The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-29
The Necessity of Eliminating
Politics From Their
Management.
CIVIL SERVICE ENFORCEMENT.
At Present There Are Not Enough
Inspectors to Protect Forest
Reserves.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. 2s.-The
report of Hoke Smith, Secretary of the
Interior, deliberately reviews the varied
work of the Interior Department. 1t be-
gins with the Indian service and calls at
tention to the strict enforcement which
has been given to civil service reform,
both as to those places covered by the clas-
SIZED service and those TO which the rules
of this service do not apply. 1t dwells
upon the necessity of eliminating politics
from the management of Indian affairs
and of conducting each reservation upon
strictly business principles, the object be-
ing to make every Indian who remains
upon the reservation self-supporting and
ready, as soon as possible, to assume the
duties of citizenship and be freed from the
paternal care of the Government.
He recommends that, instead of single
Comm issioner of Indian Affairs, the ser
vice be placed in charge of three commits
sloners-two of them to be civilians, to be
appointed from different political parties,
and one to be detailed army officer.
The report shows that the attendance
upon the Indian schools increased 1900 dur
ing the past year, nearly one-half of the
increase being in the Government day
schools. The reduction of 20 per cent
which the law required in connection with
the contract schools has been strictly
carried out, and the Secretary adds that
there seems to be no reason why such re-
duction should not continue from year to
year until the system of Government aid
to sectarian schools shall terminate.
The report est mates the amount of pub
lie lands undisposed of to be about six
hundred million acres at the close of the
fiscal year and shows that the total receipts
during the year for public lands amounted
to over 100000 The unadjusted land
grants to railroads amounted to nearly
ninety million acres.
The Secretary suggests the advisability
OF paten ting the arid lands to the States
after it is fully determined that the selec-
tions made by them under the Carey act
are arid lands.
Under the subject of forests, the Secre-
tary calls attention to the fact that II ,000,-
600 acres are included within forest
reserves, the object being to thus preserve
the forests for future use. and their preser-
walton to control the supply of water 80
that it may be stored and utilized for irri-
cation.
There are but thirty special agents to
protect the timber upon the entire public
domain, to examine swamp lands and to
investigate fraudulent land entries, force
too small to permit anything to be done
toward guarding the forest reservation.
Unless some plan is devised by Congress
for the protection of the forests, either by
the army or by foresters living upon the
reservations, it is manifest that the object
sought to be accomplished will fall.
The review of the Pension Office shows
the aggregate of the pension roll at the
close OF the year to be L. 02 1886. Referring
to the number of pending cases, the state
ment is made that the greater part of these
are old cases, lacking some quality OF
proof which the law requires.
One of the interesting features of the re-
port is the discussion of the relations be-
tween the Government and bond-aided
roads and of the possibility of the collect
ing the amount due the Government from
these roads. The report urges that two
Things are to be considered: First, the
collection of the debt due the Government;
second, the creation of great through
line from the Missouri to the Pacific, which
was the original purpose of the Govern
ment leading to the issue of subsidy bonds.
He states that the Government is already
out Sill, ABS, 900 upon these roads, and that
the first mortgage bonds only amount to
$64,613, 900; that the property is worth
more than the first mortgage bonds and
that the Government interests can be pro-
tected, if necessary, by taking up these
bonds.