Birmingham state herald., 1896-12-05
SOME COLOSSAL FIGURES Secretary of the Interior Francis
 Makes His Report. ONE AND A HALF BILLIONS Will Be Required to Meet the Appropriations in
 His Department. PUBLIC LANDS RAPIDLY SEGREGATlNG But Little Will Be Left in Thirteen Years Pensions Amount to SAC, 100000 Suggests Amendments to the Law
 Railroads in Default.
PUBLIC LANDS RAPIDLY sEGREGATlNG

Washington, Dec 4-Secretary of the interior, David R. Francis, has submit ted his annual report to the president.
 The appropriations under his depart ment for the last fiscal year amount to $157 71796 656. The estimates for the pres ent fiscal year are about $1,00O, ,0O0 more than was appropriated last year. The actual public domain is now 1,S49, ,O72, ,5S7 acres. The public lands still vacant amount to over 6O0,000,0OO acres, not in- cluding Alaska. About S5729751 acres have been patented to railroads and there are yet due railroads and wagon roads under their grants, an aggregate of 114,736,639 acres. The total acreage segregated from the public domain was 046,219,160 acres. The secretary deems it desirable that our waste acreage should be taken up by actual settlers who should be given every encourage ment, and says if the rate of settlement continues in the future as in the past but little vacant land will be left in thir- teen years time. He urges legislation for the preservation of the forests, and states that a report will be submitted to congress by the Forestry commission which has lately returned from tour of inspection. Secretary Francis is of the opinion that the free use of timber Oil puDllc ldHuS TOT commercial purposes should be discontinued.
 On the pension question he says that about 970,67S persons are drawing about $l4O,00O,000 per annum in pensions and the branch of the service should be con- ducted with great care and discretion He gives table which shows that the total amount paid out by the govern ment in pensions and the cost of dis bursting the same during the last thirty one years was $,0S4 ,S17, ,769, which lacks only SS46,712,525 of being equal to the high-water mark of the interest bearing public debt. He suggests a number of amendments of the pension laws, some or which have already been made public.
 One hundred and forty million dollars isthought to be sufficient for the payment q pensions during the next fiscal year Elless pensions are increased by further legislation. The secretary recommends than an increase from $8 to SIP be. grant ed to all survivors of the Mexican war who are wholly disabled and destitute
 The Indians, he says, now occupy about 85,000,0OO acres of land and they should be protected from the sinister machina- tions Of interruptions men. He recom- mends that the Indian bureau should be conducted by a commission of three members, two to be civilians of different political parties and one an army of- ficer
 Concerning the bond-aided railroads, the secretary summarizes the recommen- ddtiobo Ol HIS pIeCeueSSOTS ana the result of the litigation. He calls attention to the fact that the tables he presents clear ly show that the Central Pacific railroad is in default to the government or un- occasionally will be on Jan. next, when $2,432, GOO additional of its indebtedness. together with thirty years interest there- on, will fall due and must be redeemed by the government.
 On Jan. l, 1897, $6,64OOOO additional bonds of the Union Pacific will mature, in Gt nn cat xx,;II I&o |, due and If not paid the Union Pacific will unquestionabbly be in default
 He has therefore declined to patent lands to the Union Pacific railroad or the Central Pacific except in cases where it can be shown that the lands for which patents are asked have been sold to bona fide purchasers The Central Pacific railroad, was on June 30 1896, in default to the government to the extent of $2SS,- 143 on it's bond and interest" and it's sinking fund" account.
 He refers to the fact that the act chartering the Nicaragua Canal company. requires the company to make a report on the first Monday in December in each year to the secretary of the interior, to be verified on oath by it's president and secretary. A preliminary statement has been submitted by the canal company, showing that no work has been done on the canal since August, 1893.
 The Maritime Canal company entered into a contract with the Nicaragua Ca- nal Construction company for the con- struction of the canal, but the latter company became financially embarrassed in August, 1893, and subsequently made an assignment of it's construction con- tract and all it's assest to the Nicaragua company, a corporation chartered by the state of Vermont. The latter company "has not yet found itself in a position to resume the work of construction un- der it's contract"
 The secretary wants an extension of the building accommodations for his de- pertinent. He closes his report by say ing: 'I earnestly recommend that con- gross take immediate steps looking to the purchase or condemnation of block or more of ground adjacent or contgu- olis to the interior department building for the erection thereon of another struct- ure to meet the present necessities of an important branch of the government, which must expand and grow with the development of the country's resources.
 "The area of our country, the variety of its products, the diversity of interests, the trade and social relations between localities and classes of people make its internal commerce of enormous magni- tude, and must from time to time neces- sitate enlargement of its existing gov ernment bureaus and the establishment of additional ones. Provisions for the accommodation thereof should be no longer delayed. Let 1t be a building of that distinctive and dignified character of architecture which is observed in the national capitol, the treasury and the in- fprior daparfmanf huiIdip0sD