The Helena independent., 1894-12-04
THE INTERIOR.
The Secretay's Report is Endorsed in Full
and in Detail

The report Of the secretary Of the in
terror exhibits the situation OF the num-
erous and interesting branches OF the
public service connected with his de-
partment. / 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 10, 400. 100. n
acres, including 2s,s6LO5 OF Indian
lands. IT is estimated that public do
main sun remaining amounts to a
little more than 60O,000,0 600 acres, eX-
Guiding, however, about 800, ,000. 600 acres
IN Alaska, as well as military reserva-
tions and railroad and other sections OF
lands yet unadjudicated The total
cash receipts from sale Of lands
amounted 10 SEGA, 2sb,79. including S9l,-
gsl.03 received for Indian lands Thirty
hve thousand patents were issued for
agricultural land and 3l00 patents were
Issued for Indians on allottments of
their lands In severalty, the land so
allotted being inalienablp by the Indian
allottecs for a period of twenty-five
years after patent.
An exceedingly important recommen-
dalton Of the secretary relates 10 the
manner In which contests and litigated
cases growing out OF efforts TO obtain
government land are determined The
entire testimony upon which these con-
troversics depend in all their stages is
taken before the local registers and re-
ccivers, and yet these officers have no
power 70 subpoena witnesses or 10 en-
force their attendance To testify. These
cases, numbering three or four thousand
annually, are sent by the local officers
60 the commissioner Of the general land
office for his action { concur In the
opinion that the commissioner Of the
general land office should br relieved
from the duty OF deciding litlgnted land
cnses; that non-partisan court should
he created 10 pass on such cases, and
that the decisions ~ this court should
hr final, at least so far as the decisions
~ the department are now final
Though the condition Of The Indians
shows a steady and n healthy progress.
their situation lis not satisfactory ut all
points. Some NJ them 10 whom allOtt-
ments ~ land have been made, are
found Co bc unable or diginclinrJ 10 fol-
low agricultural pursuits or i1 other
wise bcnrhclully manage their land.
This ls especially true OF the Chcyonnes
and Arlpuh0eE. who, Gs u appears 10y
the report of their agent have In many
Instances never been located upon their
HllotimcntH ana in some chsps de- not
oven know whore their alluttmrnls are.
Their condition has detcrioratod They
are not solf-supporting and they live
In camps and spend their timo M ldle-
urHs / have always believed that al
lgttmunts ~ reservation luula tn In
diaus I'm scvcrHlty should be- mldc apnr-
lnEly, or NJ least slowly. and with the
utmost caution.
am convinced that the prou.f gnIu-
ton NJ Tho indian problem and tho slc-
cess ~ uvcry step tHkon lu That Jlrsr-
lion depends to n very large uXtort upon
IN" Intelligence Hu1 honesty ofrpaerya-
ton agents and tho Interest tb,y bnve
In their work. An agent tod fur bIs
place can d. much toward yfDr,rino
the Indians under hls chang. f1f rl,i.
zonship. ana the allottmoW NJ their
lands md hlF pdvicc ns a. any matter
concerning their welfare win moi ,rts.
lead. The Indications are that Tho de-
tail ot army officers ~ Indian npanta