The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-12-06
Ready for ci,izcns,,,n

The law should be changed so that
allotment can be made upon the rec,
of the agent to those
who are ready for 1t, and patent,
should be issued later with the an
proval of the secretary Of the interior
10 those Indians showing themselves
lifted to receive the lands SO assigned.
The secretary also recommends that
general authority, With the approval
OF the president, be given to the indian
bureau, to sell parts of the Indian re.
servations. the money to be used OK.
clusively in tho improvement of al.
lotted lands, or for the purpose of fur.
nisltnS agricultural implements and
cattle to the Indians who may reside
upon the remaining lands.
Tho report estimates the amount of
public lands undisposed of to be about
Go00O,00O acres at the close of the
fiscal year. and shows that the total
receipts during the year for public
lands amounted to over 50 .OOO,OOO. The
uEadjusted land grants to railroads
amount to nearly 9O,OO0,OOO acres.
After reviewing in detail the work of
the land office during the past twelve
months. the secretary takes up the
question of the disposition Of the arid
lands and the preservation of the for
ests. lie urges that these two queg-
t13ps PHI SfS SSGsSsX ia4 nlea feE s'4GG
Utilized for Irrigation.
The increase Of the supply Of water
must depend upon the growth and
preservation of the forests. Attention
is called to the failure of the Carey bill
TO accomplish the results expected; the
secretary attributes this to the fact
that the bill intended that money for
their irrigation should be raised upon
the arid lands given to the states. This
has been impossible OIL account Of the
fact that sufficient control orer The
lands was not given to the states to
make them available as security for
the money expended In their rccIama-
tion. The secretary suggests the ad.
visibility Of patcnting the lands to
the states after it is fully determined
that the selections made by them
under the raCey act are arid ianda.
He calls attention to the fact that The
reservoir site; selected by the seolu,-
ical survey remain without proper
legislation providing for their Mso,
while the water they were expected 10
store is being diverted to less practical
bic and economical sites. He suggssts
the utilization of these sites in cOll-
EectfOn with the lands granted TO tho
states under the Carey act.
Under the Subject of Forests
the secretary calls attention TO tho
fact that 100000 acres arc now in
clrded within forest reserves, the Oh.
ject bcing to titus preserve the forests
for future Use and through their pre-
Gcrvation to control the supply OF
water SO that it may be stored and
utilized for irrigation. The present
force of the general land office, it i;
stated. is inadequate to protect hcsc
reservations. Unless some plan is lie.
vised by congress for the protection
Of the forests either by the army or by
iorestcrs living upon the reservations.
ii is manifest that the object sought
to be accomplished will fail. The
secretary criticizcs the law authoriz.
ing the issue of the permits for the
cutting of timber fyom the public do
main. and urges that the timber cut
tiiercflOm should be sold for a sufti-
cicnt sum to make it possible to pre-
serve the standing forest and see that
the cutting is done in a way net dc.
structiye to it.