The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-12-07

estmated that tho public domain still
remaining amounts 70 little more than
60oO0lO0O acres, Including, however. about
S00'OOJO00 acres in Alaska as well as military
reservations and railroad ana othor selections
OF lands yet ungdjudiclt ted ihe total cash re-
ceipts from sale OF lands amounted to SsC7I-
2So.gO including sol ,9Si. 03 received Tor Indian
lands. Thirty-fve thousand patents wero is
sued for agricultural lands and 3,100 patents
were issued TO Indians on allotmcnts OF their
lands in sevcralty, the land so allotted
pei iralienable by, the Indian al
after patent They wero certincN and
patented on account OF railroad ana wagon
1865 6.z5 acres OF land and at tho close OF tho
year s9OOO,OOO acres were embraced in tho lists
OF selections made oy Tir e, ana
lecti0ns OF swamp lands ana that taken as in
demnity therefor since tho passage of the act
providing Tor tho sanc in 1919, amount to
nearly or quite 8J,500.0OO acres, Of which 5000
900 have been patented to states About 1885,
600 acres were patented during the Last year
Nearly 10000 acres of school and education
grants were approved during the year, ana at
Its close 1,iS0,3S3Sl acres remained unadjusted
Protection OF tho Lands.
It appears that the appropriation for the
current year on account Of special service for
the protection OF the public lands and the tim
Der thereon Is much less than those for pre-
vtouS years and inadequate for an efficient per-
Torrance OF the work A larger sum of money
than has been appropriated during number
OF years past on this account has been re-
turned 20 the government ns result of the
labors OF those employed In the p .rticular
service mentioned, anu hODO 1t Will not be
crippled by insufficient appropriation. fully
lndorso tho Recommendation of the secretary
that adequate protection be provided for our
forest reserves, and that u comprehensive for
cstry system be inaugurated. such keepers
and superintcndentS as arc necessary to pro-
pgoy deS If a
should be an abandonment OF the policy sane
toned by present laws under which the gov
ernment for very small consideration Is rap
idly losing title 20 immense tracts OF land COW
cred with timber which should be properly re-
The suggestion that u change be made in the
manner of securing surveys OF the public lands
is especially worthy Of consideration. / am
satisfied that these surveys should be made
by corps OF competent surveyors under the
Immediate conGrol and direction Of the COM
missioner of the general land Office.
a Land Court Needed.
An exceedingly important recommendation
of the secretary relates to tho manner in
which contests and htigated cases growing out
of efforts TO obtain government land are deter
mined. The entire testimony upon which these
controversies depend in all their stages is
taken before tho local registers and receivers,
and yet these officers have no power to subpoena
witnesses or to enforce their attendance to
testify These cases, numbering 5000 or a 600
annually, arc sont by the local officers to the
commissioner OF tho general land ollce for his
action. The e&igencleS OF his other duties
oblige him TO act upon tho decisions OF the reg
listers ana RECEIVERS WltnOut an opportunity or
thorough personal examination. Nearly 1000
OF these cases arc appealed annually
from the commissioner to the secretary OF the
interior. BurGened with other important adj
ministrative duties his determination OF these
appeals must DO almost perfunetory and
based upon the examination of others, though
this determination Of the secretary operates
as final adjudication upon rights OF very
great Importance. l concur III tho opinion
that the commissioner OF the general land
office should be relieved from the duty OF de-
Gliding litigated land ccscs; that nonpartisan
court should DO created to pass on such cases,
and that the decisions Of this court should DO
final, at least so far as the decisions OF
the department are now final The pro-
posed court might DO given authority to
certify questions of law, in matters of special
importance, to the supreme court Of the
United States or the court of appeals for the
District OF Columbia for decision. The crea-
tion of such o tribunal would expedite the dis
posal of cases and insure decisions Of moro
satisfactory character. The registers and re-
ceivers who originally hear and decide these
disputes should be invested with authority to
compel witnesses to attend and testify before
them.
The Indians.
Though the condition Of tho Indians shows q
steady and in q healthy process, their situa-
ton is not satisfactory at all points Sonno Of
them to whom allotments OF land have been
made are found to be unable or disinclined TO
follow agricultural pursuits or to otherwise
benehcially manage their land. This is cS-
pecially true OF the Cheyennes and Arapahoes,
who, as it appears by the reports OF their
agents, have in many instances never been To-
Gated upon their allotments and in some cases
do not even know where their allotments are.
Their condition has deteriorated. They are not
self-supporting and they live in camps and
spend their time in idenoss-
AllotmeutS IN Severaty.
have always believed that allotments 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
aoriculturists and stock raisers OF experience
and intelligence find their lot hard one. we
ought not to expect Indians. unless far adj
yanced in civilization and habits Of industry,
to support themselves on the small tracts of
land usually allotted to them. If the self-sup-
porting scheme by allotment falls the wretched
worse than their original condition OF regu-
lated dependence 1t is evident that the evil
consequences OF Ill advised allotmcnts are in
tensificd in cases where the false step cannot
BIO reiterated on account Of the purchase by the
government OF reservation lands remaining
after allotmcnts arc made and tho disposition
OF SUCH remaining lands to settlers or pur-
chasers from the government.
Qualifications of Agents.
INN convinced that the proper solution of
tho Indian problem and the success OF every
step taken In that direction depend to q 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 In
aisns %naer t hs nnds @ bis aacaP s1o
any matter concerning their welfare will not
mfslead. An unfit agent will make no effort to
advance the Indians on his reservation toward
civilization preparation for allotment Of
lands In severalty and his opinion as TO their
condition IN this and other rogards is needless
detail Of army officers as Indian agents will re-
su1t IN improved management on the reserva-
lions
Honesty I'm Dealing with the Indians.
Wheuever aliotments are made and any In
dian on the reservation hns previously settled
upon lot and cultivated IT, or shown q dis
position to improve IL in any way, such lot
should certainly be allotted TO him and this
should DO made plainly obligatory by statute.
In the light OF experience. and considering tho :
uncertainty OF the Indian situation and its ext
gencies In the future ] am not only dis
posed to be very cautious in making al
the secretary OF the interior in the
opinion that when allotmcnts ore made the
balance OF reservation land remaining after
allotment. instead Of being bought by the
government from the Indians and opened for
eettiemcnt with such scandals and unfair
practices as seem unavoidable, should remain
Tor Time at least as common land or be sold
by tho government on behalf OF the Indians in
an orderly way and at f1xed prices, TO be deter
mined by its location and desirability, and
that the proceeds, less expenses. should be
had IN trust for the benefit Of the Indian pro-
peietor.
Indian schools.
The intelligent Indian school management
Of enc past year has been followed by crafty
ing results Efforts have been made to ad-
vshco tho work In o sound and practical man
nok Five institutes OF Indian teachers have
bobh hold during the year and have proved
very beneficial through tho Vows exchanged