Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1896-12-10
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
Annual Report of the Secre.
tary of Interior.
IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS
Suggests Government Retain Possession
of Lands OF Bond Aided Roads
Until Debts are Settled.


of Lands OF Bond Aided Roads
Until Debts are Settled.
Washington. Dec. THE annual re.
port of Secretary of the Interior Francis
was made public today. 1t deals with
ali the various branches Of the interior
department during the past year, and
makes number Of important recon.
mendations. 1t proposes a solution OF
the vexed problem of the bond-aided
railroads, deals exhaustively with the
pension administration, reviews the
progress of the Dawes commission ne
gotiations, and touches upon various
matters of especial significance in the
West.
The report opens with discussion
of the public domain. 1t shows the
total number of acres disposed Of up to
Juno 80 last to be 946, 900, 600. leaving
the public domain still vacant estimat-
ed at 100000 900, not including the
district of Alaska, with an area of over
369, 100000 acres.
Secretary Francis urges upon con.
reclamation and disposal of lands with.
in the arid regions. Unless the Carey
act could be amended SO as to give the
state power to pledge lands for their
reclamation, he says, it would be bet
ter to place the lands under the direc-
ton of the states, only SO far as may
be necessary to secure their reclamation
for the benefit of actual settlers.
The total amount paid by the govern.
ment on pensions and cost Of distribut.
ing the same, for the last thirty .ons
years, is 81, O34, 8l7.769. The present
number of pensioners, which is 970.67S,
is greater by 4,666 than in 1893, when
the maximum annual cost was reached,
and ia greater than ever before.
This is due to the death of old SOL
diers and the continued payment Of al.
lowancss to their heirs, while the
amount paid is decreased through the
death of invalid pensioners leaving no
dependents.
Increase from So to $1s per month
is recommended for all wholly disabled
and destitute Mexican war survivors.
Under the head Of Indian affairs,
the secretary repeats the recommends.
ton of his predecessor for commission
of three, one of whom snail be an army
officer, to take the place of the commits
sioner.
Under the head Of bond aided rail.
roads the secretary says he has com.
piled with the joint resolution of June
10. 1896, requiring him to continue the
issue of patents to bona fide purchasers
of lands sold by bond aided railroads,
but says he declined to issue patents to
all surveyed lands ON application of the
Central Pacific. He says:
1.-The representatives of the Central
Pacific further contend that their road
is not in default to the government.
and that if it were. tho lands are not
covered by the government mortgage,
and cannot be held to secure the same.
l do not agree with either of these
statements. The table presented clear
ly shows the Central Paciti, road is in
default to the government.
"In my Judgment. it is much better
for this government to accept lump
sum in cash for its claim against these
roads, if by so doing that claim can be
settled and the connection between the
government and the only roads it has
ever aided by direct subsidy be effect
ually severed. Such a solution of this
vexed question would meet the hearty
approval of the people generally, and
relieve the Legislators and all branches
Of the government of a troublesome
problem and trying responsibility.