The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-05
FRANCIS DEALS IN FACTS.
SYNOPSIS OF THE sECRETARY's
ANNUAL REPORT.


The Appropriations OF His Depnrt-
mcnt for the Last Fiscal Year $751;
179,056-Figures in Reference to
the Public DOmnin-The Pension
QuestiOn-The Default of the Boud
Aided RRiIrOads-The Nicaragua
Canal situation-WRnts IA New
Building.
Washington, Dec. 4.-Secretary of the
Interior Francis has submitted his annual
report to the President
The appropriations under his department
for the last fiscal year amounted to $751;
1856. The estimates for the present fis-
cal years are about $l,O0OOOO more than
was appropriated last year
The actual public domain is now !, 1,S49,-
072,5a acres The public lands still va
cant amount TO over 6Oo,OO0OOO acres, not
including Alaska. About S5729,75l acres
have been patented 10 railroads, and there
are yet due railroads and wagon roads,
under their grants, an aggregate of 114,-
7S6,6S9 acres The total acreage segrega-
ted from the public domain was 946, ,2l9, 100
acres.
The secretary deems it desirable that
our waste acreage should be taken up by
actual settlers, who should be given every
encouragement, and says that If the rate
of settlement continues in the futue as in
the past, but little vacant land will be left
in thirteen years time.
He urges legislation for the preservation
of the forests. and states that report
will be submitted to congress by the for
estry commission, which has laSely re-
turned from tour OF inspection. Secre-
tary Francis is of the opinion that the free
use of timber ON public lands for CONNER
cial purposes should be discontinued.
On the pension question he says that
about 97O,67S persons are drawing about
s140OOO.OOO per annum in pensions. and the
branch Of the service should be conducted
with great care and discretion He gives
table which shows that the total amount
paid out by the government in pensions
and the cost of disbursing the same during
the last thirty years was 81 034, ,sl7, ,769, which
lacks only $346, 72,525 of being equal 10 the
high-water mark of the interest bearing
public debt. He suggests a number Of
amendments of the pension laws, some OF
which have already been made public
One hundred and forty million dollars is
thought to be sufficient for the payment
OF pensions during the next fiscal year
unless the pensions are increased by fur
ther legislation.
The secretary recommends that an in
crease from IS to $12 per month be granted
to all survivors of the Mexican war who
are wholly disabled and destitute.
Inc Indians, he says, now occupy about
So'VOO'ON acres of land, and they should be
protected from the sinister Vaccinations
OF INSCRIPTIONS men. lie recommends that
the Indian bureau should be conducted bv
commission of three members, two to be
civilians Of different political parties and
one an army officer
Concerning the bond-aided railroads. the
secretary summarizes the recommenda
tons of his predecessors and the result of
the litigation. He calls attention to the
fact that the tables he presents clearly
show that the Central Pacific railroad is
in default to the government, or undues-
tionably will be on Jan. 1, next, when g.
432OOO additional Of its Indebtedness, to-
gether with thirty years interest thereon,
will fall due and must be redeemed by the
government
On Jan. /. 1897 $6,6iO.OcO additional bonds
of the Union Pacific will mature. and in
terest on same--$ll, ,952, ,OOO-will be then
due, and II not paid the Union Pacific
has therefore declined to patent lands 10
the Union Pacific railroad or the Central
Pacific railroad, except in cases where il
can be shown that the lands for which
patents are asked, have been sold to bona
ide purchasers The Central Pacific rail-
road was. on June 30, 1896. In default to
the government to the extent of S28S,143 on
its bond and interest" and its Sinking
fund" account.
He refers to the fact that the act char
tering the Nicaragua Canal Company, re-
quires 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 its president and sec.
retary. A preliminary statement has
been submitted by the canal company
showing that no work has been done on
the canal since August, 1898.
The Maritime Canal Company entered
into a contract with the Nicaragua Canal
Construction Company for the construc.
ton Of the canal, but the latter company
became financially embarrassed In August
1893, and subsequently made an assignment
Of its construction contract, and ali its as.
sets to the Nicaragua Company, a corpor.
alton chartered by the state OF Vermont
The latter company "has not yet found IT.
self In a position to resume the work OF
construction under it's contract"
The secretary wants an extension Of tho
building accommodations for his depart.
ment. He closes his report by saying: "a
earnestly recommend that congress take
immediate steps looking to the purchase OF
condemnation OF block or more OF ground
adjacent or contiguous to the interior de.
partment building for the erection thereon
OF another structure TO meet the present
necessities Of an important branch Of the
government which must expand and grow
with the development Of the countrys re.
sources
"The area of our country, the variety
Of fits products, the diversity of IT'S inter.
ests, the trade and social relations be-
tween localities and classes Of people
make It's internal commerce OF enormous
magnitude, and must from time to time
necessitate enlargement of It's existing
government bureaus and the establishment
OF additional ones. Provision for
the accommodation thereof should
no longer be delayed. Let It
be building OF that dis
tinctive and dignifed character OF archi-
lecture which is observed IN the national
capitol the treasury and the interior de-
partment buildings"
GOLD CONTRACTS UPHELD.