Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-12-07
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.


careful attention of the congress.
The public land disposed Of during the
year amounted to 10, 400, 100.77 acres, In
Guiding 2s,s76.03 of Indian lands.
It is estimated that the public domain
still remaining amounts to little more
than GOO, 900 900 acres, excluding, however,
about 800, 900 600 acres in Alaska, as we'll
~ military reservations and railroad and
other selections of land as yet unjudicated.
The total cash receipts for the sale of
lands amounted to s2,674, 2s5. 70, including
&91 1881 .03 received from the sale of Indian
lands.
Protection of Timber.
It 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 an efficient performance of the work.
"A larger sum of money than has been ap-
propriated 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 hope it will not be Grip
pied by insufficient appropriation.
/ fully endorse the recommendation of
the secretary that adequate protection be
provided for our forest reserves and that a
comprehensive forestry system be inaugu-
rated @s
Contested Land Cases.
An exceedingly important recommended
ton of the secretary relates to the manner
in which contests and Irrigated cases,
growing out of efforts to obtain govern
ment land are determined. These cases.
which number 5000 or 900 annually, are
sent by the local officers to the commits
sioner of the general land Office for his &C.
ton. The exigencies of his other duties
oblige him to act upon the decisions of the
registers and receivers without an oppor-
tunity of thorough personal examination
Nearly 1000 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 perfunctory and based upon the
examinatson of others, though this deter
mination of the secretary operates us a
final adjudication upon rights of very
great Importance.
concur 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 non-partisan court
should be created to pass On such cases
and that the decisions Of this court shall
be final, at least so far rs 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 all
points.
have always believed that allottments
of reservation lands to Indians in severalty
should be made sparingry, or ut least
slowly and with utmost caution.
In these days when white agricultur-
lists and stockmen of experience and intel
ligence find their lot 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.
am convinced that the proper solution
of the Indian problem and the success of
every step taken in that direction depend
to a 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 its exigencies in the future, am not
only disposed to be very cautious in max
ing allotments, but 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 un-
fair practices as seem unavoidable, should
remain for 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 it's location
and desirability, and that the proceeds
less expenses should he held in trust for
the benefit Of the Indian ppoprietors.
The intelligent Indian school manage
ment of the past gear has been followed
by the most gratifying results.
=. A. to Pensions.
At the close of the last fiscal year, on
the SOth day of June, 1854. there were
960,541 persons on our pension rolls, being
q net increase of 1852 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
allwsrs, 753, 1858; widows and relatives Of
deceased soldiers, 215, 1852; army nurses in
the war Of the rebellion, IA. OF these
pensioners $1,000 are survivors Of Indian
and ali 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 460.3A are now
under the rolls under the authority OF act
of June q, 1890, sometimes called tho de-
pendent pension law. The total amount
expended for pensions during the year was
$40, 1904, 461 O5, leaving an unexpended bal
ance from the sum appropriated of s2S.-