River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-12-03
NOBLE REPORTS.
The Secretary of the Interior on the Work
of His Department During the Year.

4
of His department During the Year.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3O-The secre-
tary of the interior has submitted his
annual report to the president In
summary of its contents he gives this
resume:
A summary.
The general land Office is nearly abreast OF
its work; the Indian bureau is accomplishing
the rapid disintegration Of the Indian reser-
vations, the severance OF tribal relations and
the education Of the Indian youth, The pen
sion office is rapidly completing the allow
ance OF all pensions legally possible under
the laws, moving at the rate OF about $1,000 a
month; the census has been taken and its
publications rapidly going on; the geological
survey is selecting the reservoirs for the
arid LANDS Of the far west and southwest;
| the railroad bureau is making ready for the
maturity of the debts due from the subsidized
railroads. the Union Pacific and others; the
bureau OF edueat ion. besides having distributed
/ the vast fund allowed the agricultural colleges
/ for white and colored pupils in
/ the different states is engaged in
new plans for the accumulation and distrlbu-
\ tion OF information useful for the schools and
their better management; and the patent
ONCE having celebrated its centennial is stiIl
advancing in the volume and variety of its in
vestigatons and patents.
ON Homestead Settlements.
The report notes: "The years OF the present
administration have been marked to a
notable degree by the expansion of
the public domain for private settlements"
/ The history is given Of the opening
OF the new Indian purchases Ia Oklahoma un-
der the proclamation Of September p. when
1 nearly 1000 600 acres were taken by settlers
/ between noon and dark; while 2,7ls Indians
/ were elevated to citizenship by taking allot-
meLts of 100 acres each. IL is significant
That gbfK Inv, al ra9f1 .afu
| cargo of wheat from the Oklahoma lands,
first opened by proclamation on April %, 1889
/ was received in August last at one Of the
Armour elevators in Chicago, and the popula-
ton has already reached 5000.
Nsturaiizing Indians.
Over 1900 Indians have already become cit
izens of the United States. and about 400
more by taking their allotments have signihed
| their desire TO become citizens. To these
numbers should be added the 1919 Indians in
Oklahoma, who have taken or agreed to take
allotments. total of 1919 Indians natural
lied, and total Of acres acquired for settlement
of about 1900 600 during the present admins
tratlon alone.
The Indian Population.
The Indian population is reported as $780, 600
exclusive OF natives of Alaska. The number
I OF Indian youth enrolled and the aver
/ age attendance in the schools has in
creased In 1888 the appropriation for sup
.
no. and for 1892 it is s., 9l,6JJ The In
| Gians. a rule have consented so readily to
! send their children to school that it was not
found necessary Immediately TO enforce at
tendance.
| Pensions.
The secretary refers to the relief afforded by
the act of June e. 1890, to thousands OF dis
/ abled veterans and their dependent relatives
who through lapse OF time are not able 10
/ prove the origin of disability in the line
( OF duty as required by pri r enactments. IL
is shown that first payments have greatly
decreased in amounts that the allowance OF
original pensions will soon all be made, that
there will then be great decline in the sum
/ necessary to pay pensions, and the lists Will
rapidly decline from death and other
/ causes. There was 252, SCI first payments made
during the fiscal year, requiring S3S552, 1881,
/ being less in amount by $50 592 than the 1854
| first payments Of the previous year required.
| The average value OF first payments
/ in the fiscal year OF 1890 was S4S5.7l,
| while the average value in 1891 Of first pay.
ments in all CLAIMS was 9.33, and first pay.
ments OF ciG MS Under the act OF June q,
/ 1880 only S7i.2s. The present issue OF
| certificates is about 10000 per month and il
! is thought that the pension bureau will be
able TO carefully adiuGicate 3s900 claims
| during the present year The work at tEis
rate will allow all lawful pension claims
/ within the next thirty months, and Of course
] III uISb payments Will Nbtu nave bttf Nio-
| posed Of This alone will cause a drop II $50.
! 000,OU0 in the appropriation, and the list
1 will thence On constantly diminish by
natural causes. 1t is predicted that the pen.
/ sions will when the highest point is reached not
/ exceed very greatly the present sum, and be
subject TO great decrease Immediately after.
| The estimate for 1898 is Sl4f956O0O
| The Census.
The secretary expresses the belief that the
| eleventh census viii stand as much fair and
honest criticism any work OF the same magni-
/ tude heretofore done either at home or abroad.
| The announcement of the population. Novem-
Der 20, 1890, as GO 622, $50 has not been
! changed. and upon that announcement the ap
| portionment law was passed nearly two years
sooner that at prior census periods. IL Is esti'
mated that to complete the work will require
further appropriation OF about 81 100000.
The Patent ONCE.
The work Of TIE patent olice shows a slight
| falling OF compared with the previous fiscal
year rhe rlulber of applications received
~ receipts over expenditures amounting &c
/ SIS, 29l 80 WIS turned into the treasury to the
credit OF the patent fund.
Debts of Railways.
The secretary gives an abstract Of the earn
| ings OF the several aided railroad companies
| showing also the amounts due from them tC
| the government December 81, 1890. II appears
| thercfrom that the total debt. principal and in
/ terest, To the United States OF each company
was as follows:
Union Pacific. 81, 761 POS u
! Central Paclhc.t. ...... 09ooz'ol- ~
! Sioux City & Pacific 49,. .......... 365462l sc
1 Central Branch Union Pacific. 34l4l7 u
/ Total - siI25t2 6l3 O6