Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-12-06
Il COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OF THE SEC
RETARY OF TIE

II 1SpO1 vi In ~ III
terror exhibits the situation of the nu-
merous and interesting branches of the
| public sefvice connected with his de-
partment. | commend this report and
the valuable recommendations of the
| Secretary to the careful attention of the
Congress. The public land disposed OF
during the year amounted to lO7,S 0
acres, including %, SIG, 05 of Indian land.
1t is estimated that the public domain
still remaining amounts to a little more
than 900, 900, 900 acres, excluding, how
| ever, about 800, 000, 900 acres in Alaska,
as well as military reservations and
| railroad and other sections of laud yet
| unadjudicated. The total cash receipts
from sales of lands amounted to S2,6T4,-
2S5. 70 including 1871, 9S1.03 received for
Indian lands. Thirty-ffve thousand
patents were issued for agricultural
lands and thirty-one hundred patents
were issued to Indians on allottments
of their holdings in severalty, h land
so allotted being inalienable by the
Indian ~allottee and for a period
of twenty-five years after patent.
There were certified and patented on
ccoun of railroad and wagon oad
grants, during the year 965, 556.45 acres
of land, and at the close of the year 49,
900, 900 acres were embraced in the lists
of selections made by railroad and wag-
on road companies and awaited settle
ment. The selections of swamp and
and that taken as indemnity therefor
since the passage of the act providing
for the same in 1S49 amount to nearly
or quite 80, 900, 900 acres, of which S.
600, 600 have been patented to States.
About 1873, 900 were patented during the
last year. Nearly $50, 900 acres of school
and education grants were approved
during the year and at its close 1,25O,-
$685. s. acres remained unadjusted. 1t
appears that the appropriation for the
current year on account of special ser
vice for the protection of the service,
and lands and timber thereon, is much
less han those for previous years and
inadequate for an efficient performance
of the work. A larger sum of money
than has been appropriated during a
number of years past on this account
has been returned to the government as
a result of the labors of those employed
in this particular service mentioned,
and | hope it will not be crippled by in
sufficient appropriation.
fully indorse the recommendation
of the Secretary that adequate pro-
lection be provided for our forest re-
serves and lat a comprehensive forestry
system be i~naugurated. Such keepers
and superintendent as are necessary to
protect the forest already reserved
should be provided. | am of the opin-
ion that there should be an abandon
ment of the policy sanctioned by pres
ent avs under which the government
for a very small consideration is rapidly
losing title to immense tracts of land
covered with timber which should be
properly reserved as permanent sources
of timber supply.
The suggestion that a change be made
in the manner of securing surveys of
the public lands is especially worthy of
consideration. | am satisfied that these
surveys should be made by a corps of
competent surveyors under the imme-
diate control and direction of the Com
missioner of the General and Office.
An exceedingly important recon-
mendation of the Secretary relates to
the manner in which contests and 1iti-
gated cases growing out of efforts to OBJ
tain government land, are determined.
The entire testimony npon which these
controversies depend in all their stages
is taken before the local registers and
receivers, and yet these officers have no
power to subpoena witnesses or to en-
force their attendance to testify. These
cases, numbering three or foul thou
sand annually, are sent by the local
| officers to the Commissioner of the Gen
eral Land Office for his action. The
exigencies of his other duties oblige
1 III w uoO oPOA IN VI III
| registers and receivers without an OPP
| portUnity of personal examination.
| Near two thousand of these cases are
appealed annually from the Commits
| sioner to the Secretary of the Interior.
Burdened with other administrative
duties, his determination of these APP
peals must be almost perfunctory and
based upon the examination of others,
though this decision of the Secretary
operates as a final adjudication upon
rights of very great Importance. Icon
cur in the opinion that the Commits
sioner of the General Land Office
should be relieved of the duty of decid-
ing Irrigated land cases; that a non-par
tisan court should be created to pass on
such cases and that the decisions Of
this court should be final, at least
so far as the final decisions Of
the department are now final
The proposed court might be given au
thority to certify questions of law in
matters of especial Importance to the
Supreme Court of the United States o.
the Court of Appeals for the District o.
Columbia for decision. The creation
of such a tribunal would expedite thu
disposal of cases and insure decisions o
a more satisfactory character. Thu
registers and receivers who original,
hear and decide these disputes SHOULD
be invested with authority to compe
witnesses to attend and testify befor,
them.
Though the condition of the Indian
shows a steady and healthy progress
their situasion is not satisfactory in al
points. Some of them to whom allot
ments of land have been made ar
fonnd unable or disinclined to folloy
agricultural pursuits or otherwise bene
ficlally manage their land. This is es
-oo.al1xy r,1 -0f Rho HbaunnnaC mn
Aramapoos, who, as it appears by re
ports of their agent, W. in many in
stances never been located upon thei
Il ~allotments, and in some cases d
not even know where their allot
ments are. Their condition ha
decorated. They are not self-support
ing and they live in camps and spen
their time in idleness. l have also be
lieved that allotments of reservatio
lands to Indians in severalty should b
, made sparingly, or at least slowly, an
f with the utmost caution. In thes
, days when while agriculturalists an
, stock raisers of experience and INTEL
!, gence find their lot a hard one, W
ought not to expect Indians, unless fs
: advanced in civilization and industr,
: to support themselves on the sma
i, tracts of land usually allotted to then
, Ii the self-supporting scheme by allo
ment fails, the wretched pauperism
!, the allottees results in wors
than their original condition of reg
s lated dependence 1t is evident tn