Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-12-15

! navy, L cannot refrain IEOu1 INC 0u-r
| that the Congress should carefully take M
account the number of unfinished vesseis On
| our hands and the depleted condition OF ou.
| Treasury in considering the propriety Oh s3h
! appropriation at this time to begin ne" "oIA'
PENSIONS.
| The Secretary of the Interior has the sup
ervision of so many important sqoJeets
| his report is of especial value and lnter7.t.
| On the Both daY of June. 1898, there J"
| on the pension rolls eff. O12 names. an IN
! crease Of 80 944 over the number on the foll I
| June &c. 1892 OF these there were seventeen
widows and daughters of ReVolut uts
soldiers. eighty-six survivors OF the W ID -.
1912, 5425 widows of soldiers OF 'h ae wa" .he
| q, SIS survivors and widows OF tnI
Mexican war, 1882 survivors anu
widows of Indian wars, 23t army
nurses, and AIS, 645 survivors. ana "ldoN
| and children of deceased soldiers anI
| sailors of the Rebellion. The latter NUM-
represents those pensioned on account ..
| disabilities or death resulting from army
and navy service. The number OF persons
! remaining on the rolls June 80, l593' VIZ VIZ
were pensioned under the act OF ) uhe -;
| 1890. which allows pensions on account Vi
! death and disability not chargeaDle " Amy
service, was 459, 155.
year was 1913. 634, and the number dropp9i
was SO. $50. The first payments on pension
allowed during the year amounted u 20,
! 1856, $40 90. This includes arrears, OF th7
| accumulation between the time from Wfilch
| the allowance of pension dates ana the Iilll0
| Of actually granting the certificate.
/ Although the law of 1890 permits pensions
for disabilities not related to military serEi"e'
| yet as a requisite to its benefits ulSaDliltS
must exist incapacitating applicants IRON
| the performance of manual labor to SUCH d
degree as to render them unable to earn a
! support" The execution of this law In us
| early stages does not seem to have Deeh Ill
| accord with its true intention but toWaFh0
| the close of the last administration an authO-
| ritative construction was given to the statute'
and since that time this construction has been
! followed. This has had the effect of limiting
| the operation of the law to its intended puF-
| pose. The discovery having been made that
| many names had been put upon the pension
! roll by means of wholesale and gigantic
! frauds the Commissioner suspended pay
| ments upon number of pensions when
| seemed to be fraudulent or unauthorized
| pending complete examination, giving no
! tice to the pensioners, in order that thtl
| might have an opportunity to estabnSn, IL
! possible, the justice of their claims notWlth-
! standing apparent invalIdIty.
This understand, is the prrctice when
! has for long time prevailed i'll the PENSION
| Bureau but after entering upon these recent
! Investigations the Commissioner modlncd
| this rule 50 as not to allow. until after COM
| plete examination, interference with the pay
| ment of a pension apparently not altogether
| void but which merely had been fixed at a
rate higher than that authorized by law.
| lam unable to understand why frauds in
| the pension rolls should not be exposed and
corrected with thoroughness and Vlgor.
Every name fraudentIy put upon these rolls
| is a wicked imposition upon the kindly SEN
| timent in which pensions have their origin
| every fraudulent pensiOner has become a bad
citizen /; every false oath in support OF pen
sion has made perjury more common and
falC md nHn
people not only of their money, but
Of the patriotic sentiment which the sur
vivOrs OF a war, fought for the preservation
Of the Union, ought to inspire. Thousands
of neighborhoods have their well-known
fraudulent pensioners, and recent develop
ments by the bureau establish appalling con
spiracies to accomplish pension frauds. By
no means the least wrong done is to brave
and deserving pensioners, VINO certainly
ought not to be condemned to Such aSS0cla-
ton.
Those who attempt in the line Of duty to
rectify these wrongs should not be accused
Of enmty or Indifference 10 the claims OF
honest veterans.
The sum expended on account Of pensions
for the year ending June 80, 1898, was 9l56,-
40. 49,. IA.
The Commissioner estimates that $165,
900 900 will be required to pay pensions
during the year ending June 80, 1894.
THEINDIANs.
The condition of the Indians and their Ill
innate fate are subjects which are related to |
a sacred duty of the Government, and which |
strongly appeal to the sense of justice and |
the sympathy of our people.
Our Indians number about 24S, 900 Most Of |
Thorn are located on 161 reservations con
tanning sc. 116. 531 acres of land. About no. |
600 of these Indians have, to large degree, |
adopted civilized customs. Lands in sew |
crafty have been allotted to many of them. |
Such allottments have been made to 10, 900 |
Individuals during the last fiscal year en- |
bracing about ,000. 900 acres.
The solution of the Indian problem de- |
Ponds very largely upon good administra- |
ton. The personal fitness of agents and |
their adaptability to the peculiar duty Of car
ing for their wants, is Of the utmost import |
ance.
The law providing that. except in especial |
cases, army officers shall be de.:lled as In |
dian agents. it is hoped will prove a success |
full experiment.
There is danger Of great abuses creeping
intothe prosecution of claims for Indian de |
preciatiOnS and I recommend that every |
possible safeguard be provided against the |
enforcement Of unjust and fictitious claims |
Of this description.
FORESTRY AND AGRICULTURE
The report of the Secretary of Agricuiture |
Will be found exceedingly interesting espe- |
claily to that large part of our citizens init |
mately concerned in agricultural occuna-
tons.
the Congress the statements contained in the !
Secretarys report concerning forestry. The |
time has come when efficient measures
should be taken for the preservation of our
forests from indiscriminate and remediless
destruction.
The regulations of 1892 concerning Texas
lever have been enforced during the last
year, and tho large stOckyards Of the cOun-
try have been kept free from Infection De
ca5lonally local outbreaks have been large
Iy such as could have been effectuaIlv
guarded against by the owners of the af
fected cattle
Whlle contagious pleuro- pneumonia in
cattle has been eradicated animal tuber-
cuIoSlS, a disease widespread and more dan
Serous to human life than pleuro- pneumouia
5 Sui prevalent. Investigations have been
made during the past year as to the means
pi ITS communication and the method of it's
correct diagnosis. Much progress has been
nia,tc IN TINS direction by the studies of the |
division OF animal pathology, but work ought
To ne extended in cooperation with local
authorities until the danger to human life |
arising from this cause is reduced to a mini
mum.
IN the year 1889 the Congress appropriatej
SloVo, TO be taken from tho Patent Office
tunds, for the purpose of collecting and dis
trIDutlng rare and Improved varieties of seeds
~ prosecuting agricultural lnVoStira-
tons and procuring agricultural statistics
+ rom TINS small beginning the Seed Division
OF the Department of Agriculture has grown
70 It's present unweldy and uniustiaabiy ex-
travagant proportions.
During the last fiscal year the cost of seeds
purchased was $66, 54S61 The remainder
OF OF an appropriation of 1885,, 600 was expend-
81 III putting them up and distributing
the It surely never could have entered
me minds of those who first sanctioned
appropriations of public moneys for
tne purchase of new and improved
varieties of seeds for gratuitous distribution
toms il%' rom ON tals would grow large appropra-
Members of Congress of ordinary saads
t gui" Sam ana cuttings which are common in ali
ea s I.",es ana Territories and everywhere
easily obtainable at low prices.
IN gacn state and Territory an agricultural
experiment. station has been established
; L neSe stations. by their very character and
name are the proper agencies to experiment
Nm ana test new varieties of seeds and vet
ms lhdiscrIminate and wasteful distribution |
10y legislation and Legislators continues an
9"erlng no purpose unless if be to remind |