Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1896-12-09
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
Annual Report of the Secre.
tary of Interior.
IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS
of Lands OF Bond-Aided Roads
Until Debts are Settled.

of Lands OF Bond-Atded Roads
Until Debts are Settled.
Washington. Dec, THE annual re-
port of Secretary of the Interior Francis
was made public today. 1t deals with
all 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 me-
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
June 80 last to be 946, 900, 900, leaving
the public domain still vacant estimst-
ed at 600, 900, 900, not including the
district of Alaska, with an area of over
800, 900, 900 acres.
Secretary Francis urges upon con.
gress the necessity for legislation for
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-
tion of the states, only SO far rs 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 .one
years, is 81, ,034, S17,769. The present
number of pensioners, which is 97o. 67S,
is greater by 1865 than in 1898, when
the maximum annual cost was reached
and is greater than ever before.
This is due to the death of old sci
diers and the continued payment Of al
lowances to their heirs, while tn,
amount paid is decreased through tn,
death of invalid pensioners leaving NJ
dependents.
Increase from $S to $12 per month
is recommended for all wholly disabled
and destitute Mexican war survivors
Under the head of Indian affairs
the secretary repeats the recommenda
tion of his predecessor for commission
of three, one of whom snail be an arm,
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 Jun
10, 1896, requiring him to continue th
issue of patents to bona fide purchaser
Of lands sold by bond aided railroads
but says he declined to issue patents t.
all surveyed lands ON application of tn
Central Pacific. He says:
"The representatives of the Centra
Pacific further contend that their roat
is not in default to the government
and that IL it were, the lands are no
covered by the government mortgage
and cannot be held to secure the same
l do not agree with either of thes
statements. The table presented clear
ly shows the Central Pacific road is il
default to the government.
In my judgment. it is much bettel
for this government to accept luml
sum in cash for its claim against thes,
roads, if by SO doing that claim can b,
settled and the connection between th
government and the only roads it ha
ever aided by direct subsidy be effect
ually severed. Such a solution of thi
vexed question would meet the heart
approval of the people generally, an,
relieve the legislators and all branche
of the government of a troublesom
problem and trying responsibility