The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-12-05


Than Ever Before, Owing to the DE.
pendent Pension BiI-Tho Government
and the Pacific Railroads.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5-Tho annual re.
port Of Secretary of the Interior Francis .
was made public yesterday. 1t deals with .
all the affairs OF the various branches OF
the interior department during the past
year, and makes n number Of important
accommodations 1t proposes solution
of the vexed problcm of the bond aided .
roads deals exhnustively with the PEN
sion administration, reviews the progress
of the Dawes commission negotiations and
touches upon various matters Of especial
significance in the west.
The report shows that the total number
of acres Of the public domain disposed of
up to June 30 last was g46, 600 600 leaving
pnblic domains still vacant estimated at
over 5OO,0OO000 acres, not including the
district Of Alaska, with an area of over
800, 900 900 acres Since the homestead act
was passed May 90 1862, there have been
49,, ,S92 1872 acres entered by homestead
settlers, OF this almost 103, 100000 acres
will all be patented when the legal oondi-
tions have been met.
The patents to railroads and wagon
roads since the first grant was made reach
S5 729, 75l acres. There have also been 1885,
639,572 acres disposed of by pre-emption
cash sales, script locations, etc.
There are yet due to railroads and wagon
roads under their grants III 736, $50 acres,
of which not more than 60 per cent are
available for patenting under the condi-
tions OF the grants. The total grants of
lands to the various states and territories
II n March last ocruraputo1 QgQ gQO
acres, in addition to agricultural college
scrip for 100000 acres. The total of all
lands segregated from public domain ag-
gregated 946 2l9, 100 acres.
The secretary says If the rate of disposi-
tion of the last thirteen years which is
25, 900, 900 year is continued for thirteen
years to come there will be little of the
public domain outside of Alaska in pos
session of the government at the expira-
tion of that time.
The report says no permit to cut timber
on public land should be granted for any
purpose other than to supply the needs of
actual settlers in the neighborhood of the
| forests where timber is to be cut, and
should be accompanied by all possible
safeguards
Secretary Francis urges upon congress
the necessity for legislation for the recla.
nation and disposal of lands within the
arid regions.
The total amount paid by the govern
ment in pensions and the cost of disburs-
ing the same for the last thirty-one years
is s., ,034, ,Sl7, 769 This lacks only little
over 1855, ,7l2, 500 of being equal to tho high
water mark of the interest bearing public
debt The present number of pensioners,
which is $40, ,67S, is greater by 1865 than in
iE tnrt haf
is due to the death of old soldiers and the
continued payment of allowances to their
heirs, while the amount paid is decreased
through the death of invalid penCioners
leaving no dependents.
/ With regard to the dispute over the Un.
Compahgre Indian reservation, in Utah,
in which valuable deposits of asphaltum
have been discovered, Secretary Francis
expresses the opinion that the commission
which treated with the Indians for the al
lotment of their lands totally misunder-
stood the agreement of $780, by which tho
UncOmpahgres were removed from Colo
RADIO The Indians declined to pay Sl.25
an acre for the lands allotted to them be-
couse they believed it would come out of
their trust fund
The secretary recommends the appoint
ment of another commission, which can
explain to the +ndians that the allotted
lands can be paid for without depleting
their trust fund, and that it have author
ity to sell or lease the remainder of the
lands or negotiate with responsible parties
for the working of the deposits in order
that the government may be fairly COM
pensatcd, and to the end that the public
may enjoy the benefit of highly useful
gift to nature
The secretary snys he has requested an
opinion from the secretary of the treasury
as to whether the Central Pacific is in de-
fault (the road $ representatives claiming
1t is notl, and of the attorney general as to
whether, If In default, he is authorized to
patent lands granted to bond aided rail
roads, even when the lands have been sold
/ to bonaflde purchasers. 1t will be noticed
} here that the secretary, by implication,
f questions the authority of the concurrent
resolution of congress of June 10 last, di-
recting him to continue the issue of pat
ents to bonaflde purchasers of lands sold
by bond aided railroads.
Regarding the governments claim
against bond aided railroads the secretary
, says; "In my Judgment it is much better
: for the government to accept IA lump sum
in cash for its claim against these roads,
II, by doing so, that claim can be settled
and the connection between the govern
ment and the only roads it has ever aided
by direct subsidy be officially severed"
'Bayard Thinks Arbitration Assured. un
LONDON, Dec 5.--Ambassador
yesterday declared his belief th gr
his departure from England sc uolus is
nent arrangement of arbit'S VI ',touae an
reached between F-Nlelh B. OH No''n ct
Negotiations we- TO
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