Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-12-06
HoRE SMITHS WORK.
Recommendations Regarding Public
Lands, Pensions and Patents.

The report Of the secretary Of the in.
terror exhibits the situation OF the numer-
Gus and Interesting branches Of the public
service connected with his department. !
commend this report and the valuable rec
concentrations of the secretary To the care.
fnI attention Of the congress-.
The public land disposed OF during the
year amounts to 10: 406; 1oo;77 acres. inelud'
Ing 2S,SI6.O5 Of Indian lands. II is esttmat.
ed that the public domain still remaining
amounts to II little more than coo, 900, 900
acres excluding. however. about $50, OOO. 0OC
acres In Alaska as well as military reserya.
tions and railroad and other selections OF
lands yet unadjldicated.
The total cash receipts from the sale OF
lands amounted to 81. 2S5. 20, including
S91 ,9S1.S received from the sale of Indian
lands.
Thirty-five thousand patents were issued
for agricultural lands and one hundred pa
tents were issued TO Indians on nl!otments
OF their holdings in severalty. the land so al.
loted being In a lienable by the Indian al
%llottees for a period of twenty-five years az
ter patent.
count of railroad and wagon grants during
the year S65, $50. A. acres OF land and at the
close of the year 10000, 009 were embraced
In the lists Of selections made by railroads
and wagon companies and awaited settle
ment.
Public Lands.
Tae selections Of swamp lands and tbst
taken as indemnity therefor. since the pas-
sage Of the act providing for the same In
Is49 amount TO nearly or quite so, 5OO,O0O
acres, OF which $4,000 600 have been patent
ed TO states. About 1873, 900 acres were pa
tented during the last year. Nearly $40, 0GO
acres OF school and education grants were
approved during the year, and at Its close
1,2JO,363.S1 acres remained unadjusted.
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
n rnytnyta IN - - aud -. ax
hcient performance OF the work. A larger
sum of money than has been appropriated
during a number OF years past on this ac-
count has been returned to the government
as a result OF the labors OF those employ
ed In the particular service mentioned and
i hope 1t will not be crippled by insufiicien.
approximation.
/ fully endorse the recommendation of the
secretary that adequate rejection be pro-
yfded for our forest reserves and that a COM
prehensive forestry system be inaugurated.
Such keepers and superintendent as are
necessary 10 protect the forest already re-
served should be provided. 1 am of the
opinion that there should be an abandon
ment OF the policy sanctioned by present
laws under which the government for a
very SINAI, consideration is rapidly losing
title TO immense tracts OF land covered with
timber which should be properly reserved
as permanent sources Of timber supply.
The suggestion that a change be made In
the manner of securing surveys Of the pub
lie lands Is especially worthy Of cOnsidera-
ton. / am satisfied that these surveys
should be made by a corps of competent
surveyors under the immediate control and
direction of the commissioners Of the general
land Office.
thority To compel witnesses to attend.
The Indian Problem
Though the condition OF the Indians shows
a steady and healthy progress, their situa-
ton Is not satisfactory at all points. Some
of them to whom allotmeLts Of land have
been made are found to be unable or dis
inclined to follow agricultural pursuits or
otherwise benefcially manage their land.
IS Ia especially true Of the Cheyennes and
Arapnhoes. who, as IL appears by reports
of their agents, have In many Instances
never been located upon their aliotments,
and In some cases do not even know where
their allotments are. Their condition has
deterIorhted. They are not self-supporting
and they live In camps and spend their times
Pensions.
At the close OF the last fiscal year, on the
Both day OF June. 1894. there were 96o,544
persons ON our pension rolls, being a net
Increase Of 3.532 over the number reported
at the end OF the previous year. These pen
sioners may he classed as follows: Soldiers
and sailor, survivors Of all wars. 753,o6S;
widows and relatives Of deceased soldiers.