The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-12-08

The report also contains a valuable contri-
button to the history Of the universal postal
union, arrangement which amounts prac-
tically to the establishment OF one postal sys-
TEN for the entire civilized world.
There are now connected with the post once
establishment 3266l employees who are In the
classified service. This includes many who
have been classified upon the suggestion of
other year experience at the head Of the de-
partment serves only II strengthen the con-
viction ; to the excellent working Of the civil
service law In this branch of the public serv-
ice.
Our Navy.
Attention is called TO the report Of the sec.
tary OF the navy. which shows very gratifying
progress in the construction OF ships for our
navy. All the vessels now building. including
the three torpedo boats authorized at the last
session OF congress, and excepting the nrst-
class battleship Iowa, will probably be COM
peted during the coming fiscal year The es-
Inmates for the increase Of the navy for the
year ending June 81, IsS5. are large. but they
include practically the entire sum necessary to
complete and equip all the new ships now In
commission: SO that, unless new ships are au-
thoriZed, the appropriation for the naval serv-
should fall below the estimates for the coming
year by Mt least siso0).ooo
The secretary presents with much earnest-
ness plea Tor the Authorization OF three sd-
ditionai oattieships ana twelve torpedo boats.
II we are to have navy for warlike operations.
offensive and defensive, we certainly ought TO
increase both the number OF battleships and
torpedo boats.
iieei u my Imperative uuty 70 call ssSention
10 the Recommendation OF the secretary In re-
gard TO the personnel OF the line OF the navy.
The stagnation of promotion in this the vital
branch of the service is SO great as to seriously
impair Its eficiency. ! consider II OF the ut
most Importance that the young ana middle
aged officers sholld before the eve OF retire.
ment be permitted TO reach grade emitting
them to active and important duty. The
system adopted few years ago regu-
lating the employment OF labor at the
navy yards IL rigdly upheld and has fully
demonstrated its usefulness and expediency.
II is within the domain Of civil service reform
in as much as workmen are employed through
q board OF labor selected at each navy yard.
and are given work without reference to poll
tics and in order OF their application. prefer
enccs. however. being given TO army and navy
veterans and those having former navy yard
experience.
The Interior Departweue
The renort of the secretarv a, thu ,n,.,,o,
exbibits tbe Situation M the numerons Ana An.
teres,ing hranche. os ,hs ,.,hlic ..rv,c. cor.
uected with his department Irecomnend thIs
report and the yaIuabIe recommend.ffons of
the secretary to careful attention Of coneress
The public land disposed Of during the
wear Amounted tn 10 n im "a acrs.
Including ess,eo, of Indian lauds
1t is estimated that the public domain ssill re-
manning amounts to a little more than ooo oO.-
ono acres excIndinc hovsvsr shou, - ~ a.,
acres in Alaska as we'll as military resarvatiops
and railroad and other selections Of lands un-
The total cash receipts from sale of lands
amounted TO 4 ga s8s ~ Including Nj - az re-
ceiyed FOR Indian lands Thirty-fiye thousand
patents were issued for agricultural lands and
3lOo patents were issued to Indians on allos-
ments of their holdings in severalty the land
so allotted being inalienable BY the Indian al
lottees for period of twenty-avo years After
patent There were certified and patented ON
account OF railroad and wagon road grants dur
ing the year, B5, ,sse a acres Of land. ana at the
close OF the year .. .0000 00o acres were embraced
in the list Of selections made By railroad ssd
wagon road companies and awaited settlement
The selections OF swamp lands and that taken
as indemnity therefor since the passage OF the
act proyidinR for the ssme in 1870 amount to
nearly or quite 10 500 ooo acres, OF which 60O0o
have been patented 10 states ABOUT isSo cores
were patented during iAst year. Neariy ss0vou
acres OF scnooi ana eoucssaonsi gients were
approved during the year ana ~ US close L.
S0.s6ssi acres remained unad1usted.
An exceedingly important MISREPRESENTATION
OF the secretary relates 70 the manner IN Which
contests and litigated cases growing out OF ef-
forts TO obtain government lana ere de-
termned concur In tho opinion tnAs tne
commissioner OF the general iand once shoulo
, be relieved OF this duty Of deciding utigated
land cases; that q non-partisan court should b
created to pass on such cases and that dects-
ions OF this court should be dnal, At least 70 fny
as the decisions OF the department. sre anal.
| The registers and receivers who originally
| hear and decide these disputes should be In
vested with authority to compel Witnesses u
attend and testify before them. Though tn
| condition OF the Indians shows steady and
| healthy progress, their situation is not satis-
factory at all points. Some OF them 70 whom
allotments OF lands have been made are found
TO be unable or disciplined to follow agricultu-
| raj pursuits, or TO otherwise benencially man
| age their land.
I am convinced that the proper solution Of
step taken in that direction depouda, 70 vory
| large extent upon the intelligence and hoaesty
Of the reservation agents and the interest thsy
have In their work. An unnt agent will max,
| no effort to advance the Indians on his reserve
lotment of lands in severalty, and his opinios
as to their condition In this and other regards
is needless and valueless.
The Intelligent Indian school manaaemen
of the past year has been followed by crafty
| ing results. Efforts have been made to I'd
| vance the work In sound and practical man
| ner The appropriation for the current yeaI
| ending June 30, 1895 applicable to the ordinar,
expenses of the Indian service. amounts 4
| A. IA Oos Is being less by o063 sloo4 than tn
sum appropriated on the same account tn