The Portland daily press., 1892-12-05
LOOKING BACKWARD.
Cabinet Officers Able to Give Good
Accounts Of Their Work.
REPORTS FROM THE INTERIOR
AND WAR DEPARTMENTS.

| The Interior Department Has Been Busy
One, Having to Do Much Previously
| Left Undone-Work In Behalf of the
Redmen-BeneficiaI Pension Legisla-
| tion-Secretary Noble Urges the Com
pletion of the Nicaragua Canal.
WASHINGTON, December 1.-The an
nual report of Secretary Noble to the
President is an interesting document and
covers fully and in detail the operations
of this great department.
! The volume of work accomplished
| during the present administration is
shown to greatly exceed that of any like
| preceding period, and will, probably,
| also that of any other like period here
after to occur in the history Of the de-
partment. This view is supported by a
condensed summary preliminary to a
| description of the work of the several
bureaus under the direction of the Sec
retary for the last fiscal year.
The General Land Office has worked
| off the vast accumulation of former
wears and is now on current business,
greatly to the advantage of western
| settlers; the Indian Bureau has made
great progress in elevating the various
| Indian tribes, in the work of allotment
of land in severalty to individual Indians,
| the consequent disintegration of their
tribal relations, and the development of
schools. Great reform has been ac-
complished in the purchase of Indian
supplies. The Pension Office has dis
posed of an immense volume of work
and has exceeded all former records in
the number of final adjudica ions, both
original and upon appeals, executing the
benefcent laws for the soldiers of the
Union. The Census Office has finished
| nearly all of its immense and highly
scientific work and what remains is
rapidly nearly completion.
Educational Work Among the Indians
has been greatly increased and improved
in efficiency. There has been an increase
| of over 13 per cent. in attendance of
children in the schools, the total for 1892
being 10, 793 scholars. New Indian reser-
walton boarding schools have been es-
tablished during the present administra-
ton, and more are in progress, which it
| is anticipated will be open soon. The
welfare and interest of the Indian and
his advancement have been constant
care, and this has resulted in bringing
him nearer to civilization. His physi-
cal condition has been improved by
either supplying him with better food,
clothing, or shelter, or by encouraging
him to labor for the amelioration of his
own condition.
Under the policy of Indian allotments,
negotiation with Ia tribes, during the
present administration has resulted in
the opening up for public settlement of
nearly 10000, 900 acres of land. Other
negotiations which are pending, will,
when ratified, add 10000 600 acres more.
Indians have been made in very large
numbers, and $500. to whom patents
have been issued have, by operation of
law, become citizens of the
United States. The reservation sys-
tenn is being rapidly broken up.
Concerning pensions, the report
says:
Under the provisions of the act of June
27, 1890, many claimants who were Sc
riously disabled and living upon charity.
but who could not establish service origin
of their disability, have been enabled to
secure much needed assistance and fnan-
cial relief. The results obtained through
this legislation, and the great good it has
done for the multitude of worthy claim
ants, appear to have justified the expecta-
tions of those who enacted it. The COM
missioner recommends the appointment
of an actuary to collate certain statistics
relative to the question of the effect of
army service upon the expectation of
lives of soldiers and the probable dura-
ton of the pension roll which it is thought
will be valuable contribution to science.
OF the Nicaragua Canal,
the report says: The construction of
the breakwater, referred to in the report
of one year ago, has resulted in the open
ing up of the channel into the port of
San Juan, which lhad been closed for 80
years. This shas been done with practi
cally little assistance from dredging
machines, but by the action of the waves
and the tides, through the counteryail
ing currents induced by this breakwater
itself. Seagoing vessels now enter safely
into the harbor. The heaviest work on
the whole line will be at what is called
Eastern Divide where immense beds of
rock are to be removed. The construc-
ton of the railroad to this point for the
purpose of transporting the requisite
machinery, was one of the most difficult
feats of the enterprise. This was COM
menced in the summer of 1890 and has
been pushed forward under great diff
culties over almost impenetrable
swamps, The secretary expresses the
opinion that this enterprise is of the ut
most Importance to the welfare of our
country in either peace or war, and
should have most favorable recognition
by Congress.
THE NATIONS DEFENDERS.
Sacretarx EIkins Wants Them to Have