River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-12-06
Mr.. Villas. REPORT.
Record OF the Workings of the Interior
Department During Isss-Tbe Land or
flee, the Indian Question, Labor Stats
tics. Pensions Patents Etc

ttcss fehsiouss Patents. Etc.
WAsHiNGToS, Dee. 2-Secretary Villas be-
gins MS report on the work Of the Interior
Department by giving detailed account OF
the doings Of the Public Land once. The total
number OF acres patented dur ng the year was
s606le4, divided as follows; Agricultural
lands, 100000 acres, mineral and coal lands
j, aos; railroad lands. Ss9 l62, swamp lands
96.5l5; internal Improvement and edueat onal
grants 10 States, 80 205; miscellaneous &c, 43s
The final entries made during the year number
40 SOS, embrac ng il.34L I6a53 acres; original
entries, 7s.47a embrac ng i0,9S5,6sO0l acres;
railroad and State select ons were fled cover
ing 7,7gtS 90 Thus. in addit on 70 the final
entries, specific claims have been newly as
serted 70 lS776, 2l.92 acres during the year
The receipts from the disposal OF publ c lands
were s12, 70l ,0s2; from sales Of Indian lands,
Ss2i.li3; a total of Sl35ss ~.
The report lays particular stress upon the
necessity for some method OF expediting the
work Of the Land once. On June - Pa l56
final entries were ending. and the nun Der OF
new entries made during the year was 90 46s
more than al the final entries disposed OF
during the same period. At the same lime
there were pending $50 OBS original entries, OF
which 2l7. $40 were homesteads, ., 42aS $50 acres
of unadlusted railroad selections, 5sLSi7 acres
State selections under swamP-iand grants, and
1854, go State selections for educational and
internal-improvement purposes.
The report says: THE Comm ssioner recon-
mends an increase Of the force OF his ofiee-a
natural suggestion. But. although ] venture
IL VIII difndence, because Of the limited op-
portunity afforded me Tor study OF the subject,
II Is my opinion that thorough and radical or
ganization OF the Land once ought TO be the
first step taken, accompanied by provision Of
quarters suitable 10 the performance OF the
work"
The passage by Congress OF the House bill re-
pedling the laws prov ding for prescriptions,
umber-culture, entries, public and private
sales and the Communication OF homestead en-
tries by cash payments is recommended As a
measure Of admin straJive relief II would be Of
great value while the Homestead law fur
nishes all the opportunity for sc tiers to OBJ
tain agr cultural lands which Is ne essary for
five years IL least The repeal Of the Des-
ert-Land law IS recommended, as under
It's rroy sions a way IS furnished 10
appropriate the public land 10 private
use in abuse OF ITS spirit aud with
out any real purpose Of compliance with
It's objects and directions ana because under
il private rights are secured which must in
terfere with the larger work OF irrigation which
must ultimately lie undertaken by the Gov
ernment
The report Of the Commissioner Of the Gen
eral Land ONCE shows the total number Of
acres OF land actually restored To the
public domain, through forfeiture OF rail
road grants and the discovery OF fraud in
the case OF pr waite grants, to be 81 l5o-
G0,0.0, 53S33 acres on the same grounds. This
exhibit includes lands which have been thrown
open by the removal OF unlawful fences con
structed by usurpers OF the domain. Since 1885
upwards OF 6.01O,O00 acres we're held by such IN
lawful Enclosure. An adjustment Of railroad
land grants under the statute Of March 3, 1855,
discove red that seven railroad companies and
one W agoa company held a total OF 2lS,59O
acres more than they were legally entitled To-
The Secretary recommends that period Of
Limitation on the presenimeut OF private land
claims be speedily fixed by law.
Enough has been done N the way Of expert
ment, the S cretary finds, 10 prove that proper
irrigation VIII render fertile and productive ex-
tensive plains OF land IN the Western Z rr or es
wb,cn are now uncultvated. The act OF Con-
gress appropr ating $4,000 TO this purpose, lis
worthy OF the Nation and the age and deserves
the immediate and potential fostering action OF
the lie stature. The plan cOntemp plates taking
possession OF sal, able valleys and gorges along
the streams, perhaps more generally IN the up
per regions. for the construct on Of great reser
yo rs to be filed by the surplus flow IN sprug-
time and freshettime, afterwards 10 be striD-
uted through canals aqueduets aad bitches
upon the 8 At areas below" Tire expectation
is profered at soon the NJ ssissippi may be
so taken in hand 70 curb and restrain that
vast current from its frequent destructive ir-
ruptons.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
made IN the delIverance OF the Indians from
the ideas and habits Of the past, and they now
manifest less prejudice against the acceptance
OF the habits Of vIized life and more readily
and willingly adopt themselves to the meas
ures des igned for their Improvement THIS
has been done by weakening the obstructive
influence Of chiefs and head men and by ex-
tending the jur sdicuon of courts to Indian
cases. A large portion of tins gam IS ascr4 bed
TO the increased honesty OF the Indian agents.
and the Secretary recommends that ine best
poss BILE ability should be secured in the per-
son OF these agents and that an increased com
pensatlon should be paid. The extension Of
educational advantages is also urged as 10
embrace all the Indian youth OF the country
of teachable age. Let but the present
generation Of Indian youth be universally in
structed according to their capacity and the
Indian question Is settled, because there viii
be no Ind ans when the generation OF youth
becomes the generation oil manhood
According to the reports OF Indian agents the
total number of Indians in the country, exclud-
Ing ALASKA, is 246,O9j occupying reservations,
includ ng the Ind an Territory, embracing li2 :
a 44O acres; being equivalent 20 an average Of
456 acres for each Indian.
There we're 233 Indian schools in operation
during the year, including five industrial tram
iny schools located outside Of reservations, AT
a total cost OF S1,203.Gi3 The total enroll
mcnt was 15,2l2 pupils, and the average
there are 10000 Indian youths OF teach
able age, and assuming the average yearly ex-
penditure for each pup to be Sl02. a total APP
preparation Of 81, OJ1, % is Indicated as neces-
sary To meet the requirements OF the case
The Secretary comments the result OF the
allotment Of lands n severalty % the Indians,
which is TO restrict their propensity for rowing
indolently about the country.
The cutting OF mbcr on reservations IS con-
demned by the Secret .ry on the ground that
such timber belongs not 10 the lndan but TO
the United States. II Is found that the most
serious trouble resulting from intruders upon
Indian lands arises in Indian Teri tory, the
complaints coming from the Cherokee nation.
TIE Secretary fully explains and discusses
al some length the negotiations with the ln-
dians for the opening OF the great Sioux reser-
walton. He holds that the COmpensations de-
manded for tie lands were eXorbtant II
would require for no more land Than IS now
desired to be coded the payment OF nearly as
much money as was paid 10 France for the en-
tire territory OF Louisiana merely TO exttugush
the Indian right OF occupancy. the Zee
being. according to our theory already IN the
Government. 1t would besides Tx probable
minimum at least for the several millions OF
acres which must at later period, after allot-
ments in severaltv have been perfected and
their improved cond ton hereunder shall war
rant IL, be further purchased ana opened TO
settlement"
Original pens ons 10 the number OF CD, 81
were added 10 the Ienson rolls during the fiscal
year, and increases were granted in -, 40
cases The names OF 1890 pens oners we're
dropped from the rolls for various causes. so
that at the end OF the year the total number
remaining Of all cases was 452, 557. The amount
pa d for pensions during the year was s'a,7'5,-
S61e2 an increase over the previous year OF
s5,3JS2S022.
THE PATENT OFFICE.
The Secretary calls attention 70 the crowded
condft on of the clerical .orce OF the Pafcut
once. The total number OF applications for
patents was a., ~; patents granted, p iJl;
surplus over expenditures, $685. 90; balance
in the Treasury on account OF patent fund.
81 ss9. SOC IS; number Of applications awaiting
action, 7,227.
WORK or THE LABOR BUREAU.
An interesting account OF the work Of the
Bureau OF Labor is 1preseuted- No report
has been made by this bureau since
December - 1887. during 1886 there
were a9)2 strikes, involv ng 2230i es-
adjustments and J. 30. BOB employees. In 1881,
according to the best information which can
be obtaine relating TO the number Of strikes
only there were S53 strikes; and, US ng the
averages for other years, this means 4.sG2 es-
adjustments IN 1881 Commencing lss0w N
BAR, the number cropped in 1881 TO 2s25'
viz: 2lO5; while in 1883 the number
rose again quite near that OF 1881. or TO
2759 A rapid fall aga occurred IN ls94. the
number being ,. 367, while IN 1855 the n1mber
OF establ shments subjected to str i1es was
smaller than in any previous year named eX-
cent Iss2. it beng for Iss5 3 2sA Ia ls55 the
number OF establishments rose TO S.sJl. while