Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-01

In report da ed October IS 1850 made upon
the SUBSTANTIAL completion of the enumeration,
the superintendent presents very iuil ex
plahatlon of its validity, showing the unIalrness
OF any comparison between the percentage OF
increase between 1870 and 1850 and that between
| loco and 1880. The discussion contained IN the
announcements paper cannot be ialrly apore.
waited. and it is appended in full. There have
| peen some contests. and in some instances cor
Iectlons have been made on applications 1or
enumeration. But 80 per cent OF all the COM
| paints against the eleventh census, and there
| were only about the same number against the
| tenth census, have, on careful lnvestisation,
Deen found grorlndless.
1t is noteworthy fact that upon the promul-
| Satlon OF the questions to be answered Tor the
! purposes of the census. some relating to dis
ease and other OF the subjects above mentioned,
a great number of editors throughout the
| country began j bitter attack upon the whole
| census system and used every means OF argu-
ment and invectlve to array the people against
replying to the inquiries Of the enumerators,
| and even denounced the whole work IN ad-
vance. But the people recognized the census
as national work, meant not only for the ne
cesslt1es of our own Government, but Tor the
benef1t of all men. and the questions. 1nciud-
ing those relating to farms, homes and mort
| cages, were almost universally and promptly
| answered. This census will. it is believed. be
| errors in it would be to claim for 1t more than
| can he expected OF ary such work. But those
| who find the most fault with it are those who
| 1rom the beginning have endeavored TO deteat
| with it,
The disputes that have arisen as to certain
cities, and even enc State, have been patiently
heard where it was asked, and opinions given
at length setting forth the reason for the action
taken. Time alone can now test the eleventh
census, exposing errors, If any exist, anG con-
hrmlng its substantial accuracy. The work mas
certainly been most carefully prepared, and as
the result goes to the country, the Secretary
feels that the duty imposed upon the Census
of1ce has been faithfully performed.
THE PATENT OFFICE.
There is no bureau that has earned by its
own success greater claims to an increase of
force and room Cor its officers and clerks than
the Patent Office, and the Secretary strongly
approves the recommendations of the Commits
sioner. The total number of applications re-
ceived including reissues. Trademarks, designs,
etc., was 46. l40; the number of patents granted
was 25,S57; trademarks and labels registered,
1636: patents expired, H. SS5; the total receipts
81 347 2OS 21 the total expenditures were l,0Sl.
l73 56. leaving a surplus of S266, 029 IS to be
turned into the Treasury of the United States
to the credit of the patent fund, and making a
total balance in the Treasury on account OF
the patent fund of IS. 790, $50 %. The Commits
sioner directs attention To the great increase In
the number of applications received, and re-
ports that despite such increase the number on
hand and in condition for action at the end OF
the fiscal year was less than at the correspond
ing period in any of four previous years; that
the work of the office is more nearly up to dat e
than 1t has been for years. result Que TO no
increase in the number of employees. but to the
untiagging industry and well-directed skill OF
the entire office force.
In fact it has been year of much executive
achievement in all the bureaus of this depart
ment. From the public domain a new Territory
has been formed and organized; former Terri
torres have advanced to States; four. admitted
to the Union last year, have obtained full rep.
resentarion in both Houses of Congress. and
two more, admitted this year, have elected
their State officers and are about to choose
their national representatives.
In the protection of the public timber lands
during the year 30 agents were employed.
There were reported 80 cases of trespass, IN
volving SSO64, l5l 66. The sums recovered dur
ing the fiscal year by the Government for such
suits amounted to S1c0.940 81.
VACANT PUBLIC LANDS.
The vacant lands in the United States, ex-
elusive of those in Alaska, at present extend
over $50, ,2l6S6l acres, of which 2S2, ,772 4S9 are
already surveyed. Alaska contains 577.39O
square miles. or 369, 600 acres of which not
more than 900 acres have been entered. The
aggregate reaches 955 7i6,46l acres. The fol-
lowing figures taken from the Commissioners
report show the lands claimed by the subsi-
died railroads and other corporations. There
were certified or patented up to 1890:
Acres.
For railroad purposes lS5O to $780, 81, ,379 SI6 u
For wagon road purposes (lS2i to
For % canal purposes GIS2S to iS96j:.: i2IG7s.S6
For river improvements (lS2S TO
lo0U). ............ l,4UO,zlU.oU
s.992, ,36O 80
The educational branch of the Indian serv-
ice has received throughout the year the
special attention which its Importance de-
mands. The effort has been to extend and
improve the system already existing, to en-
large the school facilities to increase the at
tendance, to make more uniform the course
of study and instruction and to secure teachers
of the best qualifications. When the present
administration began there was little or no re-
straint upon any seeking to take Indians off the
reservations for exhibition in this or other
countries. The first act done by the present
Secretary was to require bond of any per-
son asking such privilege. conditioned on the
fair payment and treatment of the Indians
and their return to their homes, and for the
employment of a white man to be selected to
70 along with the Indians and look to their
rights and welfare. This it is thought, did
perence has shown since that in other
cases the Indian has greatly lost by such
employment. BE is taken into strange and
most exciting surroundings, he is taught to
renew the widest and most savage scenes of
Indian warfare, and too often tempted to recur
in practice to tie lowest vices. When mis-
fortune overtakes him in any form of disease
or accident, or bs,nkruptcy breaks up the show
of his employer. his condition on return home
is not good object lesson of the benefits of
civilized life as found by him in the capitals of
our own or other enlightened lands. The re-
suits are. in fact, deplorable, and it has been
ordered that no more such licenses or contracts
shall be made or approved, and that all Indian
agents shall exert themselves to prevent and
defeat any attempts in future tn take Indians
from the reservations or elsewhere for such
purposes.
If some act of Congress were passed forbid
ding any person or corporation to take into en-
ployment or under control any American In
dian il would be of much assistance to the
department in enforcing this policy.