The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-12-14
HoKD ssa1TH,s WORK.
Recommendation. Rex.rai.r Publ,
Lands, Pensions and Patents.

recommendations Re9Ardlng Public
Lands, Pensions and Patents:
The report Of the secretary Of the IL.
terior exhibits the situation Of the numer.
GUS and interesting branches of the public
service connected with his department.
commend this report and the valuable rec
Concentrations Of the secretary to the cure.
ful attention Of the congress.
The public land disposed Of during the
year a amonnts n9. M to 1905 1OO;T acres. includ
ed that the public domain still remaining
amounts to- a little more than coo, 900, 100
acres excluding, however, about 800, 600, 900
acres acre! In Alaska as well az military reserva.
lands yet unadjudlcated
The total cash recelpts from the sale Of
lands amounted to $2,874,285 including
lands.
Thirty-fye thousand patents were issued
for agricultural lands and one hundred pa
tents were issued to Indians on allotmeIts
OF their holdings in seyeralty, the laud SO al.
lOted being In a llenable by the Indian al.
lottees for period of twenty-five years af-
ter patent.
There were certified and patented on ac.
fSs Of and g , grants nts during
close Of the year q. 9.OOOO. .OO9 were embraced
In the lists OF selections made by railroads
and wagon companies and awaited settle
ment.
taken as Indemnity therefor. since the pas.
snge Of the act providing for the same In
1s4O amount TO nearly Or quite s05OO. .oOO
acres. Of which 59. .Oo0, 900 have been patent
tented during the last year. Nearly $40, 600
acres Of school and education grants were
approved during the year,. and at Its close
25O,3SS1 acres remained unadjusted.
current year on account Of special service
for the protection Of the public lands and
the timber thereon Is much less than those
for previous years and inadequate for an ef-
fcient performance Of the work. A larger
sum Of money than has been appropriated
during a number Of years past on this ac-
count has been returned to the government
as result Of the labors Of those employ:
I hope It will not be crippled by insufficient
approximation.
fully endorse the recommendation Of the
vided for our forest reserves and that com.
Rrehensive forestry system be lnaugurated.
Such keepers and superintendents AZ are
necessary to protect the forest already re-
opinion that there should, be an abandon.
ment Of the policy sanctioned by present
laws under which the government for q
very small consideration is RAPIDLY losing
as permanent sources Of timber supply.
The suggestion TINT change be made In
the manner Of securing surveys OF the pub
tlon. ! 'am satisfied that these surveys
should be mnde by IL corps Of competent
surveyors under the immediate control and
direction Of the commissioner Of the general
land office.
The Indian Problem.
Though the condition Of the Indians shows
q steady and hcnthy progress, their eitua-
tl0n Is not satisfactory at all points. Some
Of them to whom a,aa alIotments m m OF land have ~,
INCLINED to, follow agricultural pursuits or
otherwise benee,hcialiy manage their land
i..s especially true Of the Cheyennes and
Of ei theip agents. % have IL fp many Instances
never been located upon their. allotments
Ssr 5 in se Mt ss aaHE whss ss
Geferiorated. They ore not self.supporting
and they live In camps and spend their times
have aiwavs believed that allotments Of
reservation lands to Indians In severalty
should be made spnrinEly or At least east slowly
when wn..c agriculturaIisfs and stock rails.
ers OF experiences and intelligence hnd their
lot hard one we ought not to expect In
ana h.bits af indasry 5 support
on the small tracts OF land usually allotted
ss H. %gPeeSs ssssms BY q eG sss
nliottees which results 10 worse than their
original condition Of regulated dependence:
It Is evident that the evil consequences Of
ill.advised allotment are intensified In cases
where the. first step cannot be retraced on
account Of the purchase by the government
Of enss sr md ses ef snss
remaining lands to settlers or purchasers
from the government.
Pensl0As.
At the close Of the last fiscal year, on the
3Oth day Of June. 1894. there were 0D.644
persons on our pension rolls. being net
increase AZ 3.b32 over the number. reported
at the end Of the previous YEAR. These pen.
sioners may be classed a. follows: Soldiers
and sailor, survivors Of all wars. 768. .06S:
widows and relatives Of deceased soldiers.
2i5, ,l62; army nurses In the war Of the re-
beiiion, 4l4. OF these pensioners. 81, 039 are
surviving soldiers Of Indian and other wars
prior to the late civil war. and the widows
and relatives Of such soldiers.
The remainder. numbering 937, SO5. are re.
ceiving pensions on account OF the war Of
the rebellion and Of them 1884 are now
under the authority Of the act Of June "a.
1890, sometimes called the dependent pen
sion law. The total amount expended for
pensions during the year was $13O. .SO4 46l. .0S.
leaving an unexpended balance from the
sum appropriated Of $25. .2O5. s12.65. The
sum necessary to meet pension expenditures
for the year ending June 30. 1895, IL esti-
mated ar Sl4OOOO,OO0.