Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-01

been pending have row been disposed of.
SO that Mr. Francis, Secretary. will have
a clear field to begin with.
No Secretary ever retired from the In
terror Department more sincerely respected
and beloved than Mr.. Smith. To his large
army Of subordinates he has been like
ccnsideIate father throughout his term of
service. Always aEproachable and invar-
iably a frank, open-hearted and genuine
gentleman in intercourse with all who came
to him. 1t was natural that he should be
regarded with affection by his subordinates
and with esteem by others who had bust
ness before him. To newspaper men he has
been a hearty and obliging friend at all
times No key ever turned in his office
doors to secure him from necessary inter-
ruption. AT all times he has been ready to
could properly be brought to him. and his
remarkable capacity for administrative
work has met all claims upon it promptly
and satisfactorily.
WSrk Done.
The record of the department for volume
of work performed during the past three
and half years has been remarkable A
review Of Mr.. Smiths aGministra tion made
by one familiar with his official work, says:
Secretary Smith has enforced the strictest
civil service rules. making merit the sole
ground of promotion, both in and outside
the civil service. He has unhesitatngly
discharged his own appofntees If their
work was not well done. and the force of
the department all over the country has
been brought tc high state Of proficiency.
In the general land office the work is now
practically up. This has involved not only
a disposition Of current work. but a large
quantity of accumulated work which was
statement Of the work Of some of the
land divisions will illustrate. At the be-
ginning Of the administration there were
pending in tho presumption division Of the
x
adjudicated final proofs in pre-empton, tim
Der culture and desert land claims. besides
a considerable amount of other business.
This division has not only disposed Of cur
rent work as it came into the office, but is
now practically up to date. In the division
charged with the adjustment of grants to
aid in the construction of railroads there
were pending March 4, 1893, 5000 cases,
including applications within railroad lin
its. Current work has been kept up and
the accumulated business reduced to less
than a thousand.
Arrears Brought Up.
There were pending entries involving rail-
road questions March 4, 1898, 3.1O6. Cur
rent work has been disposed Of and the ac-
cumuiated work reduced to $50 cases. Ap-
peals from the land office are made to the
Secretary's office. This business was about
two years behind March 4, 1893. Current
work is now being transacted. There were
a large number of old cases pending for
years, notably, the Jennie Davis case, the
Florida and Peninsular railroad case and
the termfni of the Northern Pacific. Sec
rotary Smith has disposed of all these old
cases and leaves no such business to his
successor. The general policy of the de-
partment in disposing Of the public lands
has been to sustain, wherever it could be
justly done, the rights of the settler, and
to facilitate timber culture entries. In con-
nection with the land Office Secretary
Smith has given much attention to the
forestry question. Upon his applicat ton the
National Academy of Sciences has appoint
ed committee of skilled men, who are
now engaged in preparing general for
estry plan for the United States 1t Is be-
lieved that the result of their work will be
great stride toward the protection and
cultivation of the timber interests of the
country.
For the Indians.
The administration Of Indian affairs has
been marked by the greatest efficiency
Early in the administration Secretary
Smith obtained the services of a trained
educator to take charge Of the school work
among the Indians Summer Institutes
were held among the Indian teachers and
educational enthusiasm was aroused among
the teachers and scholars. The agents have
been given wider authority to require the
grown Indians to work wherever it was
possible to make them do SO. Business
principles have been impressed toward the
use of the resources of the agencies that
the Indians may he made self-supporting.
Field matrons have been more generally
used tc go among the homes of the Indians
and introduce civilized customs. The ser
vice has Leen conducted SO successfully
that for at least two years past it has re-
ceived the unstinted praise of the friends
Of the Indians in the east, while progress
marks the management of most Of the res
ervations. Secretary Smith has felt a deep
interest in the Indian work. He has urged
upon Congress the desrablity Of changing
the office of commissioner of Indian affairs
into a commission of three men, two to be
civilians of different political faith, and
one an army officer, the object being to
thus prevent politics from getting into the
service, and also to free the head Of the
bureau from changes of policy.
Promptncss With Patents.
The most important change in the patent
office during this administration has been
the prevention Of delay in the prosecution
Of applications for patents, which prior to
the present administration had caused
complaints and some scandal. The Ber-
liner patent. which was issued more than