Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-12-05
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Secretary Mobiles Annual Report
Submitted to Congress-

pages. 1t shows that there are $50, 216, SOL
acres OF vacant lands in the United States,
| and 1863, 529, 600 in Alaska, making total
| of 955. TAG, 46l. In the states and territories
Montana leads with GA, S07, 627 acres, and
Michigan is tweuty-second with S32. 707
acres. During the past year 10000, 900
| acres of agricultural lands were conveyed
to actual settlers, and $50, 779 to states for
educational purposes, otc.
| Considerable space Is devoted TO tho
! subject of irrigation, which alone can make
valuable immense tracts OF arid lands in
Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Nevada,
| Colorado, Arizona Now Mexico and the
Dakotas.
| In Wow of the state of affairs ut the Pine
| Ridge Agency and other frontier posts, that
portion of the secretary's report touching
upon Indian affairs possesses peculiar in
| terest: mt
In reviewing the past years work of the
department in regard to the Indians, it is
seen that there has been steady progress
made in engaging them In peaceful ways
and industrial pursuits. A stronger desire
is manifested among many for the educa-
ton OF their children, for the individual
ownership of land, and generally for the
comforts of civilization.
But it needs to be said that a much
larger area of land than is necessary is held
for Indian occupancy. There are not more
than $50, 900 Indians within the borders Of
the United States Excluding Alaska). The
greater part Of these reside upon or have
some interest in tho existing reservations,
tho others living upon a portion Of the
public domain. The aggregate area of the
Indian reservations was, at the last report,
olD
miles, which is as calculated by the Indian
commissioner greater than that of the
New England and middle states combined,
greater than tho aggregate area of the
states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Ken
lucky, and nearly equal to the combined
area of the two Dakotas and Montana; or,
TO carry the comparison further, it is
larger by half than the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, larger than
Sweden or Norway, and nearly as large as
either Franco Or SPAIN"
That portion Of the report that is de-
voted to patents gives the following
statistics: The total number of applica-
tions received, including reissues, trade
marks, designs, etc, was 46, l40; the num-
Der of patents granted was 49, trade
marks and labels registered, 1,636; patents
expired, IL ,SS5; the total receipts were,
81, 347, 203.2l; the total expenditures were,
81, 0S1, 1913 So, leaving a surplus of $780,
029. IS to be turned into the treasury Of
the United States to the credit of the
patent fund, and making total balance in
the treasury on account of the patent fund
of So, 700, $50. 2S.
The work to be done by the pension
bureau has reached wonderful proportions,
and its expenditures have sent into the
channels of trade and commerce in our
country more than one hundred millions of
dollars the past year. The use of this
vast sum has served more than one valu-
able purpose. 1t has been not alone
relief to hundreds of thousands of the
families of the soldiers who in different
wars have served their country, chiefly
those who defended the union against
secession; but it has also transferred at
most opportune moments the accumulated
treasures of the government to the hands
of the people, 'blessing him that gives and
him that takes."
The pensions granted by previous legis-
lation will be largely augmented by those
now being allowed under the act entitled
IAN act granting pensions to soldiers and
sailors who are incapacitated for the per-
Torrance Of manual labor, and providing
for pensions to widows minor children and
dependent parents" approved juno %,
1890
1t may be well to mention here that the
reason why our pension roll is greater than
that of other countries is not alone because
the war was colossal, having enrolled
nearly two and quarter millions of men
on one side, but because the country they
saved being a republic each individual Of
tlNnttv actn hnH 1n1 lni IN
to the aid of the nation. In other lands
officers get much and men little; here the
large bulk of pensions goes to the rank and
file, and the immense numbers of these
and their dependents swell the pension
list TO proportions commensurate with the
size Of the army and the democracy Of our
principles.
At the close of tho fiscal year 1890 there
were 537, 944 pensioners borne upon the
rolls as follows:
Army invalid pensioners. ........... 302, 500
Army widows, minor children and
dependent relatives. .............. 104, 456
Navy inv aid pensioners. 5,274
Navy widows, minor children and
dependent relatives. ............. 2,460
Survivors of the war OF 1912 Alb
widows OF soldiers of the war OF 1912 500
Survivors OF the Mexican war..... 1888
Widows of soldiers OF Mexican war;. 6,7G4
Total. ....................... o3i,0t4
There were c., 637 original claims al.
lowed during the year, being Ia, 716 more
original claims than were allowed during
the fiscal year 1889, and 1885 more than
were allowed during the fiscal year 1888.
The Commissioner of Pensions estimates
there were on July / last l.246, 0S9 surviv-
ors Of the civil war, and that about 1906. 900
of these arc now 62 years OF age and up
wards. The estimate for army and navy
pensions for 1892 is sl33. 600. 900. The
number Of persons employed in the bureau
OF pensions is 5, 200.
Under the head of the Census the report
states that the country was divided into
175 supervisors districts, and that great
care was exercised in the selection Of emu
mcrators from both political parties.
Canadian Imports and Exports.