Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-12-18
The Land Office

homes under our beneticent laws.
The Land Office.
Early in this administration a specia. CT.
fort was begun to bring ND the work of the
general land Office. By faithful work the
arrearages have been rapidly reduced At
tine end of the last fiscal year only s4,l72
inal agricultural entries remained undis.
posed of, and the commissioner reports
that with the present force the work can
be fully brought up by the end OF the next
hscal year Your attention is called to the
difficulty experienced by the secretary OF
the interior III the administration of the
law of March 3, 1891, establishing court
OF private land claims. The small hold
ings intended to be protected by the law
are estimated to be more than $4,000 IN
numoer.
Provisions should be made for numbering
these tracts as lots and for patenting them
by such numbers aud without reference to
section lines.
The administration of the pension bu-
reau has been characterized during the
year by great diligence. The total number
of pensioners upon the roll on June 80.
ing the hscal year. ending at that time.
$50, sos cases. OF this number 1902 3S7 were
allowed under the law of June 81, 1890.
The issuing of certificates has been pro-
ceeding at the rate of about 10000 per
month, about IS per cent of these
being under the new law. The commits
sioner expresses the opinion that he will
be able to carefully adiudicate and allow
$1,000 claims during the fiscal year
the appropriation for the payment of pen
sions for the fiscal year, lS90-9l, was sl27,-
$50, 1883 and the amount expended Sll9-
530,649.20, leaving am unexpended surplus
of SO, 1855, l4464
The commissioner is quite confident that
there will be no call this year for de-
tclency appropriation, Notwithstanding
the rapidity with which the work is being
pushed. The mistake which has been
made by many in their exaggerated esti-
mates OF the cost Of pensions is in not tax
ing account of the diminished value of first
payments under the recent legislation
These payments under the old laws, have
been for many years very large, as the
pension, when allowed, dated from the
time of filing the claim, and most of these
claims had been pending for years.
The Pacific Railroads.
The report of 1.-The commissioner of rail
roads shows that the total debt of the sub
Sdized railroads to the United States was
on December 81, 1890. Sll2,5l2 6l3.06. A
large part of the debt is now fast approach
ing maturity. with no adequate provision
for its payment. Some policy for dealing
with this debt, with view to its ultimate
collection, should be at once adopted Ii
10 very difficult, well nigh Impossible for
so large body as the congress to conduct
necessary negotiations and Investigations.
/ therefore recommend that provision be
made for the appointment of a commits
sion to agree upon and report plan for
dealing with this debt. The work of the
census bureau is now in far advance and
the great bulk of the enormous labor in
solyed completed. twill be more strictly
a statistical exhibit and less encountered
by essays than its Immediate predecessors.
The methods pursued have been fair, care
full and intelligent, and have secured the
approval of the statisticians, who have
followed them with a scientific and ION
partisan interest The apprOpria-
tions necessary to the early completion
and publication of the authorized volumes
should be given in time to secure against
delays. which increase the cost and at the
same time diminish the value of the work
The report of the secretary exhibits, with
interesting fullness, tie condition of the
territories. They nave shared with the
states the great increase in farm products
and are bringing yearly large areas into
cultivation by extending their irrigating
canals. This work is being done. by lnd-
yiduals or local corporations, ana without
that system which is full of preliminary
survey OF the water supply and OF
the lrrigable lands would enable them to
adopt The future Of the territory of New
Mexico. Arizona and Utah in their material
growlh and IN the increase, independence
and happiness Of their people is very
largely dependent upon wise and timely
legislation, either by congress or their own
leglslatures To" Hti"s the distribution OF
the water supply furnished by their
streams.
The United States should part with
Its ownership of the water sources
and the sites for reservoirs, whether to the
states ana territories or TO individuals or
corporations. only upon conditions that
will insure to the settlers their proper
water supply upon equal aud reasonable
terms.
Concerning Presidential Electors.
The method OF appointment by the states
of electors for president and vice presi-
dent has recently attracted renewed in.
terest by reason of a departure by the state
OF Michigan from the methods which had
become uniform in all the states. Prior to
1892 various methods had been used by the
different states, and even by the same
states In some the choice was
made by the legislature. III others electors
were chosen by districts. but more gener-
ally. by the vote of the whole state upon a
general ticket. The movement toward the
adoption of the last named method had an
early beginning and went steadily forward
among the states unlll IN 1889, tDere re-
NAMED but a single state, South
Carolina, that had not adopted it.
That state. until the civil war,
Continued 10 choose its electors by
vote of the legislature. but after the war
changed its method and conformed to the
practice of the other states. For nearly
sixty years all tho states save one have
appointed their electors by a popular vote
upon general ticket, and for nearly
thirty years this method was universal.
After full test qf other methods. with
out important division or dissent in any
state. and without Any purpose of party
advantage, as we nd lust believe, but solely
upon the consb alterations that uni
formity was desirable. and that
a general election in territorial
divisions not subject TO change was most
consistent with Yhe popular character of
our institutions, Vest preserved the equality
of the voters anY eifectually removed the
choice of president from the baneful in
fiuence of the gdrrymander. the practice of
all the states Was brought into harmony.
That this concurrence should now be
broken, is, | Vnk. an unfortunate and
even threatening episode and one that
may well suggest whether the states that
still give then approval to the old and pre-
Vailing METHOD ought not to secure, by
amendment, practice
which has Had the approval of all. The
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