The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-13

If hastily done, before the Indian
knows its meaning, while yet he has
little or no idea of tiling a farm and no
conception of thrift, there Is great dan
ger that a reservation life in tribal re.
latious may be exchanged for the pau
perism of civilization instead of its IN
dependence and elevation. The solu-
tion of the Indian problem depends
very largely upon good administration.
| The personal fitness of agents and their
adaptability to the peculiar duty of
| caring for their wards Is of the utmost
Importance.
The law providing that except in es
pecial cases army officers shall bs de.
tailed as Indian agents it is hoped will
prove successful experiment. There
| is danger of great abuses creeping into
the prosecution Of claims for Indian de-
predetions, and I recommend that ev.
ery possible safeguard be provided
against the enforcement of unjust and
fictitious claims of this description.
The appropriations on account of the
Indian Bureau for the year ending June
80, 1894, amounts to $780,, 1862 SO, a de-
crease as compared with the year pre-
ceding it of $685., 1875.
The vast area of land which but 8
short time ago constituted the public
domain is rapidly falling into private
hands. 1t Is certain that in the trans
fer the beneicent intention of the gov
ernment t. supply from its domain
homes to the Industrious and worthy
| homeseekers is often frustrated.
Though the speculator, who stands
with eXtortionate purpose between
the land Office and those who, with
their families, are invited by the gov
errment to settle on the public lands Is
despicable character who ought not
to be tolerated, yet it is difficult to
thwart his schemes. The recent open
| ing to settlement of the lands in the
Cherokee outlet, embracing an area OF
6,50O,OO0 acres. notwithstanding the ut'
most care in framing the regulations
governing the selection of locations,
and Notwithstanding the presence of
the United States troops furnished an
exhibition, though, perhaps, in nod
flied degree of the mad scramble, the
violence and the fraudulent occupation
| which have accompanied previous
openings of public land, I concur with
| the Secretary in the belief that these
outrageous incidents cannot be entire
| Iy prevented without a change IN the
laws on the subject, and [ hope his re.
commendation In that direction will be
favorably considered.
1 especially commend to the atten-
tion Of Con yress the statements con.
tained io the Secretary's reports con-
cern,ng forestry. The time has come
| when efficient measures should be
taken for the preservation of our for.
ests from indiscriminate and lrremedlal
destruction.
Tbe report of the Secretary of Agri-
culture will bs found exceedingly In.
teresting, especially to that large part
of our citizens intimately concerned in
agricultural occupations. On the 7th
day of March, 1893, there were upon its
pay rolls 2,430 employees. This num-
Der has been reduced to 1850 persons.
In vie " of depleted Treasury and the
imperative demand of the people for
economy in the administration of their
government, the Secretary has entered
Upon the task of nationally reducing
expenditures by the elimination from
the pay rolls of all persons not needed
for an efficient conduct of the affairs
of the department. During the frs.
quarter of the present year the expent
ses nf the department aggregates S34o :
| 876 rs. as against $402. OH AZ for the
corresponding period of the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1893. The secretary
makes apparent his intention to con-
tinue this rate of reduction by submit
ting estimates for the next fiscal year
less by $994, ,280 than those for the pre-
sent year.
Among the heads of divisions in this
department the changes have been ex.
ceedlngly few. Three vacancies oc-
curriug from death and designations
have been filled by the promotion of
assistants in the same divisions. These
promotions of experienced and faithful
As sis tants have not only been In the
interest of efficient work, but have sug-
gested to those in the department who
10 ok for retention and promotion that
merit and devotion to duty are their
best reliance. TIE amount approprlat.
ed for the bureau of animal industry
for the current fiscal year is $850,OOO;
the estimate for the ensuing year is
S70O,00O.
The regulations of 1892 concerning
Texas fever have been enforced during
the last year, and the large stockyards
of the country have been kept free from
infection. Occasional local outbreaks
have been largely such as could have
been effectually guarded against by the
owners of the affected cattle. While
contagious pleuro-pneumonia in cattle
has been eradicated, animal tubercu-
losis, disease Widespread and more
dangerous to human life than pleuro-
pneumonia, is still prevalent. Investi.
cations have been made during the
| past year as to the means of its COM
munication and the method of its cor
rect diagnosis.
Much progress has been made in this
| direction by the studies of the division
of animal pathology, but work ought
to be extended in cooperation with 10.
cal authorities, until the danger to hu-
man life arising from this cause is re-
duced to a minimum. The number of
animals arriving from Canada during
the year and inspected by bureau off,
GERS, was 2,092, and the number from
| trans Atlantic countries was 1897.
No contagious diseases were found
among the imported animals. The to-
tai number of inspections of cattle for
export during the past fiscal year was
6ll,542. The exports show falling
off of about 25 per cent. from the pre-.
ceding year, the decrease occurring en-
tirely in the. last half of the year. This
suggests that the falling off may have
been largely due to an increase In the
price of American export cattle. Dur.
ing the year ending June 80, 1893, ex-