Omaha daily bee., 1896-09-02
HOKE SMITH DOWN And OUT
Secretary of the Interior Lays Down His
Portfolio.
WORK OF HIS ADMINISTRATION REVIEWED
Retiring Omcini Made n Notable
Record for His StrIctncss in
Observing the civil
Service nuicS.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1.--sccretary Hoke
Smith today closed his administration Of
the Affairs Of the Interior department aud re-
tired from the cabinet. The last papers
In the routine business of the department
were signed and his active work closed
yesterday afternoon. Today the secretary
was at the department. but devoted almost
his entire time to callers and to taking
leave OF his associates and the employees.
When Ex-Governor Francis will arrive from
Missouri and take charge Of his Office is
not definitely known, although it will be
before the end OF the week. The arrange
ments at st. Louis preparatory to his re-
moval to Washington have taken more time
than was expected, but 1t is yet possible he
will be here tomorrow afternoon. In that
event Secretary Smith has planned to leave
for Atlanta tomorrow night. but II advised
that his successor will not be here until
after that time 1t is probable that he will
go this evening, leaving Assistant Secretary
Reynolds in charge. All important matters
that have been pending have now been dis
posed of so that Mr.. Francis as secretary
will have a clear field to begin with.
The record of the department for volume
of work performed during the past three
and a half years Is probably ahead of any
period of its history. Secretary Smith has
enforced the s~trictest civil service rules,
making merit the solid ground of promotion
both in and outside the civil service. He has
unhesitatingly discharged his own appointees
IL their work was not we'll done and the
force Of the department all over the south
has been brought to a high state of pro-
fciency.
In the general land office the work is
practically up. This has involved not only
a disposition OF current work, but a large
quantity OF accumulated work, which was
on hand March 6, 1892. The following state
-,art az tho Nyprk nf Qnpnn of thn land
divisions will Illustrate:
At the beginning of the administration
there were pending in the presumption divi-
sion of the general land office more than
5000 unadjudicated final proofs in pre-emp-
ton, timber Culture and desert land claims,
besides a considerable amount of other bust
ness. This division has not only disposed
of current work as 1t came into the Office,
but Is now practically up to date.
In the division charged with the adjust
ment of grants TO aid in the construction of
railroads there was pending March 4, 1898,
5000 cases, including applications within
railroad limits. Current work has been kept
up and the accumulated business reduced TO
less than a 1000 cases.
WORK UP TO DATE.
There were pending entries involving
railroad questions, March A, 1898, 3.1O6. Cur
rent work has been disposed of and the ac-
cumulated work reduced to $50 cases. APP
peals from the land office are made to the
secretary's Office. This business was about
two years behind March A, 1898. Current
work is now being transacted.
There were a large number of old cases
pending for years, notably the Jennie Davis
case, the Fort Sidney and Peninsular rail-
road case and the termini Of the Northern
Pacific. Secretary Smith has disposed of ali
these old cases and leaves no such business
to his successor.
The general policy of the department in
disposing of the public lands has been to
c,tgtain whnrpVnr II could Justly he done |
the rights of the settler and to facilitate
timber culture entries. In connection with
the land office, Secretary Smith has given
much attention to the forestry question.
Upon his application the National Academy
of Science has appointed a committee OF
skilled men who are now engaged in pre-
pairing a general forestry plan for the
United States. 1t Is believed the report OF
the work will be a great stride toward the
protection and cultivation or the TIMBER IN
terests of the country.
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 work among the In
dams. Summer institutes were held among
the teachers and educational enthusiasm
was encouraged in scholars and teachers.
The agents have been given wider authority
to put the grown Indians to work wherever
1t was possible to do so. But business prin-
ciples have been impressed toward the use
of the resources of the agency, that the
Indians may be made Self-Supporting. Field
matrons have been more generally used to
go among the homes of the Indians and in
troduce civilized customs. The service has
been conducted so successfully that for at
least two years past 1t has received the
unstinted praise of the friends OF the In
dams in the east. while progress marks the
management of most of the reservations.
Secretary smith has felt a deep interest
in the Indian work. He has urged upon
congress the desirability of changing the
office of commissioner of Indian affairs into
a commission OF three men, two to be civil
fans OF different political faith and one an
army officer. the object being to thus pre-
vent politics from getting into the service,
and also to free the head of the bureau from
changes of policy.
IN H PATENT OFFICE.
The most important change in the patent
office during this administration has been
the prevention OF delay in the prosecution
of applications for patents and which, rrior
to the present administration, had caused
complaints and some scandal. The Der
liner patent, which was issued more than
years after the application was
filed, was one that attracted attention more
than any other, perhaps, on this point. There
were many applications in the patent Of
fee which the record showed were dclIb-
erately delayed with the apparent intention
Of prolonging the prosecution almost in
On February IA, 1895, three new
rules we're established which cut of the
for delay and provided that
cases had pended more than five
years the applicant should show cause why
he had not pressed his claim more rapidly
and II 1t appeared the delay was inten-
lional, required the application 10 be finally
|
In 1890 the expense of oto-lithograph- I