The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-12-05
SECRETARY FRANCES IsEr0nT.
Pnblic A.nmais. Pensions, Indians. Etc.
Discussed.

Washington. Dec. i.-Secretary of the
Interior David r. Francis has submtt-
ed his annual report to the President
The appropriations under his depart
ment for the last fiscal year amounted
TO Sl57, 1865. The estimates for the
present fiscal year are about 81. 600 900
more than was appropriated last year
The actual public domain is now 1884,
oS' acres. The public lands still vacant
amount to over 00030.0 900 acres, not In
Guiding Alaska About S5.729,5H acres
nave been patented to railroads and
there are yet due railroads and wagon
roads under their grants an aggregate
of l1i,73G. $50 acres The total acreage
segregated from the public domain was
GAG ,2l9,1G acres. The Secretary deems it
desirable that our waste acreage should
be taken up by actual settlers, who
should be given every encouragement,
and says IL the rate of settlement con-
linues in the future as i'm the past but
little vacant land will be left I'm thir-
teen years time. He urges legislation
for the preservation OF the forests and
states that report will be submitted to
Congress by the Forestry Commission,
which has lately returned from a tour
OF inspection.
Secretary Francis Is of the opinion
that the free use of timber on public
lands for commercial purposes should
be discont inucd.
ON the pension question he says that
about !To,67S persons are drawing about
SliO0OO.001 per annum in PENSIONS and
the branch of the service should be
conducted with great cars and discre-
ton. He gives a table which shows
that the total amount paid out by the
Government In pensions and the cost of
disDurSing the same during the last
lhirty-one years was S2.03i 81, 100, which
lacks only $34G, 7i2J25 OF being equal to
the high water mark of the interest
bearing public debt. He suggests O.
number of amendments of the pension
laws, some OF which have already been
made public.
is thought To he sufficient for the pay
ment of pensions during the next fiscal
year unless pensions are increased by
further Legislation. The Secretary re-
conmcnds that an increase from So to
W. per month be granted to all slyviv-
ors OF the Mexican war, who are wholly
disabled and destitute.
The Indians, he says, now occupy
about S5,Oc0000 acres of land, and they
should be protected from the sinister
Vaccinations of INSCRIPTIONS men, He
recommends that the Indian Bureau
should be conducted by commission OF
three members, two to be civilians of
different political parties and one to be
an army officer. Concerning the bond
aided railroads he calls attention TO the
fact that the table he presents clearly
shows that the Central Pacific road is
In default to the government or unuues-
t!onably Will be on Jauary 1s.t next,
when $2,432.G00 additional of its indebt-
edness, together with thirty years in
tcrcst thereon, will fall due and must be
redeemed by the government
He has declined to patent lands TO
the Union Pacific roar or TO the Cen
trail Pacific except in cases where 1t can
be shown tina. the lands for which pa
tents are asked have been sold to bona
fide purchasers. The Central Pacific
railroad was on June so, 1896, in default
to the Government TO the extent of
s28S,14 on its bond and interest" and
its sinking fund" account.
He refers 10 the fact that the act
chartering the Nicaragua Canal COM
pany requires the company to make a
report on the first Monday in December
in each Year to the Secretary of the In
terror, to be verified on oath by its presi-
dent and secretary a preliminary
canal company showing that no work
1893.
The Maritime Canal company enter
ed into a contract with the Nicaragua
Canal Construction company for the
construction of the canal, but the latter
company becameiinancialy embarrassed
in August, 1893, and subsequently made
an assignment of its construction con-
tract and all its assets to the Nicaragua
company, 4 corporation chartered by
the State of Vermont. The latter COM
pany has not yet found itself in a
position TO resume the work OF con-
stguction under Its contract
Why not profit by the experience NJ