The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-12-05
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Secretary Francis Report Shows
How 1t Is Decreasing.
THE INCREASE OF PENSIONERS,
Tho Number on the Pension Rolls Greater
Than Ever Before, Owing to the De.
and the Pacific Railroads.

pendent Pension BiIl-The Government
and the Pacific Railroads.
WASHINGTON Dec. 5-The annual re-
port of Secretary of the Interior Francis
was made public yesterday. II deals with
all the affairs Of the various branches of
the interior department during the past
year, and makes number of important
Recommendations, 1t proposes solution
of the vexed problem Of the bond aided
roads, deals exhaustively 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 946 900, 900, leaving
pnblic domains still vacant estimated at
over SOC, 100000 acres, not including the
district of Alaska, with an area of over
100000 acres. Since the homestead act
was passed May 90 1862, there have been
1872, 1892 1872 acres entered by homestead
settlers. OF this almost 103,00O,0O0 acres
will all be patented when the legal condi-
tions have been met.
The patents to railroads and wagon
roads since the first grant was made reach
3d. 720. FOL acres. There have also been $780,
639,572 acres disposed of by presumption
cash sales, script locations, etc.
There are yet due to railroads and wagon
roads under their grants ia, 1856 $50 acres,
of which not moro than 60 per cent are
available for patenting under the condi-
tons of the grants. The total grants of
lands to the various states and territories
up to March IL last aggregated 1871 $685. $3.50
acres, in addition to agricultural college
scrip for 1880, 900 acres The total of all
lands segregated from public domain ag-
gregated 94d,2l9, 100 acres
The secretary says If the rate of DISPOSE
ton of the last thirteen years, which is
%, 600 600 q 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-
ton 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-o1e years
Is s., 034, Sl7, 76o, This lacks only a little
over 1856, 7l2 800 Of being equal to the high
water mark of the interest bearing public
debt The present number of pensioners,
which is 97O,67s, is greater by 1865 than in
1893, and is greater than ever before. This
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 pensioners
leaving no dependents.
With regard to the dispute over the I'm
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 1880, by which the
Uncompahgres were removed from Colo
RADIO. The Indians declined to pay $l.25
an aero 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 Indians that the allotted
lands can be paid for without depicting
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 BIO fairly com
pensatcd, and to the end that the public
may enjoy the benefit of highly useful
gift to nature.
The secretary says he has requested an
opinion from the secretary of the treasury
as to wheth." the Central Pacific is in do
fault (thc roads representatives claiming
1t is mott, and of the attorney general as to
whether If in default, he is authorized to
patent lands granted to bond aided rail
rC..ds, even when the lands have been sold
to bona1do purchasers. 1t will be noticed
hero that the secretary, by implication,
questions the authority Of the concurrent
resolution of congress of Sune 10 last, di-
fecting him to continue the issue of pat
ents to bonaiide purchasers of lands sold
by bond aided railroads.
Regarding the governments claim
against bond aided railroads the secretary
says: "In my Judgment 1t is much better
for the government to accept lump sum
In cash for its claim against these roads,
If, 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"