Telegram-herald., 1886-09-26
The Presidential Party's Re
turn from their Vacation.
C0APL.AaIS I0SEC8HlT LAMAR
Sfnopzis Ct TIE Report or the Pension
Commissloner- Business OF the
General Land Cfhcs Sparks
and his Policy
WAsaIsalos d. a.. Sept 23. l,sa.

sammer "outns in the AdiToniaeks,
sooar o'c.ock last night "Not q arum
vas heard, 90 parade, 40 fireworks. 30
crowd no noise. We all are glad 70 know
that lhey are safe and well at home de
hshted With their vocation. We are quiet
undemonstrstiye people here and have
s silent. dignihed say OF exhibiting cur re-
spect for greatness.
The President aud members Of his Cabi
net have been missed OF course, these
many weeks, bur the machinery Of tins
great government has not been stopped al
ALI it has moved majesucauy, but noise
lessly, il not as rapidly, and the people have
been cared for and had their wants supplied
lust about the same Secretary Manning will
return IN about a fortnight. Secretary
Lamar returned 90 his iesk Yesterday look
ing remarkably well better than AZ any
time since he entered the Cabinet lie did
a great deal of work during his vacation in
the Quiet New Hampshire village in which
be sought "a change OF air and scene -
hat change tor a man born in Georgia
and reared in Mississippi. Nearly ali of
the important business which came
before the Interior Department was
L
/ The newspapers have INDUCED IN a
great deal Of gossip about wedding, pros
/ peCtiye ia which the Secretary was 10 take
a leading part they have been trying 10
marry OF the distinguished wid1wer, for a
/ year or two. bat the interested public are
now assured that there Is, really, no i0un-
/ dati0r whatever for the reports, or any one
| of them; he C0ntemplates nothing OF the
sort When at home Secretary Lamar may
b.l q lI frfu D. IN,
/ his lodgings ike any other plain, quiet
man. Sometimes he rides up or down the
! Avenue-Peuusylya wanna ave. Is always spO-
/ ken of AS The Avenue here-On horse
/ back al "A moderate pace looking neither 10
/ the r.elt or left Mr. Lamar is very con
servauve, careful man, about as independ-
! ent and impartial rs any man can be. lie
/ has "a cool head and wonderful mind and
/ memory. His great office demands the
same. Gen Black has been exceedingly
/ busy. since his return from the Grand Army
meeting in san Francisco. preparing his re-
| port for the last fiscal year, which shows that
I on June 80 last there We're 800 7S3 pensioners
| on the roll s. composed of 265, SOL army in
/ vallds, 81, ,lO2 army widows, minor children
and dependent relatives, 29o3 navy lnVa-
| lids, SIS navy widows, minor children. etc.
539 survivors of the war of 1912 and Is, ,3s7
widows of the war OF 1872 During the year
q original claims We're filed of the later
class, 304 new widows have appeared on The
/ rolls 1887 new pensioners, and - OSJ
names We're dropped on account of death,
/ remarriage, fraud etc, leaving a net in
/ crease OF 20 go The ANIMAL average value
/ of each pension Sl22 %, a gain of Sll IS
/ over the average of the preceding year. The
/ aggregate pensions are Sf4. 02I A an in
crease Of S66lS,O4l 30. The amount paid
/ for pensions during the year was S63, 797,
/ S3l6l, the difference in the amount
/ paid and the annual value repre-
senung the accrued and arTearage pensions
/ paid during the year He says that the
subject of pensions TO the soldiers of the
Mexican war is before Congress, and that
| he need not add anything in the way of ar
gument OF the appropriations for the ex-
pense of the office, 500 g62 has been COW
cred back into the Treasury. The clerical
force was, during the year diminished by
! 100 clerks. A statement of the chief clerk
/ is appended TO the Commissioners report
/ showing that during 1SS4-5 81 3l6 days of
! annual and sick leave was taken bv the
employees of the Pension Bureau. while for
/ lsS5-6 80 652 days only were taken, show
ing the net increase in time saved during
I the first year of the present Administrations
| 10 be that of one man for tOrtytwO years
| eleven months and four days.
The General left the city on Tuesday
| evening for the West on public business
/ During his absence he will visit the Soldiers
| Homes at Dayton. Milwaukee and Leaven-
worth. He will also visit and inspect sew
eral of the Western pension agencies, and
will be absent about ten days
The receipts of the Government thus far
during he present month have been double
the amount of the expenditures. Receipts.
about So 600 900 and expenditures Sll ,OO0-
600. This proportion is very unusual, but
[ appears 10 be likely 10 continue for some
time Result of such excess of receipts;
probably a continuation of the series of
bond calls.
As 10 the business Of the General Land
ohce. A statement prepared By Commits
sioneT Sparks shows that during the year
ended june 30, last the total mum
beF of land entries was 227 f7f. embrac-
ing an area OF 20,N9l2bI acres. The
amount of money received for this land
was .4l2 7G7. The cash sales aggregated
1913 4Hs acres and the amount received
therefor was - 7a4. 70 Original homes cad
entries were made to the number OF 6i Gt-.
covering an ARIA of 9145I35 acres The
lists oi selections made ov railroad com.
pauies under the different grants aggregate
2sll $50 acres The number of timber ciil
fure entries made wa 80 g6 compr s,ng 5 p.
$50 $50 acres.
So government official under the present
administration has made as many enemies
as has Commissions Sparks Re has from
the start been as solid as a rock in bis
determination to compel strict obedience to
/ the letter of the law has ignored. or over
/ ruIed decisions disregarded or reformed rul-
. iuEs aud changed the practice of the office
in many matters he has made 10 lively for
the Secretary 0f the Interior and has assist
ants above him and for officials suhor-
dina'e to him. Many Of bis decisions have
. been over ruled bv She Secretary. but he has
Kept right 0n insisting upon the enforce.
ment 0l The laws particularly in pre- emp
fi1n and homestead cases. and hundreds
YES. thousands IF people. many innocent
and honest acting in good faith have
failed to obtain tifle to isnds they regarded
A. their own and have suffered in conse
luences because of the marked change ir
practice and policy Heretofore the policy
bas heen to treat settlers upon the pub
.ic domain kindly and ienienrv fo gave
them much cre,iIt for good faith and honest
Intentions THE decisions az the department
and afiae have been verv liberal and it is
believed that undue advantage has beer
taken ss result abuses have resulted ant
dishonest and avsrfcious land -grabbers
hsVe robbed the Government hy much fsls'
svVesrirx snd other croo zeiness. and AZ The
same time injured the actual settlers BY ob
rsinfnF snf ho.d.ng for psrpo@es ~ spec1
Istson. srze frscts of lard The pioneer
! sn0r better thsn snv other cisss ~ citizen'
vbaf terrible eneni zee % progress thss.
sracaietors are n0v thsf The heavy hanl
~ the Stubborn but honest reform
whr siWeVs Enes t0 the ofhe