Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-12-07
INTERIOR

Gus ana interesting branches of the public
service connected with his department.. 1
commend this report and the valuable
recommendations of the secretary to the
careful attention of the congress.
The public land disposed of during the
year amounted to 1O,406, 10o.77 acres, in
Guiding 28,S76. 03 of Indian lands.
1t is estimated that the public domain
still remaining mounts to a little more
than 6OO,0 0 600 acres, excluding, however,
about 800, 900, 600 acres in Alaska, as well
as military reservations and railroad and
other selections ofland as yet unjudicated.
The total cash receipts for the sale Of
lands amounted to s., 81 2S5. 70, including
S91, 1881. 03 received from the sale of Indian
lands.
Protection of Timber.
1t appears that the appropriation for the
current year on account of special service
for the protection of the public lands and
the timber thereon is much less than
those for previous years and inadequate
for sSn efficient performance of the work.
A IL ger sum of money than has been APP
propciated during a number Of years past
on this account has been returned to the
government as q result of the labors of
those employed in the particular service
mentioned. and l hope it will not be Grip
pied by insufficient appropriation.
l fully endorse the recommendation of
the secretary that adequate protection be
provided for our forest reserves and that q
comprehensive forestry system be inaugu-
rated.
Contested Land Cases.
An exceedingly important recommends
ton OF the secretary relates to the manner
in which contests and litigated cases.
growing out of efforts to obtain govern.
ment land are determined. These cases.
which number 5000 or 1000 annually, are
sent by the local officers to the commits
sioner of the general land Office for his ac-
ton. The exigencies Of his other duties
oblige him to act upon the decisions of the
registers and receivers without an oppor-
tunlty of thorough personal examination.
Nearly 1900 of these cases are appealed an
nually from the commissioner to the Sec
rotary of the interior. Burdened with
other important administrative duties his
determination of these appeals must be
almost p~erfunctory and based upon the
e~xaminatson of others, though this deter
mination of the secretary operates as a
final adjudication upon rights of very
great Importance.
Iconcur in the opinion that the commits
sioner of the general land office should be
relieved from the duty of deciding liti-
gated land cases, that a non-partisan court
should be created to pass IN such cases
and that the decisions of this court shall
be final, at least so far as the decisions of
the department are now final.
Condition of Indians.
While the condition of the Indians
shows a steady and healthy progress,
their situation is not satisfactory at ali
points.
l have always believed that allottments
of reservationlands to Indians in severalty
should be made sparingry, or at least
slowly and with utmost caution.
In these davs when white agricultur-
ISIS and stockmen or experience ana Intel
ligence find their lot a hard one we ought
not to expect Indians, unless far advanced
in civilization and habits of industry to
support themselves on the small tracts of
land usually allotted to them.
1 am convinced that the proper solution
of the Indian problem and the success of
every step taken in that direction depend
to = very large extent upon the intelligence
and honesty Of the reservation agents and
the interest they have in their work.
The indications are that the detail of
army officers as Indian agents will result
in improved management on the reserva-
tions.
In the light of experience, and consider
ing the uncertainty of the Indian situation
and it's exigencies in the future, I am not
only disposed to be very cautious in max
ing allotments, but I incline to agree with
the secretary of the interior in the opinion
that when allotments are made the bal
ance of reservation land remaining after
allotment, instead of being bought by the
government from the Indians and opened
for settlement with such scandals and I'M
fair practices as seem unavoidable, should
/, remain for q time at least as common land
Or be sold by the government on behalf of
the Indians in an orderly way and at fixed
prices to be determined by its location
n desirability, and that the proceeds
less expenses should be held in trust for
the benefit of the Indian ppoprietors.
TIL intelligent Indian school manage
n1ent Of the past year has been followed
by the most gratifying results.
As to Pensions.
At the close of the last fiscal year, on
the Both day of June, 1864. there were
$685. persons on our pension rolls, being
a net increase of $3.50 over the number re-
ported at the end of the previous year.
These pensioners may be classed as fol-
lows: Soldiers and sailors, survivors of
all wars, 753, 1868; widows and relatives of
deceased soldiers, 215,162;; army nurses in
the war of the rebellion, 414. OF. these
/! pensioners 32,039 are survivors of Indian
and all other wars prior to the late civil
war, and the widows and relatives Of such
soldiers.
The remainder, numbering 937, sos, are
receiving pensions on account of the war
Of the rebellion. and the 469. 3A are now
under the rolls under the authority of act
of June q, 1890, sometimes called the de-
pendent pension law. The total amount
expended for pensions during the year was
$3.50, s04, 481. O5, leaving an ~unexpended bal
ance from the sum appropriated Of s25,-