The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-09


strip has made no substantial progress, 80
far as the department is officially advised,
but it is still hoped that the csssion OF
this large and valuable tract may be 30
cured.
Court Of Private 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 court of private
land claims. The small holdings intended
to be protected by the law are estimated
at more than 15,000in number. The claim
ants are most deserving class and their
titles are supported by the strongest
equities.
The di ifficulty grows out of the fact that
the lands have largely been surveyed ac-
cording to our methods, while the hold
ings, many of which have been in the
same family for generations, are laid out 4.
in narrow strips few rods wide upon
stream and running back to the hills for
pasturage and timber. Provision should
be 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 bu-
reau has been characterize d during the
year by great diligence. The total mum
Der of pensioners upon the roll on the 80th
day Of June, 1891, was 676, 100, There were
allowed during the fiscal year ending at
that time $50, 500 cases OF this number
1867 were allowed under the law Of
June "a, 1890
The issuing Of certificates has been pro-
ceeding at the rate of about 10000 per
month, about rs per cent. of these being
,Iar he. Ian he ,e-
sioner 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 present
fiscal year, lS90-'9l, was $l27 ,6s9, 793. 80 and
the amount expended Sis, $50, $40 %, leav-
ing an unexpended balance of 50, 155, ~ }
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 is 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, as the PEN
sions, when allowed. dated from the time Of
filing the claim, and most Of these claims had
been pending for years. The first payments
under the law Of June. 1880, are relatively
small, and. as the per cent. OF these cases in
creases. and that OF the old cases dminishes,
tuc dEsrtsdle VI PdymShtb -
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, sl12, ,5l2 61306.
With regard to this important matter
the president says:
/ have twice before urgently called the atten-
tion OF congress to the necessity OF legislation
for the protection OF the lives of railroad en-
ployes, but nothing has yet been done. During
the year ending June 20, $780, 9D9 brskemen
we're killed and 1s4l MANNED while engaged in
coupling cars. The total number Of railroad
employees killed during the year was 245l. and
the number injured. 23 40. THIS is q 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.
1t will be more strictly q statistical ex-
hibit, and less encumbered by essays than
its 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 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-
minish the value of the work.
Touching Polygamy.
The legislation of congress for the TO
preston Of polygamy has, after years of
resistance on the part of the Mormons, at.
last brought them to the conclusion that
resistance is improbable and unavailing
frha IF fbis snhiaSf
should not be surrendered until we have
satisfactory evidence that the people of
the state to 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
a mere concession to the unenlightened de-
mand of a worthy class of people, that inn
preston has been most effectually 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
"A further diversfication 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 and maintained with the farmers
and stock raisers of the whole country.
Civil Service Reform.
The report Of the civil service commits
sion invites personal inspection by sena-
tors and representatives:of its records and
methods, and every fair critic will feel
that such an examination, either of the
system or the administration. 1t is not
claimed that either is perfect, but the
president believes that the law is being ex-
ecuted with impartiality, and that the
system is incomparably better and fairer
than that of appointments 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.
A brief history of the methods adopted
by the various states for the appointments
of electors of president and vice president
was then referred to by the president, in
which he stated that renewed interest
was attached to the custom by the depar-
ture by the state Of Michigan from tho
method which has become uniform in all
the states. Prior TO this various methods
4 a 4 L ss.t. ri