The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-30
SECRETARY SMITHS REPORT
What He Has TO Say Of the Affairs Of
His Department.


/ the Patent omoe-InterestinR Matters
/ Relative to the Territories-An Addi-
tional Building for the Department OF
! the Interior Recommended.
| Washington. Nov. 29.-The Secretary
/ Of the Interior opens his report
with the statement that the work
/ of the Indian bureau becomes more inter-
| esting as it is better understood. Its task
| is that of developing people no longer saw
age. but far from civilized, into beings
hit for American citizenship and capable
of self support. The secretary says:
There are two means CHIEFLY relied upon
education and allotments of land in sew
! crafty.
do not question the ACCESSIBILITY of al
! lotting land to Indians in seVeralty, but
| ! do most seriously question the propriety
! of this course before the Indians have
| progressed sufficiently to utilize the land
when taken. The allotments should be
made to the Indians in severalty for the
good of the Indians. for the advancement
of the Indians, not for the purpose of
obtaining land connected with the In
| dian reservation to satisfy the Unsuitable
desire of border men, who obtain it fire.
quently, not for homes, but for speCula-
ton"
Il recommend that the general allot-
ment act be so amended as to insure to
any Indian who shall settle upon and
improve particular tract, under the di-
rection of his agent, the permanent own
ership of such tract by giving him a pref
erence right to select it when allotments
are made"
With reference to contract schools
among the Indians the secretary says:
THE contract schools are now the sub
iect of general discussion. l agree fully
with those who oppose the use of public
money for the support of sectarian
schools But this question should be con-
sidered practically. The schools have
grown up. Money has been invested in
their construction at a time when they
were recognized as wise instrumental
ties for the accomplishment of good. I do
not think it proper to allow the intense
feeling of opposition to sectarian eduCa-
ton, which is showing itself all over the
| land, to induce the department to disre-
gard existing conditions. We need the
| schools now, or else we need a large APP
preparation to build schools to take their
place.
1t would scarcely be just to abolish
them entrely-to abandon instantly a pol
icy so long recognized. My own sugges-
ton is that they should be decreased at
the rate of not less than 20 per cent. a
year"
In respect to the sale of public lands
the secretary says: The public lands
disposed of during the year, by cash sales,
miscellaneous entries, and selections of
all kinds, amounted to 1887, 22472 acres.
In addition to this 28, .05 acres of Indian
lands were disposed of, making an ag
gregate of TO- 4O6, 1OO77 acres. The commits
sOner approximates the vacant public
lands remaining at 606 40,313H acres.
This does not include Alaska (Which con-
tains over S6O,0O0,OOO acres), military and
other reservations, or railroad and other
selections yet unadjudicated, parts of
which may in the future, by sale or resto-
ration, be added to the public domain.
The total cash receipts from the dis
osal of public lands amounted to S2674,-
| 2S5.79; $91, 03 We're received for Indian
lands.
over $4,000 agricultural patents were is
! sued, granting, approximately, 5,640, 800
acres. Mineral, mill site, and coal pat
ents were issued to the number of 1929.
About 800 patents were issued to the In
| dams for allotments or selections in sew
crafty covering 1O1, 936. "a acres. Patents of
! all classes issued during the year COW
cred about 100000 acres, a decrease from
the preceding year of over 100000 acres.
The secretary devotes considerable
| space to pensions. He says: "At the
! close of the fiscal year ending June 30
! 1894, 1853 544 pensioners were borne upon
the rolls, an increase of 1882 pensioners
during the year.
The pensioners may be classed as fol
| lows:
Soldiers and sailors. 753, 96S
/ Widows, orphans and other de-
/ pendent relatives. 2l5, 16.
Army nurses ......................... All
OF these 1850 pensioners are on account
of Indian and other wars prior to the late
war and 15,429 widows, orphans, and other
.1.,Hg ~
| June q. 1890 there are 375,0S4 pensioners
and "a, 260 widows and orphans.
1t is interesting to note that widows
and 3 daughters Of veterans of the revolu
! ton constitute the pension roll for thai
| war. Forty-hve survivors of the war OF
! 1872 constitute the remnant of that list.
| The total amount expended for pensions
during the past fiscal year was $lS9, S04
46l 05, leaving a balance from the appro
priation in the treasury of $25, 205, 712 65.
The estimate for the fiscal year 1896 mad,
by the commissioner is $14OOOO,OOO.
The commissioner states that, in his
opinion, the year 1895, thirty years after
the close of the last war; must in the ma
ture of things see the highest limit o.
the pension roll which, therefore, mus
begin to decrease. The number of pend
ing claims in the bureau has decreased
over $4,000 during the year. A large mum
Der of the new claims are for increase by
/
of certificates issued was so, 213.
The aggregate of persons added TO tn,
rolls during the year is 9,0S5 and the to
tai number dropped for all causes, 1881.
The report of the commissioner of pat
ents for the year ending June 80 last shows
that there were received 80 952 application
for patents; 1850 applications for designs
l0S applications for reissues; 2,193 caveats
1,720 applications for trade marks, and Sc
applications for labels. There were 90 "a
patents granted, including reissues and de
signs; and 1856 trade marks registered
The number of patents which expired wa
l3,l67. The total expenditures were 81, 053,
1852 80; the receipts over expenditures wer
Sl29 $50 So and the total receipts over ex
penditures to the credit of the patent of
! fee in the treasury of the United State
amounted TO A,4093 66 "A,
The secretary thinks that an additiona
building ought to be provided for tn,
interior department. He states the cas-
/ thus:
The increase In the business assigne,
to IL and the larger number Of employs
required, has made Il necessary to rem
buildings from private parties for tn,
office Of Indian affairs, bureau Of edu
cation, the geological survey, the census
office. the limited Etafpq papaIpv ,....,..,.