The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-03
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE,
Continued from Page j.

exhibits the situation OF the numerous and in
teresting branches of the public service con.
nected with his department. The public land
disposed OF daring tho year amounted to lo,-
4ce,IoeT acres, including 2s,s1s.W OF Indian
lands.
II Is estimated that the rublic domain still
remaining amounts 10 little more than 60o,-
0o0,oo acres, excluding, however, about 56o.-
ooO,ooo acres I'm Alaska, N well az military res
ervations and railroad and other selections Of
lands yet unadi iudicated.
The total cash receipts for sale OF lands
arnoyutsd 10 t2,874, ,255.Tp, including seleel.o3
received for Indian lands.
IL appears that tho appropriation for the
current year, on account Of special service for
the public lands and the timber thereon, is
much less than those OF previous years and in
adequate for efficient performance OF the
work. hope 10 will not be crippled by inefn-
cient appropriation.
fully indorse the recommendation OF the
secretary that adequate protection be provided
for our forest reserves, and that eornprehen'
sive forestry system be inaugurated.
/ concur in tire opinion that the commits
sionsr of the gorsrsl land once should be
hevod from the duty Of deciding litigated land
cases, that non partisan eeurt should be Gre
ated 10 pass on such cases, and that the doci.
sions OF this court should be final, at least 80
far ss the decisions 81 the department are now
Anal.
Though the condition Of the Indians show q
steady and healthy progress, their situation 10
not sattsfsetory at all points Some Of them
TO whom allotments of land have been made
are found to ss unable or disinclined TO follow
agricultural pursuits, OF TO otherwise bene-
heislly manage thetr land This IL especially
true OF the Cheycnnes and Arapahoes, who, as
IL appears by reports, have In many instances
never been located On their Allotments and In
some cases do nos know where their allos.
ments are. Their condition has dessriorated.
They are not ssf-supporrns, and they live In
camps ana spend thsir time in idicness
have always believed that salotments OF
reservation lands 10 Indians IN severalty
should be made sparingly, or at least slowly,
and with the utmost caution. In these days
when white agriculturatsts and stock raisers
Of experiences and intelligence find their lot
hard one we ought not 10 expect Indians, un.
less far advanced In civilization and habits OF
industry, eo sapport themselves ON the small
tracts Of land usually allotted TO them.
am convinced that ths proper solution Of
the Indian problem and the success Of every
step taken In that direction depend 10 a very
large extent upon the intelligence and honest
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
allotment Of their lands, and his advice as TO
any matter concerning their welfare win not
mislead.
The intelligent Indian school management OF
the past year has been followed by gratifying
results
The appropriation for the current year. end.
ing June 30, 1895, applicable to the ordinary
h expenses of the Indian service, amounts TO
o., 0o3. ls, being less by s6ds 24o6i than the
sum appropriated on the same amount for the
previous year.
At the close OF tho fiscal year, on June 70.
1894, there were 0j9,7<4 persons. on our pension
rolls being a not increase Of ds32 over the mum.
her reported at the end OF the previous year.
These pensioners may be classified A. follows;
Soldiers and sailors, survivors Of all wars
S,S6s; widows and relatives Of deceased sol.
diers, 49, army nurses IN the war Of the
rebellion, <iA OF these pensioners 32,oso ars
surviving soldiers Of Indian and other wars
prior TO the late civil war. and the widow. or
relatives OF such soldiers.
The remainder, numbering o37 ,5O5, are re-
ceiving pensions on account Of the war Of ths
rebellion, and OF these <6o,sA are on the roll
under the authority of the act Of June n, 1890
The total amount expended for pensions dur
ing the year WAS 4lSo,s ,tsl 06, leaving -un-
expended from the sum appropriated s25-
20s,7l2s5 The sum necessary 10 meet pension
expenditures for tho year ending June 30, 1896,
A. estimated at Sl40, 600
The cor M sslonsr Of pensions fs of the
opinion that he year 1895, being the s)th after
the close OF the war OF the rebellion must ac-
cording to all sensible human calculation, see
the highest limit Of the pension roll and that
after that year IL must begin 30 decline.
The claims pending in the bureau have do
creased more than 9oooo during the year.
The barefaced and extensive pension frauds
exposed under the direction OF the courageous
and generous veteran soldier now at the head
OF me bureau, leave no room for the claim that
v,O my af az saH Falle WA La
or that continued vigilance and prompt action
are not necessary 10 the same end.
The Census Report.
The completion Of the llth census is now in
charge OF the commissioner OF labor The
total disbursements account Of the work for
the Gsc n year ending June 80, 1894, amounted
70 sl0,3 876.5i. The whole number of volumes
reces AIRY to oompr, hend the lith census will
be 20, and they viii contain 2227O printed
pages.
Agriculture.
The secretary Of agriculture IN his report
reviews the operations OF his department for
the fiscal year and makes reeomm mendation for
the further extension of its usefulness He
reports . saving in expenditures during the
year OF 800 ,0VO A special study has been
made of the demand for American farm pro-
ducts in all foreign markets, especially Great
Britain.
Ihere WAS 1aihng OH IN American wheat
exports Of l3,500,OOO bushels, and the secretary
IA inclined TO believe that wheat may not, in
the future, be the staple e7port cereal product
OF our country, but that corn will continue to
advance in Importance as export on ao-
count OF the new uses to which IL is constantly
being appropriated.
The amount appropriated for the weather
bureau was 1851 100. OF that sum slss 300 has
been saved. As illustrating the usefulness Of
this service, 10 maybe here stated that tho