The record-union., 1891-12-10

/ the looDY. III q commission could be an-
pointed 10 visit these tribes TO confer with
/ them upon the whole subject even if no asr> e
ment We're presently reached. the good feeling
ol Tue Lrloes upon thus Gu stiOn would be de-
Neioped, ana the discuss on would prepare
J or later.
The good work of reducing the larger In
clan reservations by ailOtments in severalty
TO the Indians, and the cession OF the remain
Ing lands 10 the United States for disposition
under the homestead law has been prosecuted
6utihS the year with energy ana success. In
september last ! was enabled TO open to set
llenent IN the Territory of Oklahoma 9o0,-
goo acres OF land, all of which was taken up
~ S,-ttleiS III single Gay. The rush for these
iit!os w%S accompanied by a great deal of eX-
Ience.
II was source of great regret that I was not
ape To open at the same time the surplus land
or lie Cheyenne and EAraI ahoc Reservation,
amounting an 10 about 100000 acres, by rea-
son OF the lnSutclency OF appropriation for
making the allotmentS. Deserving and inn
patent settlers are waiting to occupy these
| anus, ana recommend a special deficiency
appropriation be promptly made OF the
amount needed, so that the allotmentS M ly
pc completed and the surplus lands opened in
Ie Iiille 10 permit the settlers 10 get upon their
AomeSttaiS in the early spring.
during the past summer the Cherokee Com
mission have completed arrangements with
the Wichita, kickapoo and Tonka tribes,
whereby. If the arrangements are ratified by
congress, 100000 additional acres viii be
opened To settlement III Oklahoma.
okees OF their claim TO the Cherokee strip has
made no substantial progress. so far as the
I department is officially advised, but it is still
hoped that the CesSion OF this large and valu-
able tract may be assured. The price which
| the comm. .ssion was authorized 10 offer
; 70 per acre-is, i'll my Judgment when all
circumstances as to the title and the character
Ct the lands are considered, fair and adequate
ana should have been accepted By the
Indians.
Since March i, 1889. about twenty-three
millions OF acres have been separated from
| Indian reservations and added 70 the public
domain for tie use OF those who desire to
secure ilte homes under our boneicient laws.
II dIflcuit To estimate the increase Of wealth
winch will result nom the conversion Of these
vast lands mo farms, but it Is more difficult
10 estimate the betterment which will result
10 The families that have found renewed hope
ana courage in the ownership of u home ana
! the assurance of q comfortable subsistence
under free and healthful conditions.
1t is also gratifying 10 be able TO feel, as we
may, that this work has proceeded upon lines
Of justice toward the Indians. and that he
may now, II ne viii, secure to himself the
good Influences of n settled habitation the
! Nu.t Of Industry and the security of citizen
ship.
WORK OF THE LAND OFFICE
Early in the administration special effort
was begun 10 bring up the worii Of the General
Land Office by faithful work, and tle arrear-
ages have been rapidly reduced Atthe end of
tie last fiscal year only S4,172 hnal agri-
cultural entries remained undispose1 Of and
the Commissioner reports that with the pre-
/
TIE end of the next fiscal year.
Your attention is called to the difficulty eX-
pe, fenced by the Secretary of the Interior in
the a ADMINISTRATION Of the law of March g
1851, establishing Court OF Private Land
Claims The small holdings intend ID to be
protected by the law are estimated to be more
than 5000 in number the claimants are
almost all of deserving class, and their titles
are supported by the strongest equities The
strongest difficulty grows out OF land which
has largely been surveyed according to our
methods, while the holdings, many Of which
have been in the same family for generations
are lands cut IN narrow strips q few rods wideS
for pas ura@e and timber Provision should
be made for numbering these tracts as lots
and for patsnting them by such numbers and
VIII out reference to section liLeS.
THE PENSION BUREAU.
The administration of the Pension Bureau
! has been characterized during the year by
great diligence. The tCtal mum Der of fpensioners
on the roll on the 3lth day of lime 1901
was 676,I6O. There were allowed during the
7! fiscal year ending at that time $500 cases.
OF this number, iO2, ,307 we've allowed under
the laws of June ~ 1890. The issuing of
certificates has oeen proceeding at the rate of
about 10000 per month, about rs per cent
OF these being cases under the new law.
The commissioner expresses the opinion
that he Will be able to carefully adiudicgte
and allow 5000 claims during the present
fiscal year.
The appropriation for the payment of pen
sions for the fiscal year, 1S90-91, was S127,-
6S5,793, and the amount expended S119,-
oeO,64S 20, leaving an uneXpended surplus
CT SO, ,l55, Ia "a.
The Commissioner is quite confident that
there will be a call this year for n deficiency
appropriation notwithstanding the rapidity
with which the work is being pusned The
mistake which has been mace 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
Ihese payments, under the laws, have been
Tor many years large, as the pensions when
allowed Gate from the time of the filing of the
! T. ~
for years. The first rayments under the law
OF June, 1890 are relatively small and as the
per cent. OF these cases increases, and that OF
| the old cases dlIninlsaeS, the annual aggre-
gate of first payments is largely reduced
1he commissioner, under date of NOvem-
! Der 18th, furnishes me with the statement
thai during the last four mouths lis. l15 GER
| tidcateS were issued-27, S03 under the gen
! erdl law, and 80, ,2S under the Act OF June o.
1880. The average first payment during the
four months was S13l So while the average
mrs payment upon cases allowed during the
year ending June 30, 1891, was S239 SO. be-
Ing a edUction in the average first payments
during these tour months OF s ,G7S 40.
Ih estimate for pension expenditures for
the dSca! year ending June so. 1898, is SID
50 S,UC0, which by carafuI examination Of
the SUBJECT the Commissioner of the opinion
viii be sufficient. While these disbursements
10 the disabled soldiers OF the great civil war
are large, they do not roaji7e tle exaggerated
eStiira es Of those who oppose this Lelehcent
! legislation.
/ The Secretary OF the Interior SHOWS with
fraudulent claims, and also the gratifying il CT
that the persons to whom these pensions are
going are men who rendered not Slight but
substantial war service.
THE RAILROADS.
The report of the Commissit ne" OF Railroads
shows that the total debt OF the subsidized
railroads 10 the United States was on Decenl-
/ Der 81, 1880, S112, ,512.6l3 OB A large part
OF the debt is now lasy approaching maturity.
with no adequate provision for its payment
some policy tor dealing with this debt with a
/ view 10 It's ultimate colo c.iOn, ShOulu be at
! once adopted. 1t is very Glfficult-wclI nigh
/ inpossibe--Ior so large a body as this Con
sreSs 10 conduct the necessary negotiations and
Investigations. l, therefore, recommend that
! provision be made for the appointment of a
commission 10 agree upon and report plan
icr dealing with this debt.
THE CENSUS BUREAU
| The work of the Census Bureau is far adj
/ v&nce1, and the great bulk of the enormous
| lator involved is completed. Il will be more
| strlc l., a stats ical exhibit. and less incum-
/ bered by essays, than its immediate pTedeceS-
/ sors. The methods pursued have been fair
| careful and intelligent, and nave secured the
approval OF the statistcians who have re-
viewed them with scientific and non-T aSti-
/ san interest. The appropriations necessary
| to the early comp elton and publica ion Of the
authorized volumes should be gwen in time
! to secure against delays, which increase the
/ cost and at the same time diminish the value
( OF the works.
! IRRIGATION QUESTION.
/ The report of the Secretary of agriculture
| exhibits with interesting fuIlness lne tondi-
ton OF the Territories. They have shared
with the states the great increase in farm pro
I ducts, and are bringing yearly large acreage
| into cultivation By extending their irrigation
canals. This work is being done by individ-
ais or local corporations, ard without that
system which a full pFeliminary survey OF the
water supply ana of the uriga0Ie lands would
enable them 70 adop5. The future OF the Ter
! ritories OF New Mexico, Arizona ana Utah in
/ tIeir material growth and in the Increase in
depent ice and happiness of their people, is
! VERY 3atSe!y dependent upon VINO e;ome and
/ lIlHlA- Io.SlatinLI eitlnc hN.