The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-11-29

WASHINGTON, Nov 2S.-The re-
port of Hoke Smith, Secretary of the
Interior elaborately reviews the varied
work Of the Interior Department. 1t be-
gins with the Indian service, and calls
attention to the strict enforcement
which has been given to civil service re-
forms, both as to those places covered
by the classified service and those to
which the rules of this service do not
apply. 1t dwells upon the necessity of
eliminating politics from the manage
lnent of Indian affairs, and of conduct
ing each reservation upon strictly bust
ness principles, the object being 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 pa
ternal care of the Government. He rec
ommends that instead of a single Com
missioner of Indian Affairs the service
be placed III charge OF three CommlS-
SioneTS-two of them to be ciVilians-to
be appointed from different political
parties, and one TO be a detailed army
officer.
The report shows that the attendance
upOn the Indian schools increased 1,00O
during the past year, nearly one-haIt OF
the increase being in the Government
Cay ScOOls. The reduction of 70 per
cent which the law required TO be made
in connection with the contract schools
has been strictly carried out, and the
Secretary adds that there seems to be
To reason such reduction should not
continue from year to year until the
system of Government aid to sectarian
schools shall terminate.
80 H.. a1a1lN mt r
public lands undisposed of to be about
G00 600 600 acres at the close Of the tis-
cal year, and shows that the total re-
cCiptS during the year for public lands
amounted to over $4,000 900. The un
adjusted land grants to railgoads
amount to nearly 900OO,O00 acres The
Secretary suggests the adVisability OF
patenting the arid lands TO the States
after it is fully determined that the Sc
lections made by them under the Carey
Act are arid lands.
Under the subject of forests. the Sec
retary calls attention to the fact that
100000 acres are now included with
il forest reserves, the object being to
thus preserve the forests for future use,
and their preservation to control the
supply of water. so that it may be
stored and utilized fro irrigation.
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-a force too small to per-
init anything to be done toward guard
ing 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
fail
The review of the Pension Office
shows the aggregate of the pension roll
at the close of the year to be 1,1O2,9'}o.
Referring to the number Of pending
cases the statement is made that the
greater part of these are old cases lack
ing some quality of proof which the
law requires.
one Of the interesting features of the
report is the discussion of the relations
between the Government and bond
aided railroads. and of the possibility OF
collecting the amount due the Govern
ment from these roads. The report
urges that two things are to be con-
Sfdered: First the collection Of the
debt due the Government, and, second,
the creation of a great through line
from the Missouri to the Pacific, Whlch
was the original purpose Of the Govern
ment leading to the issue Of subsidy
bonds. He states that the Government
is already out Sill, 10000 upon these
roads. and that the first mortgage
bonds only amount to S6463l .UeV; that
The property is worth vastly more than
the first mortgage bonds, and that the
Government interests can be protected
if necessary by taking up these bonds.