Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-12-05
SEC. MOBILES REPORT.
The Operations of the Interior De-
partment
Things Have Gone on Pretty well-nome-
stead ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF the
Indians

stead acknowledges OF the
Indians.
Hon John w. Noble, Secretary of the In.
terror, in his annual report TO the President,
shows that the allowances aboriginal pensions
will soon all be nude. the average amount Of
first'payments has decreased, ard the average
ofaDnual payments to each pensioner has also
decreased. The reason for this is that under
the old law the claims had teen pending for
years awaiting compliance with the require.
ment of proof more difficult each year to pro.
cure, and when allowed the first payment
covered the whole period from date of dis
charge or from date o! fling the claim, If not
filed prior to July /, 1880 Under the act OF
1890 the pension commences from date Of filing
the claim subsequent TO the passage of that
net. Many thousands OF claimants despair
ing of their ability to inform to the require
ments of the old Law have elected to receive
the benefits OF the new, and TO take the lesser
sums aceruing hereunder. There were 222,-
62i first payments made during the fiscal year
requiring SIS 552, 374.3i being less in amount
by 500, 5S2 thnn the l3U, 5I4 first payments of
the previous year required. The average
value OF first payments i'll fiscal year of 1899
was $4S5.7t while the average value in 1891
of first payments in all claims was - o. 50, and
first payments of claims uuder the act of June
q, 1890, was only 81, IS. The present issue
of certificates is abou, 10000 PER month and
it is thought that the pension bureau will be
able to carefully adJudicatc $50 900 Gains
during the present year. The work at this
rate will allow all Law ful pension Claims i:h.
in the next thirty months, and of course oil
first payments viii then have been disposed
Of This alone will cause II drop OF $50, 000, 900
in the appropriation, and the list will thence
on constantly diminish by natural causes. 1t
~ predicted that the pensions Will when the
highest point is reached not exceed very great
ly the present sum, aud be subject to a great
decrease Immediately after. Tne estimate for
1898 is Sl44, 956,0t0.
The Secretary expresses the belief that the
eleventh census viii stand as much fair and
honest criticism MS any work of the same
magnitude heretofore done eithr at home or
abroad. The per capita cost has been about
the same as the previous census The cont
pletion of the work in sill It's details will re-
quire further appropriation ofabout 81 ,000
9G0. The general land office is nearly abreast
of its work, the Indian bureau is accomplish
ing the rapid disintegration of the Indian
reservations the severance Of tribal relations
and the education Of the Indian youth. The
geological survey is keeping up its admirable
work and is selecting the reservoirs for the
arid lands of the far West and Southwest; the
railroad bureau is sking ready for the ma
turity OF the debts due from the subsidized
railroads, the Union Pacific and others; the
bureau of education, besides having disrib-
uted the vast fund allowed the agricultural
colleges for white and and colored pupils in
the different States, is engaged in new plans
for the accumulation and distribution Of in-
formation useful for the schools and their
better management; and the patent Office
having celebrated its centennial is still ad-
vancing in the volume and variety of its in
teresting and great investigations and patents.