Commissioner of Pensions
shows that at the close of the fiscal year 1884
there were 322,756 pensioners, classified as fol-
lows:
Army invalids -. ........ 2lS 956
Army widows, minor children, and de-
pendent relatives .'.-.,-'...,..,e 1896
Navy lnValids ....-........... ........... 26l6
Navy widows, minor children, and de-
pendent relatives .......... ..... g3S
Survivors of the war of 1872. .......... 1898
Widows of those who served in the war
OF IolZ lZ.-...............-.... .......... 1852
There were added to this roll during the
year the names OF "a, 1872 new pensioners, and
l,22l previously dropped were restored to the
rolls, making in the aggregate 35,4l3, and
l6,3l] were dropped for various causes, being
a net increase on the roll of 1908.
The average annual value of each pension
at the close of the year is $lO6 70, and The ag-
gregate annual value of all pensions is $3i,-
496,bO1 80, an increase over like value for the
previous year of $2.2ll. .407 %.
The amount paid for pensions during the
year is $56,90S,597 go, exceeding. as will he OBJ
served, the annual value of pensions several
millions of dollars, which represents the first
payments, generally in new claims, and
known as arrears of pensions. The amount
paid during the year to 3l,307 new pensioners
was $23, 4l3,Sl5 10, and there remained In the
hands of the several pension agents :, ,2O3 cases
of tins class unpaid, in which there was due
$4,949,O90 05.
Since 1861 there have been fled 927. .922
claims for pensions; of this number, 545, ,l30
have been allowed. About 81 per cent. of the
whole number now pending are awaiting the
action of the claimants or their witnesses on
unanswered calls from the Pension Office.
Since 1861 the total amount disbursed for pen
slOns has been $67S, ,346, S34 "a.
THE PATENT OFFICE,
The following report of the business of the
Patent Office for the fiscal year ending June
30, 1884, is submitted: