Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-12-14
The total casn reneints from sale o, lands

amounted to S2,674, 2s5.79. including S9l.
951. 03 received for Indian lands.
Thirty-f1ve thousand patents we.a issued
for agricultural lands, and thirty-one hun
dref patents were issue TO Indians on allot'
ments OF their holdings in severalty, the
land so allotted being inalienable by the In
dian allo,tees for period OF twenty-five
years after patent.
| fully indorse the recommendation OF the
Secretary that adequate protection be pro
vjded for our forest reserves and that . com
prehensive forestry system be inaugurated.
Such keepers and superintendent as are
necessary TO protect the forest already re
served should be provided. I am Of the
opinion that there should DO an abandon
ment OF the policy sanctioned by present
laws under which the Government, for avery
small consideration, is rapidly losing title
to immense tracts OF land covered with tim
Der which should be properly reserved as
permanent sources OF timber supply.
l concur in the opinion that the Conmts
sioner of the General Land ONCE should be
relieved from the duty OF deciding htigate ed
land cases, that n0nparttsan court
and that the decisions OF this court should
be final. at least so far as the decisions OF
the department are now final. The
proposed court might be given author
ity to certify questions OF law,
in matters OF especial importance,
to the Supreme Court of the United States
or the Court OF Appeals for the District OF
a tribunal would expedite the disposal OF
cases and insure decisions Of a mora salts
factory character. The registers AMI rec9iv-
ers who originally hear and decide these
disputes should not be invested with author
ity to compel witness to attend AMI testify
before them.
THE INDIANS.
MT A. 49, ~
a steady an l healthy progress, their sttua-
ton is not satisfactory at all points. Some
of them to whom allotments OF ian1 have
been made are found to DO unable or disIn-
c,ined to follow agricultural pursuits or 10
otherwise benefcialiy manage their land.
This is especially true Of the CheTenreS and
ArapahOes, who, as it appears by reports OF
their agent, have in many instances never
been located upon their a'lOtments, and in
some cases do not even know where their
allotments are. Their con lition has deteri-
GRATED. They are not seli-supporttng, and
they live in camps and spend their time IL
idleness.
have always believed that allotments Of
reservation lands to Indians in ssveralty
should be made sparingly, or at least slowly,
an with the utmost caution. In these days,
when white agriculturists ami stock raiser5
OF experience and intelligence ind their
lot q hard one, we ought not to expect
1QulhOS, unless lar d'lNduEc1 III ClflllH III
and habits Of industry, to support them
selves on the small tracts of land usuelly
allotted to them.
am convinced that the proper solution
Of the Indian problem AMI the success OF
every step taken in that direction depend to
q very large extent upon the intelligence
and honesty of thu reservation agents and
the interest they have in their work. An
agent fitted for his place can do much
towards preparing the Inlians under his
charge for citizenship and allotment OF their
lands, and his aivic9 as to any matter con-
corning their welfare will not mtSlead. An
unfit agent will make no effort to advan &c
the Indians on his reservation towards civil
ization OF preparation for allotment Of lands
in severalty, and his opinion as to their con-
dition in this and other regards is needless
AM ValueleSS.
The Indications are that the detail of army
officers as Indian agents will result in i'm
proved management on the reservations.
The intelligent Indian school management
of the past year has been followed by graft
flying results. Efforts have been made to
advance the work in a sound and practical
manner. Five institutes of Indian teachers
have been held during the year, and have
proved very beneficial through the views ex-
and methods discussed partlcu-
larry applicable to Indian education.
Efforts are being made in the direction Of
4 gradual reduction OF the number of In
dian contract schools, so that in a compar-
atively short tim they may give way alto
gether to Government schools, and it is
hoped tGat the change may be so gradual as
TO be perfected without too great expense to
the Government or undue disregard of in
veStments made by those who have eStab-
lished and are maintaining such contract
schools.
The appropriation for the current year,
ending June 80, 1895, applicable to the Or
binary expenses of the Indian service,
amounts to S.. 733. 003.18, being less by $685.
240.64 than the sum appropriated on the
same account for the previous year.
PENSION MATTERS.
At the close OF the last fiscal year, on the
Goth day of June, 1894, there were 500, 544
persons on our pension rolls, being net IN
crease of 1892 over the number reported at
the end of the previous year.
These pensioners may be classified as fol-
lows Soldiers and sailors, survivors of all
wars, 753, 968 widows and relatives of de-
ceased soldiers, 215, 1852; army nurses in the
Wan of the Rebellion, Ala. OF these pension
crs 80 ,039 are surviving soldiers of Indian
and other wars prior to the Civil War, and
tE widows and relatives of such soldiers.
The remainder. numbering 537 sos, are re-
ceivinS pensions on account Of the War OF
the Rebellion, ana of these AGO, 944 are on
the rolls under the authority of tie act OF
j uue Il, 1CJU, SOW6lIucS CALICO Luo
ent pension law.
The total amount expended for pensions
during the year was S139, 1914, 461.O5, leaving
an unexpected balance from the sum appro-
pri ated OF @25, POS, 1885.
The sum necessary to meet pension expen-
ditures for the -aar ending June 80, 1896, is
estimated at $140, 900, 900.
The Commissioner Of Pensions Is OF the
opinion that the year 1895. being the thir-
-ieth after the close Of the War OF the Rebel
lion, must, according to all sensible human
calculation, see tho highest limit of the pen
sion roll, and that after that yearlt must be-
gin to decline.
The claims pending in the bureau lave
decreased more than go 00G during the year.
4 large proportion Of the new claims filed
ire for increase OF pension by these now on
ne rolls.
The number of certificates issued wac So
213. The names dropped from the rolls for
all causes during the year numbered 81, 951.
Among ouC pensioners are nine widows
AMI three dau ykters Of soldiers 81 the Revo-
ution and forty-iivo survivors OF the War of
1872
The bar5faced and extons:7 - pension
frauds exposed under the direction OF the
and generous veteran soldier
now at the head of the bureau leave no room
for the 'laim that no purgation of our pen
sion rolls was neeied, or that continued
and prompt action ara not neoes-
sary to the slme end.
Tn accusation tina: oil effort to detect
pension frauds is evidence Of unfriendliness
towards Our worthy veterans and denial of
their claims 10 the generosity OF this Govern
ment, suggests AZ unfortunate indifference
to the commission OF any offense which has
for its motive the securing of a pension, and
IN iicates a willingness TO ba blind to the ex-
iStence of mean and tr5aoherouJ crimes
which play upon demagogio fears and make
sport OF the.patrio.ic impulse OF a grateful
people.
TIE ELEVENTH CENSUS.
The completion of the Eleventh Census IS
now in charge OF tho Commissioner OF
LABOR. The total disbuI s6ments on account
OF the work for the fiscal Year ending June
80, 1894, amounted to SO, 3G5, 676.81. At the
close of the year the number Of persons en-
ployed in the Census Olf1c3 was 679. At
present there are about 400. The whole num-
Der of volumes necessary to comprehend the
Census will betwenty-tive, and they
will contain %, go printed pages. The assur-
ance is confidently made thai before the
close of the present calendar year the
still incomplete will be practically
in hand, and the census can certainly be