The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-12-06

commend llIS report anu INT 'uAutD
recommendations to the secretary 10
congress.
The public land disposed of during the
wear amounts TO 1O.4O6, 1907 acres in
Guiding 2S,S9605 acres of Indian lands:
1t is estimated the public domain still
remaining amounts to little more than
6OO, 100000 acres, excluding, however,
about 36OO0O,000 Alaska as well
as military reservations and railroad
and other selections of land yet unad-
Indicated.
The cash receipts from sale of lands
amounted TO $2,674, 2S5, 70, including
sol, 9S1. 03 received from Indian lands.
Thirty-fve thousand patents were is,
sued for agricultural lands, and 81, iOo
patents were issued to Indians on allot-
ments of their holdings in severalty. The
lands so allotted being inalienable 6y
the Indians allotted for a period of 70
years.
There were certified and patented on
account of railroad and wagon road
grants during the year 'S6, $3.50 acres OF
land and at the close of the year 25OOO,'
600 acres were embraced in the lists
of selections made by railroad and wagon
road companies and awaited settlement.
The situations of swamp lands and that
known as indemnity therefor since the
passage of the act providing for the same
in 1919 amount to nearly or quite SO,3Uo,-
900 acres. of which 5S,00O,OO0 have been
patented to states. About loS,OOO acres
were patented during the last year.
Nearly 10000 acres of school and edu-
cotional grants were approved during the
wear, and at its close LOO, 3G3.S1 acres
remained unadjusted.
1t appears that the applications for
II "a
service for the protection of public lands
and the timber thereon is much less than
those for previous year and inadequate
for efficient performance of the work.
A larger sum of money than has been
appropriated during Il number OF years
past on this account has been returned to
the government as Il result of the labors
of those employed in the particular Serv-
ice mentioned. and l hope will not he
crippled by insufficient appropriation. -.
| fully endorse the recommendation OF
the secretary that adequate protection he
provided for our forest reserve and that
a comprehensive forestry system be inau-
gurated
Such keepers and superintendent as
are necessary to protect the forests al
ready reserved should be provided.
am of the opinion that there should be
an abandonment of the policy sanction
ed by present laws under which the gov
eminent for very small consideration
is rapidly losing title to immense tracts
Of land covered with timber which should
be properly reserved as permanent source
Of timber supply The suggestion that
q change be made in the manner of Sc
curing surveys of the public lands is es-
Decially worthy of consideration. | am
satisfied that these surveys should be
made by a corps of competent surveyors
under the immediate control and direc-
ton of the commissioner of the general
and Office.
An exceedingly important recommended
ion of the secretary relates to the man
Ter in which contests and litigated cases
out of efforts to obtain govern
nent land are determined. The entire
estimony upon which the controversies
depend in all their stages is taken before
ocal registrars and receivers, and yet
hese officers have no power to subpoena
II to enforce their attendance to testify.
These cases, numbering 5000 or 1000 an
lually, are simply referred by. the local
Ulcers to the commissioner of the general
and office for his action. The eXigencies
# his other duties oblige him to act upon
decisions of registrars and receivers with
mt opportunity for thorough personal eX-
mination. Nearly 1000 of these cases
re appealed annually from the commits
Toner to the secretary of the interior.
3urdened with other important admins
rative duties his determination of these
ppeals must be almost perfunctOry and
'ased upon the examination OF. others. |
Through this determination the secretary
perates as final adjudication Supon
lights of very great Importance. | concur
n the opinion that the commissioner OF
he general land office should be relieved
rom this duty of deciding litigated land
asses; that nOn-partisan court should ne
reated to pass on such cases and that
e decisions of his cour should be final, i
t least so far as the decisions of the de-
artment are now final. The proposed
curt might be given authority to- certify
uestions of law in matters of especial
Importance to the supreme court of the
Tnited States or the court of appeals for
he District of Columbia for decision.
he creation of such tribunal would
expedite the disposal of cases and insure
ecisions of same satisfactory. The reg
strars and receivers, who originally hear
nd decide these disputes, should, be in
ested with authority to compel witnesses
o attend to testify before them.
Though the condition of the Indians
how steady and healthy progress, their
situation is not satisfactory at all points.
some of them to whom allotments of land
las been made are found to be unable or
to follow agricultural pursuits,
n to otherwise beneticially manage their
and. This is specially true of the Chey-
'nnes and the Arapahoes, who, as 1t APP
BEARS by reports of their agent, have III
many intances never been located upon
heir allotments, and in some instances do
lot even know where their allotments are.
Their condition has deteriorated. They
Ire not self-supporting, and they live III
amps and spend their lives i'll idleness.
nave always believed that allotments OF
lands to Indians i'll sew
nralty should be made sparingly, or at
east slowly and with the utmost caution.
Indian problem. and the success of every
am convinced the proper solution of the
step taken in that direction, depends to a
very large extent upon the intelligence
and honesty of the reservation agents,
and the interest they have in their work.
An agent fitted for his place can do much
toward preparing the Indians under his
charge for citizenship and allot-
ment of their lands and his
advice as to any matter concerning their
welfare will not mislead. An unfit agent
will take no effort to advance the Indians
on his reservation toward citizenship or
for allotment of lands in sew
crafty. and his opinion as to their cOndi-
ton in this and other regards is needless
and valueless.
The indications are that the detail of
army officers rs Indian agents will result