Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1896-12-10
FRANCIS REPORTS.
Secretary Of the Interior on the
Work Of His Department.
Public Lands Rapidly Taken Up-Bona-
Aided Railroads DEMONSTRATORS
and Indians-Many valua-
BILE Suggestions.

present fiscal year are about $1,000 600 more
than was appropriated last year.
The actual public domainis now 1,S49, O72,-
6H acres. The public lands still vacant
amount to over 10000 900 acres. not includ-
Ing Alaska. About S5,729.751 acres have
been patented to railroads, and there are
yet due railroads and wagon roads under
their grants an aggregate OF la, 736, 635
acres. The total acreage segregated from
the public domain was 946.21916O acres.
The report says: '"These figures demon
strate that the country is being settled with
great rapidity and that the public domain
is being diminished by great strides. II
the rate OF disposition Of the last IL years
which is 25.0OO.O0O acres year. is contin-
ued for l3 years to come, there will be little
, OF the public domain outside of Alaska in
possession Of the government at the ex-
piration Of that 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
! a tour of inspection.
The Des MOlnes river land grant matter
has been adjusted. About $l83. 1854 in awards
was agreed upon, OF which $ll7,632 have
been paid, and the remainder will be paid
at the end Of this year.
Secretary Francis calls the attention of
congress to the necessity of legislation look
ing to the retaining OF arid lands, and says
that Of the 5UU,VUO,UOO acres OF arid lands
lOO, 100000 acres might be reclaimed by the
conservative use OF water, but II is impos-
sible under the laws in operation to control
the reclamation OF tho arid regions so as to
prevent the inprovident use Of water, over
which the general government has no con-
| troll This should be done by a system
which constitutes the reclamation OF the
entire territories from common source OF
supply and the utilization Of that supply
or the adoption of the suggestion of the
: commissioner of the seneral land office
would be good one. That is. place the
lands in the direct control OF the states for
reclamation.
No steps have peen taken to make al
lotmcnts to the Wichita Indians. as tho
act Of congress left this to the discretion
of the department. Regarding the opening
of what is known as the leased district Of
the ChoctaW and Chickasaw Indians, which
is now before the court of claims. he says
that IL the allotments were made and the
balance Of the land thrown open before a
decision is rendered upon the claim Of the
Choctaws and Chickasaws. the govern
ment would be placing the Indians upon
land under an agreement which involved
the transfer of a good title and would also
be throwing open the land to settlement
when in point of fact it did not have &
clear title thereto. He recommends that
all the Oklahoma townsite boards be abol-
ished. Secretary Francis is of the orin-
ion that the free use Of: timber on public
PCSVo
discontinued.
On the pension question he says that
about 970.e78 persons are drawing about
100000 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 dur
ing the last 81 years was s2.034.817. zee.
which lacks only $346.72.525 of being equal
,, to the high water mark of the interest
bearing public debt. He suggests num-
Der of amendments of the pension laws.
some of which have already been made
public (notably those in regard to pension
ers resident in Germany. One hundred
and forty million dollars is thought to be
ing the next fiscal year. unless pensions
are increased by further legislation. The
secretary recommends that an increase
from eight to twelve dollars per month be
granted to all survivors of the Mexican
war who are wholly disabled and destitute
The Indians. he says. now occupy about
e5.000,000 acres Of land, and they should
be protected from the sinister machina-
tions of unscrupulous men,. He recon-
amends that the Indian bureau should be
hers. two to be civilians of different po-
litjcal parties. and one an army officer. "a
Concerning the bond-aided railroads. the
secretary summarizes the Recommended
lions 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 unquestiona-
bly, will be on January next, when s., 4332, 900
additional Of its indebtedness, together with
! 30 years interest thereon. will fall due and
must be redeemed by the government On
January /. 1897. $6,64o.000 additional bonds
!, Of Union Pacific will mature; interest on
| same-$11 1852 000-wiN be then due. and ii
not paid the Union Pacific will unquestion-
! ably be in default. He has therefore de-
clined to patent lands to the Union Pacific
j railroad or the Central Pacific railroad ex-
| cept in cases where it can be shown that
| the lands for which patents are asked
have been sold to- bona f1de purchasers.
The Central Pacific railroad was. on June
| go 1896, in default to the government to .aa
extent Of $2SS,14366 on Its ''bond and inter-
| est" and its Sinking fund" account.
| Referring to the railroad commissioners
| Recommendations for q commission to ser
tic the indebtedness OF the bond-aided
roads. the secretary says: Congress is
| not likely to delegate to any commission
| the power to settle this Indebtedness with
out making such settlement subject to Its
! approval: but whether congress would do
| so or not. the delay consequent upon the
! appointment of a commission and it's work
bonds issued in aid of these roads would
mature and the government be called upon
| to redeem the same. In the meantime.
| other bills would be introduced seeking to
| effect other settlements. and in the end the
| government would receive less .or its claim
| than it would if a compromise by the cash
payment, of lump sum should be effected
| in the immediate future and the govern
| ment become relieved thereby from all
connection with these roads"
| With regard to the Nicaraguan Maritime
! Canal company, chartered by tie govern
ment in 1885, the secretary says prelim-
,inary report of the company submitted 20
him shows that no work was done during
! the present year.
In conclusion the secretary calls attention
! to the cramped quarters in the interior de-