Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-12-05

secretary of the navy and the secretary of the
of the coast survey proper to the Navy depart
ment l heartily concur in this recommendation.
Excluding Alaska and very small be-
sides, all the, work of mapping and charting
our coast has been completed. The photographic
work. which must be done over and over again
by reason of the shifting and varying depths of
water water consequent upon the action of streams and
tion of naval officers, in subordination to the
superintendent of the coast surrey There seems
70 be good why the Nav department
should not have entire charge hereafter of such
work and especially as the photographic office
of the Navy department is now, and has been
for many years. engaged in making efficient
maps entirely similar to those prepared by the
coast survey,
feel it my imperative duty to call attention
to the recommendation of the secretary in regard
stagnation of promotion in this, the vital branch
of the service, is so great as to seriously impair
its efficiency. | consider it of the utmost i'm
portance that the young and middleaged officers
should before the eve of retirement, be permitted
to reach grade emitting them to active and
The system adopted few years ago regulating
r9 gbe1d 0 0d bo 'nG R
usefulness and expedency. 1t is within the do
main of civil service reform, 1nasmuch as work
men employed through a Board of Labor Sc
lected at each navy yard, and are given work
without reference to politics and in the order
given to army and navy veterans and those
having former navy yard experience. Amend
to the rules regulating the system. Through it's
operation, the work at our navy yards has been
to work has been honestly and fairly awarded
to willing and competent applicants. 1t is hoped
hered to. there will be as a natural conse-
quence such an equalization of party benefit as
will remove all temptation to relax abandon it.
Public Land Undisposed Of.
The report of the secretary of the interior ex-
esting branches of the public service connected
with his department commend this report
and the valuable recommendations of the secre-
tary to the careful attention of congress. The
public land disposed of during the year amounted
Indian lands. 1t is estimated that the public
domain still remaining amounts to a little more
than soc, 900, 600 acres, excluding however about
$50 900 900 acres in Alaska, well military
reservations and railroad and other selections of
ceipts from sale of lands amounted to 81, 674,'
2S579, including 81 ,981 GS received from sale
of Indian lands. Thirty-fve thousand patents
were issued for agricultural lands and 100 pat
ents were issued to Indians allotments of
their holdings in 'seyeralty, the lands allotted be-
ing inalienable by the Indian allotees for pc
Rod of twenty-five years after patent There
were certified and patented on account of railroad
and wagon road grants during the year $685.
5645 30 acres Ge oo Of land and at the close Of the
of selections made by railroad and wagon road
lions of swamp lands and that taken as indem-
nifty therefor since the passage of the act pro-
n for 80 I9e oo sae IN 70 o0e d
have been patented to states. About 13S, 900
Nearly $50, 900 acres of school and education
grants were approved during the year, and at its
L. 81
1t appears that the appropriation for the cur
rent year on account of special service for the
thereon is much less than those for previous
years and inadequate for an efficient performance
been appropriated during number of years past
on this account has been returned to the govern
e4f At as result OF the aDors OF those employed
it will not be crippled by insufficient appropria-
ton. fully endorse the recommendation of the
secretary that adequate protection be provided
for our forest reserves and that a comprehensive
forestry system be inaugurated
Such keepers and superintendent as are
necessary to protect the forests already reserved
there. should be an abandonment of the policy
sanctioned by present laws under which the
Tapidiy losing title to immense tracts Of land
covered with timber which should be properly
The suggestion that change lie made in the
manner of securing surveys of the public lands
satisfied that these surveys should be made by
corps of competent surveyors under the i'm
sioner of the General Land office
An exceedingly important recommendation OF
the secretary relates TO the manner in which
contests and itgated cases. growing out of eff
forts to obtain government land, determined.
yerses depend in all their stages is taken be-
fore the local registers and receivers ard yet
nesses to enforce their attendance to testify
These cases, numbering 5000 1000 annually,
are sent by the local officers to the commissioner
of the General Land office for his action. The
upon the decisions of the registers and re-
ceivers without an opportunity of thorough
personal examination. Nearly 1900 of these
cases are appealed annually from the commits
siOner to the secretary of the interior. Burdened
with other important administrative duties, his
determination of these appeals must be almost
perfunctOry and based upon examination Of
others, though this determination of the secre-
of very great Importance. I in the
opinion that the commissioner of the General
deciding Htigated land cases; that a non-parti-
san court should be created TO pass on such
III
should be hnaI, at least SO Tar as the decisions
of the department. are now final; The proposed
lions Of law, in matters of especial Importance,
to the Supreme court of the United States or
bia for decision. The creation of such a tri-
bunal would expedite the disposal of cases and
ter. The registers and receivers who originally
hear and decide the disputes. should be vested
with authority to compel witnesses to attend
and testify before them.
Though the condition of the Indians shows a
steady and healthy pr their situation q fe is
to whom allotments of land have been made,
manage their land. This is especially true Of
pears by reports of their agents, have in many
instances never been located upon their alloU~
where their allotments are Their condition has
deteriorated. They not self-suppOrting, and
dey IN ha eamS w ans f beved dhF That IN
ments of reservation lands to Indians in sever
slowly and with the utmost caution. In these
days when white agriculturalists and stock
raisers of experience and intelligence find their
lot a hard one, ought not to expect In
dians unless far advanced in civilization and
habits of industry, to support themselves on the
small tracts of land usually allotted to them. If
the Self-SuppOrting scheme by allotment fails,
the wretched pauperism of the allOteeS which
results is worse than their original condition
of regulated dependence. 1t is evident that the
evil consequences of ill-advised allotment are
intensified in where the first step cannot
be retraced account of the purchase by the
government of reservation lands remaining after
allotments are made and the disposition of such
remaining lands to settlers purchasers from
the government.
1 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 intelligence and honesty of the
reservation agents and the interest they have in
their work An agent fitted for his place
do much toward preparing the Indians under his
charge for citizenship and allotment of their
lands, and his advice as to any matter concern
ing their welfare will not mislead An unfit
agent will make no effort to advance the Indians
on his reservation toward civilization or prep
aration for allotment Of lands in severaty, and
his opinion to their condition in this and
other regards is Needless and valueless. The in
dications that the detail of army officers as
Indian agents will result in improved manage
ment the reservations. Whenever allotments
made and Indian the reservation has