Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-12-06

'~'
The report of the secretary OF the Interior
exhibits the situation Of III" numerous ana IN
tereStipg branches Of The pubic service con-
pectCd with his department / commend ms
report and the NulUahir recommendations OF
the secretary to The careful! attention of the con-
greSS. The public land disposed ri during the
wear amounted to 10 lpt 1904 acres. including
=. : % of Indian lands.
THE Public OMAN.
II is estimated that the public d"Enajn still
remaining amounts TO It iittir more than co.,
600 UD acres, excluding. however, about 80
0Uy00 acres in Alaska. a> We'll ~ military
reservations and railroad and other SELECTIONS
of lands yet unaiJHtiicHte
RECEIPTS A>n PATIENTS.
The tutal cash receipts from ~Aie Of lands
amounted to S!.GTl@s5..a. including sci t"i.p3
received for indian it1dN. lhlrtH-h'e thou
Inl@I itand% and $ioj patent, we're IS
sued to Indians ou ai!ut!uent- al their
holdings in >cvcralty. HE lIill so allotted be-
ing unaltcp"biC oy Ia" lndla& "~.t"itre> for
ii period of jhirty-IFc years after patent
There we're certified and patented ON account
of railroad ana WAGON road grants daring the
wear So. 5aG.lS acres Of iaud aud At the close of
tine wear ~ taSlttFl acir> were embraced in the
IieL OF selections made hy railroad and wagon
road companies and awaited settlement. The
selections OF swamp lands ami that taken as
indemnity therefore since The passage OF the
act providing for the same in 1879 amount 70
nearly or quit" Su:'Al0UJ acres of which 3~HttD.-
900 have horu patented I" states.
INDIA ALLOTMENT
Though Tue condition Of the Indians shows a
steady and healthy progress, their situation is
not satisfactory al all points some of them to
whom allotmentS OF land nave been made are
found to be unable OF dl>iaclined to follow az
ricuItural pursuits or to otherwise benefcialIy
Iutiudge their land. This i especially true of the
Ch"yenncs and Arapahoc>, who, as Il appears
b. reports of their agents, have in Ilany in
stances never been located upon their allot-
mcntS, and in some eases do not even know
where their allOtIneutS are. Their condition
has dcterinrated.
1t i evident that the evil consequences of HI
- .N1aTr4-VEf .4.A. HLtt -, a.-a-
where the false step can not be retrHced on &C
count OF the purchase by the government of
reservation lands remaining after allotmcnts
are made, and The disposition OF such remain
ing lands to settlers or purchasers from the
government. am convinced that the proper
solution OF the Indian problem ana the success
OF rvcIy stop taken in that direction depends.
to q very Iafe" extent, upon the intelligence
and honesty of the reservation agents. and the
interest they have in their work.
ARMY OFFICERS As INDIAN AGENTS.
The indications are th<t the detail Of army
| officers as Indian agents will result in i'm
proved management on the reservations when
| ever are made, and amy Indian on
| the reservation has previously settled upon a
lot and cultivated it, OF shown a disposition to
improve it in any way.>uch lot should certainly
be allotted to him, and this should be made
| plainly obligatory by statute. In the light OF
experience and considering the uncertainty of
the Indian situation ami its cNlgenCIe> in the
| future, ! am not only disposed to nc very call
| tiOuS in making allotlnent>- but | incline 10
| agree with the secretary of the interior in the
| opinion that when allUtrnentS are made the
| balance of reservation land remaining after
| allotment, instead of being bought by the gov
| eminent from the Indians, and opened for set
tlCment with such scandals and unfair prac-
| tees as seem unavoidable. should remain for a
time, at least. as common iand, or be sold by
the government on behdlf OF the Indians III an
| orderly way and at fixed prices 10 be deter
mined by its location and desirabiHty, and
that the proceeds. less expenses. should be
held in trust for the benefit al the Indian
pruprictor~
INDIAN
The intelligent Indian school management OF
the past year has been followed by gratifying
results. Efforts have been made to advance
the work liz a sound and practical manner
Five institutes of Indian teachers have been
beneficial
THE PENSION ROLL.
AT the close of the last fiscal year, on tht
Both day of June, 1894. there were 969 ,Si pei,
sons on our pension rolls, being Il net increase
of 1882 over the number reported ut the end o
the previous year. These pensioners may bt
classified as follows: Soldiers aud sailors
survivors Of all wars. 1885: widows and reIa.
tivcS of deceased soldiers. 2i5 1872: army nurses
| in the war of the rebellion, 4I4. OF these pen.
sioners 1909 are surviving soldiers of Indian
and other wars prior to the late civil wal
and the widows or relatives of such soldiers
The remainder numbering a37 sos are receIYins
pensions on account OF the war OF the rebellion
and of these 1853 ,3i4 are on toe rolls under tn,
authority of the act of June =, 1880, sometime
called the dependent pension law. The toto
amount expended for pensions during the yea
was Sl39. sIl, i6l .G5, leaving an uneXpened bal
ancc from the sum appropriated of 30 u5 = T.. -
The sum necessary to meet pension expeudt
lures for the wear ending june 80. 1886, is esfi
mated at $40 G0O,Gln The commissions
Of pensions is OF the opinion tina
the year 1888, being the thirtieth afte
the close of the war of the rebellion
must. according to sensible human calculation
see the highest limit of the pension roll. an
that after that year is must begin to decline.
DECREASE IN CLAIMS PENDING.
The claims pending il the bureau have de
creased more than $4,000 curing the year. :
large proportion of the new claims filed ar
for increase Of pension by those now on tn
rolls. The number of certificates issued va
sG.2i3. The names dropped from the rolls 70
all causes during the year numbered 81 ,95i
Among our pensioners are nine widows ant
tire e daughters of soldiers of the revolution
and forty-hYe survivors of the war Of 1872.
PENSION FRAUDS EXPOSED.
The baretaced and extensive pension fraud,
exposed under the direction OF the courageous
and generous veteran soldier now at the heat