Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-04

to a very large extent upon the intelligence | and honesty of reservation agents and the interest they have in their work. An agent | fitted for his place can do much toward | preparing the Indians under his charge for citizenship and allotment of their lands, | and his advice as to any matter concerning | their welfare will not mislead. An unfit | agent vii. make no effort to advance the | Indians on his reservation toward civiliza- | tion CT preparation for allotment of lands in severalty, and his opinion as to their condition in this and other regardsi is need- | less and valueless.
 l The indications are that the detail of | army officers as Indian agents will result | in improved management on the reserva- | tions. Whenever allotments are made | any Indian on the reservation who has pre- viousy settled upon lot and cultivated it, | or showed a disposition to improve 1t in | any way, such land should certainly be allotted to him, and this should be made | plainly obligatory by the ntatute. In the | light of experience and considering the uu- l certainty of the Indian's situation and it's | exigencies in the future, l am not only dis | posed to be very cautious 1n making allot- l ments, but Iincline to agree with the sec- l retary of the interior in the opinion that | when allotments are made the balance of l the reservation land remaining after the allotments, instead of being bought by the | government from the Indians and opened for settlement with such scandals and un- fair practices seem unavoidable, should remain for a time at least as common land or be sold by the government on be- half of the Indians in an orderly way ana at fixed prices, to be determn ned by its To- cation aud desirability, and that the pro- ceeds, less expenses, should be held in | trust for the benefit or the Indian proprie- | tors.
 The intelligent Indian school manage l ment of the past year has been followed by gratifying results and efforts have been made to advance the work in sound | and practical manner. Five insti- | tuteS Indian teachers held during the year and have proved very ben eiicial through the views exchanged and methods discussed particu- 1 larly applicable to Indian education. Ef- forts are being made in the direction of a | gradual reduction Of the number of Indian contract schools, so that Tn a compara- lively short time they may give way alto gether to government schools, it is hoped that the change nay be so gradual | as 10 be perfected without too great ex- pense to the government or undue invest ments made by those who have established and are maintaining such ontract cioo.s. The approl lriation for the current year ending June 30, 1895, applicable to the or dinary expense of the 1udiau service amounts to .6, 733, ,003. IS, being less by S663 240. 6i than tue sum appropriated on the same account for the previous year.
 At the close O! the last fiscal year. on the 30th day of June, 1884, tbere were 969, ,5i4 persons on our pens.on rolls, teing net increase of 3332 over the number reported
 
 | pensioners may be class ii sd follows: Soldiers and sailors, survivors of all wtrs, 7o3 96o; widows and relatives of deceased soldiers, z15 162; army nurses in the WAT of the rebellion, A Of these pensioners 32 039 are surviving soldiers of Indian and other wars prior to the late civil war and the widows or relatives of such soldiers. The remainder, nu berng 937 ,5o5 are e. ceiviug pensions on account Of the war of the rebellion, and of these 469, ,s4S are on the rolls under the authority or the act of June 27, 1890, sometimes called the depend ent pension law. he total amount ex- pended for pensions during the year was s139, 004 461, leaving an uuexpended bal ancs rom the sum appropriated ot S26, 2o5,- 7l2. The sum necessary to meet psnsloa expenditures for the year ending June 30, commissioner of pensions Is or the opinion that the year 1895 being the thr- teth after the close of the war ot ,he rebellion, must, accord ns to all limit of the pension roll, and that after that year it must begin 10 decline. he claims pending in tho bureau have de- creased more than 30, ,00) during the year. large pro portion O the new claims filed are for increase Of pensions by those now on the rolls. The number of certificates issued was 6,2l3. The names dropped from the roiis for all causes during the year numbered 37, 95t. Amoug our pen sloners are nine widows and three daueh- ters of soldiers of the revolution and forty five survivors of the war oi 1872.
 1 he bare faced and extensive frauds ex posed under the direction of the coura. geous and generous veteran soldier now at the head Of the bureau leave no room for the clam that no purgation of our pensioo rolls was needed, or that continued vigi- lance and prompt action not necessary to he same end Tie accusation that an effort to detect pension fir iuds is evidence of nnfriendliness toward our worthy veer- ans, and denial of her claims to the geu- erosity of the government, sugges S an un- fortunate indifference 10 the commission of any offtnse which has for it's motive the SC uring of pension, and indicates Il will ingness to be blind to the existence of mean, treacherous crimes, winch play upon demagogic fears aud make sport of the patriotic impulse of grateful people.
 THE CENSUS.
 The completion of the eleven tn census is now in charge of the commissioner Of la bor. The total disbursement on account Of the work for the fiscal years ending June 30 1894, amounted to S163, ,656, ,76S At the close f the year the number Of persons enl- ployed in tue census office was 679; at present there are about 400. The whole number of volumes necessary 10 compre- heud the eleventh census will be twenty five, and they will tain 22,270 printed pages. The assurance is contidentially made that before the close of the present calendar year the material still incomplete will be practically in hand, and the census can certainly be closed by the 4.h or Marca, 1895. Alter that the revision and proof reading necessary to bring out the volumes will still be required. The text of the cen- sus volumes has been limited as far as pos- sible 10 the analysis of the statistics pre- sented. This method, which is in accori- ance with law, has caused more or less friction, and in some instances individual disappointment, for when the commis- sioner of labor took charge of the work he found much matter on hand which, according to this rule, he was compelled to discard. The census is being prepared according 10 the theory that it Is designed 10 collect facts and certify them 10 he public use, 10 elaborate arguments or to present personal | views.
 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. The secretary of agriculture in his re- port reviews the operations of his depart ment for the last fiscal year and makes 1 recomme n dations for the further extension l oI D S.f fnI L.ss He r s..uinr in