The Indianapolis journal., 1889-12-02
Recommendations Concerning the Cherokee
Strip, 'sNo Mans Land" the Patent Office
and instruction Of Indian Children.
Every Honorably Discharged Soldier
Unable to Work Should Be PensiOned.
The Law Governing Increases and Reratings
Discussed and xplained-Points from Sec
retary Of the Navy Tracy's Report.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Annual Report of Secretary Noble-Recom-
mendations Regarding Pensions.

mendations Regarding Pensions.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 1.-The annual report
of Secretary of Interior Noble was made
public to-day. Its chief interest is the
recommendation made concerning pen
sions. The first part of the report is de-
voted to the opening of Oklahoma. the
successful negotiation of treaty with
the Sioux Indians of Dakota, and the ad-
vent into the Union of the four new States,
North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington
and Montana. none having entered. previ-
ously. for thirteen years. The total
amount of land added to the United States
by the treaty with the Sioux In
dians is about nine million acres.
The Secretary pays high cOmph-
ment to the people of the new States, their
intelligence and attachment to the Union
being as great as any of the older States.
The State of Washington contains an area
of IS, 726, 400 acres. and has a population OF
2750O0. The State of Montana contains
93.273, 600 acres. with a population Of 1885,
900. The State of North Dakota contains
an area of 45. $685. 900 acres. and has pop
ulation of 271 900. while South Dakota con-
tains 40, ,70S 800 acres, with a population of
$4,000. In speaking of the work of the
Cherokee commission, Secretary Noble re-,
countsl1he difficulties thrown in their way
by thecattle men. who have leased the
strip. He directs the attention of Congress
to the subject and recommends the neces-
sity of making more exact and stringent
laws prohibiting the direct interference of
citizens of the United States with the
movements of the government when at
tempting to negotiate with the Indian
tribes.
In regard to the census of 1890, the Secre-
tary speaks of the large amount of prepar-
atory work done by the Superintendent,
Robert Z. Porter, and then says:
The eleventh censns. while comprising all the
investigations undertaken in the tenth, will in
clude two additional and important features: an
inquiry in relation TO the recorded Indebtedness
or private corporations and individuals, and
list or the names, organizations and length OF
service Of surviving soldiers sailors and marines
and their widows. am assured by the superin-
tendent that the forthcoming census, as com
pared with any previous one, will be more sta
actual inventory of the Nations progress in pop
,ilati0n. industry and wealth, and less given to
tions The latest appliances for the rapid tabn-
lation and presentation of the results of the
census have been adopted and no effort viii he
spared TO present, at as early date as possible,
The entire results of another decade of the Ma
tons progress AS an illustration of the mag
ntuae ol tn,s upaertaklng' II IS only necessary
will be employed in taking the eleventh census
$4,000 enumerators. 1000 clerks, from 800 TO
900 special agents, 10 supervisors and 25 ex-
perts The number of published volumes viii
. probably exceed those of the tenth census. The
calculation has been made that If the inquiry in
regard TO veterans should yield 800 900 naries.
st will take eight quarto volumes OF a thousand
pages each to contain them.
Upon the recommendation of the Superintend-
suggested deceDuial
would be far more complete and satisfactory if
the Census Office were made permanent bu-
reau.
The business of the General Land Office
is reviewed and discussed at length The
patents issued in 1889, and other statistics
are thus given:
Agricultural patents. 7O.141, COW
Mineral f patents. Sis. .ii'iI'.iioo3
Coal patents. 155, covering-.-.. 1906 so
Railroad lands. covertng----------- 425,Of6O2
Swamp lands. covering -.-.--... 259,72I45
State sci elections under educational
grants. covering. 132,35O6l
sndan and miscellaneous patents 159, 9,39O21
There can he found in the Commissioners re-
port tables assigning these different selections to
the proper States and Territories in which they
are situated.
The final entries made during the year covered
9.0sS. .592 15 acres; the original entries $685.
tions, 4,514.570.1O acres. The total amount of
cash sales amounted to $S,379410.4 The
number OF fnal entries disposed of during the
year reached $4,000. There remained pending
jn the office on the 30th of June. 1889, isO.61s
final entries of all classes; of original entries of
lections undisposed of, 29, ,441, PSI 64 acres ian
increase over the amount pending at the begin
ming of the year of 4,014.3s5.53 acres.) This
does not include 304, ,926.67 acres of Oregon
wagon-road selections Swamp selections OF the
various states covering over 100000 acres
were pending. and educational and internalim-
provement selections covering 1,97S,472.SS
heres.
The cash receipts for the year, from all sources
with the previous year of $3,s61 .236Os. This
decrease, the Commissioner explains. was due
mainly to the falling Off in cash entries
Considerable space is devoted to the sub
ject of irrigation in the Western States and
Territories. private land claims. railroad
land grants, wagon-road grants. swamp
land grants. mineral grants surveys.
fraudulent entries and speculation In coal
lands. Under the latter head Secretary
Noble says:
The acting Commissioner states that special
agents report that efforts have been made by GER
tain wealthy individuals and corporations 10
fraudulenty acquire title TO large tracts of coal
lands. and says that extensive bodies of these
lands, which will eventnly be of great value. are
being illegally appropriated. the guards and re-
strictons OF the law as il now stands being en-
trely insufficient To prevent such monopoly by
unscrupulous spectators.
The opening of Oklahoma has made it
necessary for the enactment of laws for the
benefit of the 1900 people residing in the
strip called No Mans Land.n Congress is
urged TO afford protection TO them. and to
appropriate sufficient money to survey the
lands preparatory TO throwing them open
TO the public.
The Patent Office report contains these
statistics:
The total number OF applications received in
<Auding designs. reissues, etc. was ioO17: the
Number of patents granted was Do g4I: the total
receipts were $1,IS6, ,557.22; the total ex-
penditgres were 5000. .697 81. leaving n surplus
of $ls6.s599S TO be turned into the treasury of
the United States TO the credit of the patent
fund, and making "a total balance in the treas
nry on account of the patent fund of $3524.-
52663.
It Is generally conceded that legislation is
needed amendatory or the Revised Statutes re-
lating To patents. Some OF the provisions which
should he altered are Section 1885. relating TO
the date OF patents Section 4ss7. relating to the
duration of patents for inventions previously
patented in a foreign country. and section 1896
relating to reimbursement of moneys paid by
mistake into the treasury. The opinion Is in
deed gaining ground that revision or the
eatent act would be of advantage not only to the
inventor but to the public generally.
The United States Geological Survey has
just completed its first decade. and sum
mary of its operations is given. Its field
Of operations last yearincluded an examina-