Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-05


nENTED rPoS.
The Interior Department. saws Secretary
Noble IN his annual report has in this period
ubdoubtedly reached its greatest expansion.
me general land Office in the future viii net
require the force or have the business il has
mao heretofore. the census bureau viii soon be
controlled by chief and a few assistants even
put on permanent basis the Indians mostly
VII be enjoying citizenship and need far less
care and money. and the pension bureau will
soon have adjusted substantially all pending
claims
THE FUBL1c LANDS.
The general land Office has worked Of the
vast accumulation Of former year. and il now
on current business. greatly 10 the advantage
OF western settlers: the Indian bureau has made
great progress in elsvsting the various Indian
tribes. IN the work Of allotmen: of land in
severalty TO individual Indians. the consequent
disintegration Of their tribal relations and the
Development Of schools. Great reform has
been accomplished IN the purchase Of Indian
supplies. The pension Office has disposed Of an
immense volume Of work. and has exceeded all
former records IN the number OF final adjudica-
lions. both original and upon appeals. execut-
Ing the beuehcent laws for the soldiers Of the
Mon The census office has finished nearly
all OF it- immense and highly scientific work.
and vhat remains il rapidly rearing
completion The geological survey has
Progressed greatly in its typographical survey
OF tue states and TERRITORIES. in locating Teser-
vOirs for the irrigation Of the arid lands and in
It's Other useful divisions. The railroad bureau
ha- Kept constant supervision Of the condition
90 the rosdbeds and appurtenances and given
careful consideration to the question of the
maturing debts of the subsidized railroads and
The future conditions which should govern
them The patent ce has kept up with cur
rent work and has introduced several important
reforms. The bureau OF education has greatly
extended its operations in Europe and Ot.r own
county. and the distribution % The funds for
agricultural colleges. difficult problem, has
been satisfactorily and efficiently handled.
NATIONAL PARKS.
The supervision OF the several national parks
has been exercised with srea; care as to details.
with much success in the cultivation Of the
fauna. fora AMI fish now there greatly increas-
Ing. and particularly IL the preservation of the
great trees OF California and of other Of the
ratural wonders Of our continent. At Hot
Springs reservation. Ark. improvements have
been inaugurated and are IN progress whereby
thi- resort will become much more attractive
AM more worthy OF our country.
Parucrssr atteu :ion has been successfully
given to Observation-Disclosures of forest reserves for
the preservation If the streams OF tbs country
anil The advancement Of irrigation in the arid
regions.
AL II the eleemosyuary Institutions in and
around Washington city have been managed 80
that no scandals or eveucompaints have arisen.
and their efficiency has been adj nnced. Besides
al ihi-, when IL Is remembered that six new
siAies have come into the Union from ont the
jurisdiction OF this department. anil Oklahoma
has grown mp INFO II from uncultivated waste.
the results are. indeed. gratifying
In the department proper. with the aid of
the FIRST assistant Secretary and the assistant
attorney general. the Secretary has sdjudicated
many hundreds Of land contests. involving
great amounts M value and most dIfsiclit ques-
tIOns % law: has had 10 deal with the interpre-
tstion Of Indian treaties. and. with the assist
ant sccretsry. the construction Of pension laws
ana cases. The department also manages di-
rectly the numerous commissions negotiating
with Indians for the purchase % their landS
COMPETITIVE EXANINATIoN FOR PROMOTION.
Pursuant to the Presidents order OF Deem
Der q. 1891. relative to promotions in the ela.si
fed service system Of competitive examinat
lions for promotions has been in operation in
this department since January l. 1892.
The rules As PREPARED had strictly IN view the
purposes contemplated in the Presidents order.
va. Keeping n record which would show the
'fsithfulness" and efficiency" Of the en-
plose=. and conducting examinations for pro-
motions Of tho-e sho present themselves. -
upon their kuoNleise II the work of the bu-
reau or department TO which they belong
The sys.sm being a new one so far rs related
department and involving q consideration OF
the needs and peculiarities OF the different
classes Of work IN the various bureaus. was
necessarily Of an experimental character. All
thing considered. however. i: has worked well
and has resulted IN securing better service and
amore faithful discharge of duties the part
of employees.
With a visw OF profting bv the experience of
several months practice under the new rules n
modification and simPlifcation of me system is
IL. 4 L..
The following Is a brief summary OF the re-
sulis Of the examinations up to November l,
ls92:
There were 65s employees of the bureau of
pensions examined nj varlous intervals since
March last. OF whom Sl1. or - per cent. passed
the examination and were placed the eligi-
bic list
OF 100 eomJ etitors from the general land
ofce -. or 50 per cent. obtained place on the
eligible hist
OF IS competitors from the patent Office 81,
OF 81 per cent. were placed ON the eligible list
The total % competitors for the department
We $50. OF eligIble- iG2. showing that 80
Ter cent OF those who entered the examination
were placed upon the eligible lists for their
speetive bureau-.
There have been 20 employees of the pension
bureau, 10 ~ the general lani Office and . Of
the patent Office promoted under the system.
SECURITY FOR LAND RECORDS.
The commissioner of the general land office
last year recommended the erection of a suit
able public bIildmg. to be owned by the gov
eminent. affording adequate accommodatI1rs.
and hat proper provisiOn- be made therein for
the greater security 81 land office records lie
nov suggests that such a building might b.
further utilized for the preservation of the
records OF ;he several land c!hcc- aud osiees Of
the surveyor general when discontinued; THAI
there woald be great advantages I'm the concen-
tration Of the records IA one place AMI that in
the way suggested IL might be accom- li,hed
with comparatively little additional expense
The work OF the land osce Eas been accom-
l,-he,i to such eytent that The force NAV have
. be reduced or concentrated.
The commissiOner Of patents urges tina. ad-
ditionsl room to properly accommodate The
working fore % hi- ofice be provided. that
the health and safety of he rmploves demand
it aud that grant hereof would ircrea.e the
work performed In n marked degree
At.sution l. also directed g. the fact that the
need % additional force. both examining and
clerical. l. CRYING one, that The examining
vork y nloath- In arrearS. 70 the great iuiurv
OF the manufacturers and Inventors OF the
couutry. and the examiners do Dot cain upon
a.; but are rather falling behind. and that the
eieTiral and iabOrIns force l. Inadequate to the
proper performance OF the WORK set for them
70 do.
The eNtrusion Of the classified service o. the