Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-02
AN IMPORTANT YEAR
In the Administration Of the Depart
ment of the Interior.
A PERMANENT CENSUS OFFICE
One Of the Things Thought Necessary by
Secretary Noble.
MORE MONEY is NEEDED FOR PENSIONS

| w WASHINGTON, December 1.-The report
of the proceedings of the Interior Depart
ment for the past year has been submitted
to the President by Secretary Noble. Mr..
MOBILES Introductory remarks are as follows:
The first annual report made by any Secre-
tary chronicles and discusses chiefly, as a rule,
those acts performed under the direction OF
MS predecessor; but at present, In addition TO
thls labor 10y no means light to one connected
Win the service so short time), the Secretary
OF the Interior has to record several very I'M
portant events that have taken place in his
department. during the present administration.
some OF these have been consummateQ since
the termination of the last fiscal year; but
nevertheless it is deemed proper to recount
tnelr progress up to the time of this report
Your attention is first called to these as they
successfully occurred: The opening of Okla
homa; 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 previously Tor
Is years.
While discoursing upon the subject Of
census taking the Secretary says:
Upon the recommendation of the Superin-
tendent it is suggested that our decennial CEN
sus would be far more complete and satlsfac-
tory if the Census Office were made perma-
nent bureau. The work of preparation for
census such as that of the United States is as
vast and important as the actual enumeration
itself. The demand for exact statistics is con-
stantly increasing, and the Importance Of
greater accuracy and care in securing statisti-
cal data of all kinds would seem to indicate
that as soon as the volumes of one census are
published the preparatory work OF another
should commence. Under the present system
it is impossible to keep the avenues of informa-
tion open, while the skilled statsticans, ex-
perts and trained clerks become scattered,
and there is great danger OF repeating mis-
takes and attempting costly experiments. A
,lrr11 aNnFllN
in the interests of economy and of statistical
science, and would result not only in more eff.
cient work, but in greater rapidity of publca-
ton.
MORE MONEY FOR PENSIONS.
The estimates for pensions made for the
fiscal year beginning July l. 1882 were not only
inadequate, but must have been known to be
so when recommended to Congress. The esti-
mate for the previous year was SS0,00O,OOO. But
before this estimate for the present year was
completed it was apparent that a deficiency
would be incurred. as it was incurred,
for the previops year, to the amount of at least
s.. 100000. and that this added to the original
SSOOOO,0O0 would not be enough to meet the
obligations aecruing before the end of even
that fiscal year. 1t was known also that the
pension list was increasing, and if the pay
ments of 1SSS-'S9 could not be met with $50 0OO,-
600 but deficiency bill had to be passed for
that the former Commissioners successor would
be run into deficiency. Yet the estimate for
pensions was confined to eighty million dollars
(SS0 900 000) for lSS990 The result, if the cause
were not SO easily detected, might produce an
unfair comparison between the previous ad-
ministration and the present as to the amount
to be expended in this branch Of the service.
l do not hesitate, however, to assume the re-
sponsibility, as have done in the estimates for
the next fiscal year, of recommending an in
crease in the appropriation for pensions, so
that liberal and legal payment may be made
to all deserving pensioners of the Republic.
This sum will reach S97, ,2l0, ,252
Soon after the commencement of your ad-
ministration there sprung up in the Bureau of
Pensions practices in regard to the re-rating OF
pensioners that required the intervention of
the Secretary. 1t was found that numbers of
those who had been receiving pensions, many
of whom were employees in the Pension Bureau,
had had their pensions not only increased
(some upon application therefor and some
without such application), but the increase had
been ordered to take effect long anterior to the
application: and, on the orders of the Commits
sioneT, large sums of money had been paid to
these persons. Many of the cases had also been
made special. ".that is, preferred in time of
hearing, and not a few called ''4S-hour cases''
had been hurried through an examination and
the pension increased within two days.
The Intention is to correct all of these evils
for the future under the present Commissioner
OF Pensions, and so far as the law will allow to
exact a return of the money which has been
found was Illegally paid This will prove a
tedious and somewhat difficult undertaking.
But in view of the enormous sums of money
that might have been expended had not this
evil been corrected at the time it was, the Gov
ernment may be well satisfied, think, even if
it should have to lose large portion of that
already paid out
NO SPECIAL CASES.
further recommend that it should be made
the law of the land that no cases can be made
special or taken up for consideration out
of their order in any of the bureaus of the Gov
ernment, except upon statement of facts
clearly distinguishing them from others
equally meritorious; and that in the Pension
Bureau NO. case should be taken out of its or
der, exct pit where there is utter destitution or
the prospect of early death, fact which
should be clearly established by sufficient tesJi
mony of record; and that some suitable pen
atty should be attached to both the application
and the granting of the application where un-
authorized by one of these causes: 1t is in vio-
lation of the panest principle of justice, where
SO many applicants are abiding their time,
patiently waiting for the action of the Pension
Bureau, that anyone should be allowed
through any influence whatever to take undue !
precedence of his comrades or of his comrades |
relatives, and have a claim given to him while |
they must wait not only their turn, but have |
that turned delayed by the very preference
granted.
The Governor of Alaska states that since his |
arrival within the district on June l. ne has, SO
far as possible with the limited means of COM
afforded, Inspected the towns, viii |
lagos and business enterprises thar were within |
his reach in Southeastern Alaska, and inquired |
into the efficiency of the officers and employees |
of the Government and the pressing needs of |
the Territory for the protection of its people, |
its various industries. and for the elevation and
civilization of the natives. He estimates the |
population at about 80 500, of which number |
B, 500 are whites. He does not credit the re-
ports IN circulation as to the approaching anni-
hilation OF the native population by wasting |
diseases, but believes that the next census will |
disclose larger number of natives than the |
last