St. Paul daily globe., 1892-12-05
The Work OF the Department
Of the Interior the Past
Year.
Eore Than 100000 Acres
Of Public Land Disposed
of in Twelve Months.
Hint That There Will Be a
Big Deficiency in the Pen
sion Department.
All the Territories Reported
in a Highly Gratifying
Condition.

Condition.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 4.-The
annual report of Secretary Noble to the
president is an interesting document.
ami covers fully and in detail the oper-
ations Of this great department. The
volume of work accomplished during
the present administration is shown to
greatly exceed that Of any like preced-
ing period, and will, probably, also that
of any other like period hereafter to
occur in tie history OF the department.
This view is supported by condensed
summary preliminary TO description
of the work of the several bureaus
under the direction of the secretary fer
the last fiscal year.
The general land Office has worked
off the vast accumulation Of former
years, and is now in current business,
greatly to the advantage OF Western
settlers; the Indian bureau has made
great progress in eievatng the various
Indian tribes, in the work Of allotment
of land in seyera!ty 10 individual In
dians. the consequent diSlntegratlon OF
their tribal relations, and the develop
ment of schools. Great reform mas been
accomplished in the purchase of Indian
supplies.
The Pension Office
has disposed Oi an immense volume Of
work and has cXcccdtd d all former
records in The nUnl er Of hEal adJud-
cations, both original and upon appeals,
and in executing the btnelicent laws for
the soldiers of the Union. The census
Office has furnished nearly all Of its
immense and highly scientific work and
what remains is rapidly nearing COM
pleti0n. The geological survey has pro
greSsed greatly i'll its typographical sur
Vey of the states and territories; in
locating reservoirs fer the irrigation OF
the arid lands, and in its other useful
divisions. The railroad bureau has
kept constant supervision of the con-
dillon OF the road beds and appurte-
nanceS and given careful consideration
to the question of the maturing deOtS Of
the subsidized railroads and the future
conditions which should govern them.
The patent Office has Kept up with cur
rent work and has Introduced several
important reforms. The bureau Of edE-
cdllOil Has greatly CACClluVu ITO oPClo-
tiOnS in EurOpe and our own country,
aud the distribution of the funds for
agricultural colleges, a difficult problem,
has been satisfactorily and efficiently
handled.
Public Lands.
In the general land office on June
so, 1888. there were pending $50, 953 final
entries, and the accumulation steadily
increasing. These have all been dis
posed of. During the present admins
tration 39S, 12S agricultural patents have
been issued against 1872, 154 in the pre-
ceding four years, representing an eX
cess in acreage OF 81 7GJ9,S40 acres.
Nearly four times greater area Of public
lands has been surveyed than during
the previous four years. and there has
been great increase in mineral and
coal patents issued. The selections Of
public lands by the states for Cduca-
tiOnal and internal Improvements have
greatly exceeded tie work OF any
previous years. The total quantity
OF public lauds disposed OF dur
ing the past year by cash sales and mis-
ccllancOuS entries WAS l3,G64, ,0l9 acres,
and there was Il total of cash receipts of
S4,S6O, l09.G9. Agricultural patents were
issued during The year 10 lhe extent OF
ID, 420, 500 acres, and patents Oh account
of railroad land grants of 2,01S, ,553 acres.
Surveys of public lands Tor the year
amounted to l2,7l7. .493 acres. Through
negotiations with the Great Northern
Railroad company, under act OF tie last
session Of congress. whereby the rail-
road is to give title to Tie present set
tiers and receive in lleu thereof lands
elsewhere, the great injustice which
was liable to fall upon settlers in the
Red river valley OF North Dakota has
been prevented.
Public Forests.
The policy of making forest reserves
IN the Western states ana territories has
been greatly advanced during the past
year. Six such reserves have been
created by presidential proclamation,
making an area Of 3,152.2 26U acres. This
policy will be further carried into effect
and Will be most bpnelicent and far
reaching in its results The secretary
recommends that these forest reserves
should receive protection from the army
or through WatchmGn Or custOdians, for
whose compensation appropriations
should be made, III order that they may
De protected from iirCS and depredatiOnS.
Irrigation.
The system of irrigating the arid
lands of The Western country has been
greatly advanced by the selection of
sites for reservoirs, and by extending
these irrigating systems III conjunction
with forest preserves. The beneficial
results OF this policy are already eX-
leHsivtiy shown by the fact that cere-
ais, grasscs and vegetables are now
grown liz abundance on what was for
merry desert land, ard the finest crops
,,r,., ! Il, fl,n
1Gere is irrigation, while only sage
brush and cactus can pe found on the
other.
INDIAN Affairs.
Educational work among the indians
has been greatly increased and improved
i'll efficiency. There has been an in
crease of over 13 per cent III attendance
of children in the schools, the total fol
1882 being 19,703 scholars. New Indian
reservation boarding schools have been
established during the present admins
tration, and more are in progress which
it is anticipated will he opened soon
Non-reseryation schools have also beel
established and others have beer
planned. Strict discipline has beel
enforced and better education fOS
tered, uniform system of tex
books and course OF study ha.
been adopted, and tie compilation O
the rules for the conduct of the school:
has been prescribed, thus establishing
a thorough and uniform system. The
welfare and interest of the Indian AM
his advancement have been constan
care, aud this has resulted in bringing
him nearer to civilization. His physica
condition has been improved by eithel
supplying him with better food, cloth
ing or shelter, OF by encouraging him tt
labor for the meiioration of his own con
dition. Under the policy of Indian ALT