Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-12-08

consideration. am satisfied that the sur
vcys should be made by "a corps OF compe-
tout surveyors under the immediate con
trol and direction of the commissioner cot
the general land office.
IN pvcaaainHly impDrtant recommenda-
ton OF the secretary relates to the manner
in which contests and Irrigated cases grow
ing out Of efforts TO obtain government
lands are determined. The entire testi-
muny upon which these controversies de
pend In all their stages is taken before the
local registers and receivers and yet these
officers have no power to subpoena wit
ncs>cs or TO enforce their attendance to
testify. These G Sas, numbering 5000 or
400 annually, are sent by the local officers
10 the commissioner of the general land
Office for his action. The eXigencicS of his
other duties ohlige him to act
upon the decisions of the regis
tiers and receivers without an oppor-
tunity of thorough personal examinations.
Nearly 1000 Of these cases are appealed an
nually from the commissioner TO the sec
rotary of the interior. Burdened with
other important administrative duties his
determination of these appeals must be al
most ~perfunctory and based upon the eX-
animation OF others, though this determi-
natl II OF the secretary operates az a final
adjudication upon rights of very great i'm
portance. | concur in the opinion that the
commissioned Of the general land Office
should be rcliev d from the duty OF dcCid-
ing litigatel lana cases, that n%onparti-
san court shO'.l be created TO pass OH
such cases aud "a / the decisions of this
court should b. final, at least so far rs the
decisions OF the department are now tiaal.
The proposed court might be given au-
thority to certify a question Of law in mat
tcrs of special importance, to tn. supreme
court Of the United states or the court of
appeals for the District OF Columbia for
decision. The creation of such IA tribunal
would expedite the disposal Of cases and
insure decisions OF a more satisfactory
character. The registers and receivers who
should b. invested! with authority to com
pei witnesses to attend and testify before
them
Though the condition OF the In
healthy process, their situation is
not satisfactory at all points.
Some Of them TO whom allotments of land
have been made are found to he unable or
To follow agricultural pursuits
to otherwise benefcially manage their
lands. This i. especially true of the
Cheyenncs and Arapahoes who, a. il APP
pears by report of their agent, nave in
many instances never been located upon
their allotments and in some cases do not
even know where their allotments are.
Their condition has deterioTated They
not self supporting and they live in
camps and spend their time in idleness. l
moi III id i haiahfSs spaatfiSsttIs.. ri 81 lat least
slowly and with the tmo caution.
In these days when white agriculturists
and stock raiSers of experience and intelli-
gence find their 10 "a hard one. we ought
not to expect Indians, unless far advanced
in civilization and habits of industry. to
support themselves on the small tracts of
land usually allotted to them. IL the self
supporting scheme by allotment fails the
wretchtd pauperism of the allotees which
results j. worse than their original condi-
ton of regulated dependence. 1t is evi-
dent the evil consequences of ill-adyised
allotmentS are intensified in cases where
the false step cannot be retreated on nc,
count of the purchases by the government
of the reservation lands remaining after
allotments are made and the disposition of
such remaining lands to settlers or pur-
chasers from the government.
am convinced that the proper solution
of the Indian problem and the success of
every step taken IN that direction depend
to "A very large extent upon the intelli-
gence and honesty of the reservation
agents and the interest they have in their
work. The indications are that the detail
of army officers as Indian agents will re
suit in improved management of the reser-
v%ations. Whenever allotments are made
and any Indian on the reservation has pre-
yiOusly settled upon Il lot and cultivated
it, or shown any disposition to improve it
in any way, such LOT should certainly he
allotted to him and this should be made
plainly obligatory of statute. In the light
Of experience. and considering the LnGer-
tainty of the Indian situation and its ext
gencies I'm the future, | am not only dis
posed to be very cautious In making
allotments, but | incline to agree with the
secretary OF the interior in the opinion
that when allotments are made the balance
of reservation land remaining after
allotment instead Of being bought b. the
government from the Indians and opened
for settlement with such scandals and I'M
fair practices as seem unavoidable should
remain for a time ut least as common land
or bc sold by the government on behalf OF
prices TO be determined by its location and
d~esirability and that the proceeds less ex-
pen ses should be held in trust for the ben
eft of the of the Indian proprietor. The
intelligent Indian school management OF
the past year has been followed by crafty
ing results. Efforts have been made to
advance the work in u sound and practical
manner. Five institutes of Indian teachers
have been held during the year and have
proved very beneficial through the views
exchanged and methods discussed particu-
LARRY applicable to Indian education. IF
forts are being made in the direction Of a
S~gradunl reduction Of the number of Indian
they may give way altogether to govern
ment schools, and it Is hoped that the
change may he 50 gradual as to be per.
fected without too great expense to the
government or undue disregard of inve.t-
ments made bv those who have established
and are maintaining such contract
schools. The appropriation for the
current year ending ha 1aae 30, lsss
OF the Indian service amounts
TO 90. 733. 003. is, being less by'sCG3, 2+0. 81 than
the sum appropriated on the same account
for the previous year.
The Pension Roll.
At the close of the last fiscal year on the
30th day of June. 1894. there were $50, 54i
persons on our pension rolls, being a ne
increase OF 3,532 over the number reported
at the end OF the previous year. These
pensioners may Dc classified as follows
Soldiers and sailors, survivors of all wars
753.00S: widows and relatives of deceased
soldiers, 2l5. 1862; army nurses In the war oil
the rebellion. Ala. OF these pensioners
a2.O89 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 021 sos. are re
ceiving pensions on account OF the war OF
the rebellion, and of these 4co.3i4 are on
tho rolls under the authority Of the act OF
June "a, 1900, sometimes called the de
pendent pension law. The total amount
expended for pensions during the year was
$3.50, 804, 46l .U5, leaving an u~nexpended bal
ance from the sum appropriated OF $25,'
205.1l2.65. The SUI necessary To meet
pension expenditures for the year ending
June SO, 1891, Is estimated mt el40,0 0O. 600
The commissioner Of pensions Is OF the
opinion that the year 1893, BEING
the thirt;eth after the Close
OF the war of the rebellion,
must. according to all sensible human cal,
cuiation, see the highest limit Of the pen.
sion roll, and that after that year u must
begin 70 decline. The claims pending 10