The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-12-05

care as TO details with much success in
the cultivation Of the fauna, flora, and
fsh, now there greatly increasing; and
particularly in the preservation OF the
great trees OF California and OF other OF
the natursl wonders OF our continent.
At Hot Springs reservation, Arkansas,
improvements have been inaugurated
and are in progress, whereby this resort
will become much moro attractive and
more worthy OF our country.
Particular attention has been success
fully given to the establishment OF
forest reserves for the preservation Of
the streams of the country, and the ad-
vancement Of irrigation in the arid
regions.
All of the eelemosynary institutions
in and around Washington City have
been managed so that no scandals or
even complaints have arisen, and their
efficiency has been advanced, Beside
all this when it is remembered that six
new states have come into the union
from out the jurisdiction OF this depart
ment, and Oklahoma has grown up into
it from an uncultivated waste, the re-
suits are indeed gratifying.
In the department proper, with the
aid Of the frat assistant secretary and
the assistant attorney general, the sec
retary has adjudicated many hundreds
OF land contests involving great amounts
in value and most difficult questions OF
law; has had to deal with the interpre-
tation Of Indian treaties, and with the
assistant secretary, the construction Of
pension laws and cases. The depart
ment also manages directly the numer-
Gus commissions negotiating with Indi-
ans for purchase Of their lands.
Tho volume OF business handled
and disposed of by the pension office
during the. past year is shown to
have been enormous. There were on
June 80, 1892, S76,06S pensioners borne
upon the rolls, being 199,90S more than
were on the pay rolls at the close of the
last fiscal year. Among these are %
widows and daughters ofsoldiers Of the
revolution and 1856 survivors of the war
Of 1872. The total amount expended for
pensions during tho year was
$l39, 9,035, ,612.GS, and it is esti-
mated that the appropriation for
1898 of S144,956,000 will leave q
deficiency. There have been filed up
to date of October u, 1892, 920,957
claims under the act of June 27, 1890,
and there have been issued thus far OF
these claims 403,S59 certificates. The
force of the pension office consists of
1909 persons, assigned to fifteen divis-
ions. A certain number OF these di-
visions are under the immediate direc-
tion OF the commissioner; others under
the deputy commissioners and chief
clerk. Some idea of the magnitude OF
the work can be formed from the fact
that during the year 1915, 100 pieces of
mail were received and 4,3l6,6l6 pieces
sent out. The organization Of the force
has been brought to high state OF eff
cheney under its present management,
and number OF important improve
ments made in tho various methods.
A daily financial statement of the office
is now made showing tho cost of each
pension certificate as to the amount OF
first payment and monthly rate, and
these are consolidated from month to
month. The total number OF certifl-
Gates issued during the year was 81, $50.
The total number of pensioners dropped
from the rolls was %, ,2O6. The average
annual value Of each pension on the
roll is S133 Al.