Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-10

tuc iaHu mas largely Oeeu euIV6y6O hC-
cording to our methods, while the hold
ings, many of which have been in the
same family for generations, are laid out
in narrow strips few rods wide upon Q
stream and running back to the hills for
pasturage and timber. Provision should
be made for numbering these tracts ~
lots and for patenting them by such
numbers and without reference to sec
tion lines.
The judges of the court of private land
claims, provided for by the act OF March
3. 1891, have been appointed and the
court organized. 1t is now possible to
give early relief to communities long de-
layed in their development by unset
tied land titles, and to establish the pos
session and rights OF settlers whose lands
have been rendered valueless by adverse
and unfounded claims.
ADMINISTRATION OF PENSIONS.
The administration of the pension
bureau has been characterized during
the year by great diligence. The total
number OF pensioners upon the rolls on
the 30th day of June, 1891, was 676, 100.
There were allowed during the fiscal
year ending at that time 250,525 cases.
Of this number 1925 were allowed
under the law of June 81, 1890. The
| issuing of certificates has been proceed
ing at the rate Of about 80 900 per month,
| about 75 per cent of these being cash
under the new law. The commissioner
expresses the opinion that he will be
able to carefully adjudicate and allow
$4,000 claims during the present fiscal
year. The appropriation for the pay
ment of pensions for the fiscal year
1S90-'91 was 1927 1856, 793.S9 and the
amount expended Sis, $3.50, ,649.20, leav-
ing an unexpended surplus OF $9,lb5,-
| 144.64.
The commissioner is quite confident
that there will be no call this year for .
deficiency appropriation, notwithstand-
ing the rapidity with which the work is
being pushed. The mistake which has
been made by many in their estimates
of the cost of pensions is in not taking
account of the diminished value of first
payments under the recent legislation.
These payments under the laws have
been for many years very large, as the
pensions have been allowed to date from
the time of the filing of the claim, and
most of these had been pending for years.
The first payments under the law Of
June, 1890, are relatively small, ane as
the percentage of these cases increases and
that of the old cases diminishes the an
nual aggregate of first payments is
largely reduced.
The commissioner under date sof No
| vember 18th furnishes me with the
statement that during the last four
months 113, 1856 certificates were issued,
q ,S53 under the general law, 85, ,282 un-
der the act of June ~, 1890. The aver
age first payment during the four
months was $l31.S5, while the average
first payments upon cases allowed dur
ing the year ending June 80, 1890, was
$239. .93, being reduction in the average
first payment during these four months
of ,$107. .48. The estimate for pension
expenditures for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1898, is $144 1858, 900, which, by
a careful examination OF the subject,
the commissioner is of the opinion will
be sufficient.
While these disbursements to the dis
abled soldiers of the great civil war are
large, they do not realize the exagger-
ated estimates of those who oppose this
beneficent legislation. The secretary of
the interior shows with great fullness
the care that is taken to exclude fraud
ulent claims, and also the gratifying fact
that the persons to whom these pen
sions are going are men who rendered
not slight but substantial war service.
The great work done in the record
and pension division of the war depart
ment by Major Ainswor of the med
ical corps, and the clerks under him, is
entitled to honorable mention. Taking
up the work with nearly Al 1000 cases
behind, he closed the last fiscal year
without single case left over, though
the new cases increased 62 per cent in
number over the previous year by rea-
son of the pension legislation of the last
congress.
SUBSIDIZED RAILROADS.
The report of the commissioner Of
railroads shows that the total debt of
the subsidized railroads to the United
States was on December 81, 1890, $112,-
512,6l3O6. A large part OF the debt is
now fast approaching 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. 1t is very
dificult-well nigh impossible-for SO
large body as congress to conduct the
necessary negotiations and investiga-
tions. 1 therefore recommend that
provision be made for the appoint
nent OF a commission to agree upon
and report plan for dealing with this
debt.
| ELEVENTH CENSUS.
The work of the census bureau is far
advanced and the great bulk OF the
enormous labor involved completed. It
will be more strictly statistical exhibit
and less encountered by essays than it's
immediate predecessors. The methods
pursued have been fair, careful and in
telligent. and have secured the approval
of the statisticians, who have followed
them with a 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 increase the cost and at the same
time diminish the value of the works.
TERRITORIAL AFFAIRS.
The report of the secretary exhibits
with interesting fullness the condition
of the territories. They have shared
with the states the great increase in
farm products, and are bringing yearly
large areas into cultivation by extend
ing their irrigating canals. This work
is being done by individuals, or local
corporations, and without that system
which full preliminary survey of the
water supply and of the irrigable lands
would enable them to adopt. The future
of tho forritorioo of Nour Mavioo Ar,-