The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-10

| plus lands of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe res
| ervatlon, amounting to about 100000 acres,
| by reason OF the lnsuthciency of the aDpTopria-
| ton Tor making the allotments Deserving and
! inpatient settlers are waiting to occupy these
| lands and urgently recommend that a special
| deficiency appropriation be promptly made of
| the small amount needed, SO that the allOt-
| ments may be completed and the surplus lands
| opened IN time to permit the settlers to get up
/ on their homesteads IN the early spring. Dur
] ing The past summer the Cherokee commission
/ nave completed arrangements with the which,
| "a, KICK poo and Tonkawa tribes whereby if
the agreements are ratified by Congress, over
oOO,OOO additional acres will be open to settle
| ment in Oklahoma.
The negotiation for the release by the Chero.
| KEGS OF their claim TO the Cherokee strip has
made no substantial progress 50 far as the de-
partment is officially advised, but it is hoped
that the cession OF this large and valuable tract
| may be securen. The price which the commits
| sion was authorized to offer, one dollar and a
| quarter per acre, is, IN my judgment, when all
the clfcum ,tances as 10 title and character OF
| the lands are considered, a fair and adequate
| one and should have been accepted by the In
| dams.
MAKING WASTE LAND BLOOM.
Since March 4, 1889, about 100000 acres
| have been separated from Indian reservations
| and added to the public domain for the use of
| those who desired to secure free homes under
our benehcent law. 1t is difficult to estimate
the increase of wealth which will result from
the conversion of these waste lands into farms,
ment, which will result to the families that have
| found renewed hope and courage 10 the owner
ship Of home and the assurance OF comforta-
Bile subsistence under free and heathful condi-
lions. 1t is also gratifying to be able to feel as
we may, that this work has proceeded upon
basis OF justice towards the Indian. and thaI he
may now, II he WILL secure to himself the good
Influences of settled habigatlon the fruits OF In
dustry and the security of citizenship.
Early in this administration a special effort
was begun to bring up the work of the general
land office. By faithful work the arrearages
have been rapidly reduced. At the end OF the
last fiscal year only s4,l72 final agricultural
entries remained undisposed OF and the commits
sloner reports that, with the present force, the
work can be fully brought up by the end OF the
next fiscal year.
LAND CLAIMS COURT.
Your attention is called to the difficulty pre-
sented by the Secretary of the Interior as to
the administration of the law of March 8, 1s9
establishing court of private land
claims. The small holdings intended to be
protected by the law are estimated to be more
Than fifteen thousand in number. The claimants
are most deserving class and their titles are
supported by the strongest equities. The diff
Guilty grows OUT Of the fact that the lands have
largely been surveyed according to our
methods while the holdings, manV of which
have been In the same family for general ions,
are laid out in narrow strips a few rods wide
upon stream ann and running back to the bills for
made for numbering these tracts as lots and for
patenting them by such numbers and without
reference to section lines.
DILIGENCE IN THE PENSION BUREAU
The administration of the pension bureau has
been characterized by during the year by great
DILIGENCE The total number of pensioners up.
on the roll the 30th day of June, 1884, was &c.
l6o There were allowed during the fiscal year,
ending at that time. 250,565 cases. OF this
number, 102, 387 were allowed under the law
81 N
has been proceeding at the rate of about 80.
600 per month, about rs per cent. of these
being cases under the new law The Commits
soner expresses the opinion that he will be able
to carefully adjudicate aud allow $4,000
claims during the present fiscal year.
The appropriation for the payment of pen
sions for the fiscal year 1890-9l was 1927 &c.
1889, and the amount expended S1l8.530,-
649.25, leaving an unexpended surplus of So
| loo, l44.64 The commissioner is quite conf
dent that there Will be no call this year for de-
nclency appropriation, notwithstanding the rap
ldlty with which the work is being pushed. The
mistake which has been made by many in their
| exaggerated estimates of the cost of pensions
is in not taking account of the diminished value
of the first payments under the recent legisla-
| ton. These payments under the general law
nave been for many years very large, as
| pensions when allowed dated from the lime of
| filing the claim, and most of these claims had
| been pending for years. The first payments I'M
| der the law of June, 1890, are relatively small
and as the per cent OF these cases increases and
| that OF old cases diminishes, the annual aggre-
| gate of first payments is largely reduced. The
| commissioner under date of November Is,
| furnishes me with the statement that, during
the last four months, l13, ITO certificates We're
| issued, 1888 under the general law and S.
| 1852 under the act Of June 81, 1890. The aver
| age first payment during these four months was
| SI3l.85, while the average first payment upon
| cases allowed during the year ending June 80,
1891 was s239.33, being reduction In the aver
| age frst payments during these four months of
| Sl07.4S.
FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 80, 1898.
The estimate for pensions expenditure for
| the fiscal year ending June 80, 1898, is $I4f,-
| 956, 900, which, after a careful examination of
| the subject, the commissioner is of the opinion
| will be sufficient. While tnese disbursements
| to the disabled soldiers of the great civil war
are large, they do not realize the exaggerated
estimate of those who oppose this beneficent
legislation. The Secretlry of the Interior
SHOWS with great lullness the care that is taken
to exclude fraudulent claims and also the graf
Tying fact that the persons to whom tn Sc pen
slons are. going are men who saw substantial
war service.
UNCLE SANS IRON ROADS.
The report of the Commissioner of Railroads
shows that the total debt of the subsidized rail-
| roads to the United States was,on December 81
1ooo, @llz,olz.o15.oo. A large part OF this
debts new fast approaching maturity with no
cy for dealing with this debt, with a view to its
ultimate collection should be at once adopted
1t is very difficult, wellnigh impossible. for so
large body as the Congress to conduct the ne
cessary negot ations and inves igati ms.
therefore recommend that provision be made
for the appointment of a commission to agree
upon and report plan for dealing with this
debt.
CENSUS WELL ADVANCED.
The work of the Census Bureau is now far in
advance, and the great bulk of the enormous
labor involved completed. 1t Will be more
strictly statistical exhibit and less encountered
by essays than its immediate predecessors The
| methods pursued have been fair, careful and in
| telligent, and have secured the approval of tue
stat sticians who have followed them with
scientific aud non-partisan interest. The appro-
prations necessary 10 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 DUNN
lsn the value of the work.
THE TERRITORIES.
The report of the Secretary exhibits with in
teresting fullness the condition of the territor
les They have shared with the states the
great increase in farm products, and are bring
ing yearly large areas into cultivation by ex-
tending their irrigating canals This work is
being done by individuals or local corporations
and without that system which full prelimiua-
ry survey OF the water supply and of the irrega'
BILE lands would enable them to adopt The fu-
ture Of the territories of New Mexico, Arizona
and Utah, in their material growth 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 leg slatureS re ulating the d stribution of
the water supply furnished by their streams. If
this matter is much longer neglected private
corporations will have Unrestricted control OF
one OF the elements of life and the patentees of
The arid lands will be tenants at will of the
water companies. The United states should
part With its ownership of The water sources
ana Jne sites Tor reservoirs, whether to the
states and territories or to individuals or cor
p0ratonS, only upon condil ions that will insure
10 settlers their proper supply upon equal and
reasonable terms. In the territories, this whole
subject is under the full control of Congress
government holds the title to the reservoir sites
ana water sources and can grant them upOn
such conditions as it chooses to impose The
lmproyldent granting of franchises of enormous
value, without recompenSe to the state or unI-
nlcipalliy from which, they proceed and with
out proper protection of the public interests is
the most f1asrant evil of modern legislation
This fault should not be committed in dealing
WIN SUBJECT nat VIII before many years AT
feet so vitality thousands of our people.
DEALING WITH MoRMoNIsN's EVIL.
The legislation OF Congress for the repression
OF polygamy has, after years of resistance on
the part of the Mormons, at last brought them
tothe conclusion that resistance is improbable
and unavailing. The power of Congress over
this subject should not be surrendered until we
have satisfactory evidence that the people of
the state to be created would exercise the ex-
elusive power of the state over this subject in
the same way. The question is not whether
these people now obey the laws of Congress
against polygamy but, rather, would they make,
enforce and maintain snch laws themselves, If
lara fIn