The herald., 1896-12-05
SECRETARY FRANCIS
MAKES HIS REPORT
On Work of the Interior
Department
ALMOST 4 Billion ACRES OF Land
Passed to Private Parties Dur
ing the Year
RECOMMENDATION IS MADE
That Arid Lands Pass Under Control OF
States
RECOMMENDATION IS MADE
That Arid Lands Pass Under Control OF
States
Reasons Given for Refusing Patents to Rail.
road Lands
The Secretary Advises the Acceptance
of Lump Sum in Liquidation of
Debts of the Bond-Aided
Railroads.
Associated Press Special Wire

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4.-Ine annual
report of the secretary of the interior was
made public today. 1t deals with all the
various branches of the interior depart
ment during the past year, and makes
a number of important recommends
tions. 1t proposes a solution of the
vexed problem of the bond-aided roads,
deals exhaustively with the pension ad-
ministration, reviews the progress of the
Dawes commission negotiations, and
touches upon various matters of special
significance in the west.
The report opens with discussion of
the public domain. 1t shows that the
total number of acres disposed of up to
June 80 last was 946, 900 600. leaving pub
lie domain still vacant estimated at over
600, 900, 900, not including the district of
Alaska, with an area of over 369, GOO, 900
acres
Since the homestead act was passed
in May, 1862, there have been 162,S91, ,1S2
acres entered by homestead settlers. OF
this almost .103, ,00O, 900 acres will all be
patented when the legal conditions have
been made OF the remainder, 42,00O,0 900
acres represent entries Cancelled, and al
most 1S,0o0,000 acres commuted to cash.
The total number of mineral entries up
to date is 29.S20; patents to railways and
wagon roads since the first grant was
made reach S5,729.751 acres. There also
have been 335691,752 acres dNposed of
by exemption, cash sales.scrip. lIa-
tons, military bounty land warrants,
town sites, desert land, timber culture,
timber and stone entries, Indian allot
ments and donations to settlers.
There are yet due to railroads and
wagon roads under their grants ia. 1856, ,639
acres, of which not more than go per cent
is available for patenting under the con-
ditions of the grants. The total grants
to the various states and territories up
to March 81 last aggregated 1S1,S5S,6S0
acres, in addition to agricultural college
scrip for 7.S3o,OOO acres.
The total of all lands segregated from
the public domain aggregates 946,21s,160
acres. The report says: "Of the Ia
100000 acres granted to railroads but not
patented there can be no objection to
transferring possession and control of
whatever portion has been earned by
complying with the grants and that may
he available hereunder ESTIMATED at
Q.000, 900 acres) with as much prompt
ness as possible, but until these grants
are adjusted no additional ones should
be made. During the year 15,251, ,S44
acres were patented to railroads under
congressional grants"
Secretary Francis urges upon con-
gress the necessity for legislation for
the reclamation and disposal of lands
within the arid regions. Unless the
IN onto ha de6 a to erixy
the state power to pledge lands for their
reclamation, he says, it would be better
to place the lands under the direction
of the states only as far as may be nee
essary to secure their reclamation for
the benefit of actual settlers.
The total amount paid by the govern
ment upon pensions and cost of disburs-
ing the same for the last thirty-one years
is $2,034, 4,S17,769. The present number
of pensioners, which is 970,67S, is greater
by 1866 than in 1893, when the maximum
annual cost was reached, and is greater
than ever before
This is due to death OF old soldiers and
the continued payment of allowances
to their heirs. while the amount paid is
decreased through the death of invalid
PSA''Ao'SAot ASdNIH6 HO independents. III
crease from $6 to s12 per month is rec
commended for all wholly disabled and
destitute Mexican war survivors.
Under the head of Indian affairs, the
secretary repeats the Recommendation
of his predecessor for a commission of
three, one of which shall be an army Of
ficer. to take the place of the commits
sioner and assistant commissioner of In
dian affairs.
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 is
sue Of patents to bona fide purchasers
of lands sold by bond-aided railroads.
but he says he declined to issue patents
to all surveyed lands on the application
Of the Central Pacific. He says: 1.-THE
representatives of the Central Pacific
further contended their road is not in
default to the government, and that if
it were the lands are not covered by the
government mortgage and cannot be
held to secure the same.
Il do not agree with either of these
statements. The tables presented clear
ly show that the Central Pacific road is
in default to the government, but
whether SO or not it unquestionably will
b on January 1st, next. Or thirty days