Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-12-09

Cherokee Of their claim 70 the Cherokee
strip has made no substantial progress, so
Tar as the department is officially advised,
but il i~~still hoped that the cession OF
this large and valuable tract may he Sc
cured
Court OF PriNat. Land Claims.
Attention is called to the difficulty pre-
sented by the secretary of the interior as
To the administration of the law of March
3, 1891, establishing a court of private
land claims. The small holdings intended
to be protected by the law are estimated
at more than l5,OOOin number The claim
ants are n most deserving class and their
titles are supported by the strongest
iquities.
The difficulty grows ont of the fact that
the lands have largely been surveyed ac-
corilng To our methods, while the hold
ings many of which have been in the
same family fer generations. are laid out
I'm narrow strips few rods wide upon "A
stream and running back 10 the hills for
pasturage and timber. Provision should
he made for numbering these tracts rs lots
and for patenting thereby such numbers.
and without reference TO section lines
Our Pensioners,
The administration of the pension hu-
reau has been characteriIe d during the
year 10y great diligence. The total mum
ber of pensioners upon the roll on the Goth
day of June, 1891, was 656, l60 There were
allowed during the fiscal year ending at
that time 250,5OO cases or this number
l02 ,36i were allowed under the law of
June -, $500
The issuing ot certificates has been pro-
cccdng AZ the rate of about 10000 Der
month, about - per cent. of these being
cases under the new law The commits
sioner Expresses the opinion that he will
he able to carefully adiudicatc and allow
&0,OO claims during the present fiscal
year. The appropriation for the present
fiscal year, 1890 ~, was Sl2f. .GSg 1q3 30 and
the amount expended sll5, $40, ,64g -, leav-
ing an uneXpended balance of 50 155, IA g.
The president says with regard to this
important matter:
The mistake which has been made by many
in their estimates OF the cost of pensions il in
not taking account Of the diminished value OF
first payments under the recent legislation
These payments, under the general law, have
been for many years very large, rs the pen
sions, when allowed, dated from the time of
Ming the claim, and most of these claims had
been pending for years, The first PAYMENTS
under the law OF June lsgO, are relatively
small, and as the per cent of these cases in
creases, and that Of the old case, diminishes,
the annual aggregate of first payments Is
largely reduced
Report on Railroads.
The report of the commissioner of rail
roads shows that the total debt of the
subsidized railroads in the United States
was, on Dec. 81, 1890, sll2,5l2 ,Gl38
With regard to this important matter
the president says
have twice before Urgent \ called the atten
tion of congress to the necessity of legislation
for the protection of the lives of railroad en-
ployes, hut nothing has yet been done During
the year ending June 30, 1890 80 brakemcn
were killed and 74l manned while cnga xed in
coupling cars The total number of ra1road
employees killed during the year was 24jl, and
the number injured, 23,EO This is a cruel and
largely needless sacrifice.
Census Bureau.
/ The work of the census bureau is now
far in advance and nearly the great bulk
OF the enormous labor envOlved completed
IL will be more strictly "A statistical ex-
hibit, and less encumbcrcd by essays than
its immediate predecessors The methods
pursued have been fair, careful and in
telligent, and have secured the approval
of the statisticans, who have followed
them with scientific and non partisan
interest The appropriations necessary to
the early completion and publication of
the authorized volumes should be- given in |
time to secure against delays, which in |
crease the cost and at the same time di- .
mnish the value Of the work
Touching PolNgamy,
The Legislation of congress for the re-
preston OF polygamy has, after years OF
resistance on the part Of the Mormons. at
last brought them to the conclusion that
giut,. - AZ, 4.
Tho power Of congress oyer this subject
should not be surrendered until we have
satisfactory evidence that the people OF
the state 10 be created would exercise the
exclusive power OF the state over this sub.
Ject in the same way.
Department Of Agriculture.
If the establishment OF the department
OF agriculture was regarded by any one as
mere concession 10 the unenli1htened de-
mand Of "a worthy class Of people, that i'm |
preston has been most eifcctually removed
by the great results already attained. Its |
home influence has been very great in dis |
eliminating agricultural and horticultural .
Information; in stimulating and directing
further diyersifcation of crops, in detect
ing and eradicating diseases Of domestic
animals, and, more than all, in the close
and informal contact which il has estab-
lished ana maintained with the farmers
and stock raisers of the whole country.
Ciyil Service Reform.
The report of the civil service commits
sion invites personal inspection by sena-
tors and representatives. its records and
methods, and every fair critic will feel
that such an examination, either of the
system or the administration. It is not
claimed that either is perfect, but the
president believes that the law is being ex-
ecuted with impartiaity, and that the
system is incomr"rably better and fairer
than that Of app0h ,mcnts upon favor, and
recommend that the appropriations for
the civil service commission be- made ade-
quate To the increased work of the next
fiscal year
Presidential Electors
brief history Of .he methods adopted
10y the various states for the appointment
OF electors Of president and vice president
was then referred g. by the president, in
which he stated Ehat renewed interest
was attached to thy custom rs she depar-
ture by the stYe ut Michigan from the
meihpd which ht become uniform in all I
the states. Priorlo this various methods Z
had been used by Se different states, and .