The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-02
HoKE SMITHS RECORD
HOW HE Conducted THE DEPART
MENT OF THE INTERIOR.
Hurried Much of the Work and Made
~ Coed Showing on Paper-wait-
ing for His Successor.

~~S 1888 49, "
papers in the routine business of the de-
partrnent We're sign ed. and his active work
closed yesterday afternoon. To-day the
Secretary was at the department. but he
devoted almost his entire time to callers
and to aking leave of his associates and
of the employees in the department. When
Ex-Governor Francis will arrive from Mis-
souri, and take the oath of office is not yet
definitely known, though it will before the
end of the week. TIL arrangement of his
affairs at St. Louis preparatory to his re-
moval to Washington has taken more time
than was expected, but it is yet possible
he will be here tomorrow afternoon. In
that event Secretary Smith has planned to
leave for Atlanta to-morrcg night, but If
advised that his successor will not be here
until after that time it is probable that he
will go earlier. leaving Assistant Secretary
Reynolds in charge. All important mat
tiers that have been pending have now been
disposed of, SO that Mr.. Francis, as sec
rotary, 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 it's history. Secretary Smith mas
enforced the s~trictest civil-service rules,
making merit the sole ground of promotion
both in and outside the civil service. lie
has unhesitatinglv discharged his own APP
pointees if their work was not well cone,
and the force of the department all over
the country has been brought to u high
state Of proficiency.
In the general land office the work of
now 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. 1898. The following
statement of the work of some of the land
divisions will illustrates:
AT the beginning of the administration
there were pending in the presumption di-
vision of the general land office more than
5000 unadjudicated final proofs in pre-emp-
tion, timber culture and desert land claims,
besides a considerable amount of other
business. This division has not only dis
posed of current work as it 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 were pending March 4,
1872 5000 cases, including applications with
in railroad limits. Current work has been
Kept up and the accumulated business re-
duced to less than a thousand. There were
pending entries involving railroad ques-
tions, March 4, 1895, 3,106. Current work has
been disposed of and the accumulated work
reduced to $50 cases. Appeals from the
land office are made to the lsecretary's Of
flee. This business was about two years
behind March 4. 1893. Current work is now
OtiliS 1nGIG d IlIn-
Der of old cases pending for years, notably
the Jennie Davis case, the Florida & PENN
Northern Pacific. Secretary Smith has dis
posed of all these old cases and leaves no
such cases to his successor.
The general policy of the department in
diSposing of the public lands has been to
sustain. wherever it could be justly 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.
IInOn hlG a nniin the National Aand-
envy of Science has appointed n commit
tee Of skilled men who are now engaged
United States. lit is believed that the re-
suit of their work will be a great stride
towards the protection and cultivation of
timber interests Of the country.
The administration of Indian affairs has
been marked by the greatest efficiency.
Smith obtained the services of a trained
educator to take charge of the school work
among the Indians. Summer Institutes
were held among the Indian teachers, and
educational enthusiasm was aroused
among the teachers and scholars. The
agents have been given wider authority to
require the grown Indians to work wher-
ever it was possible to make them do so.
business principles have been impressed
towards the use of the resources of the
agencies that Indians may be made self
generally used to go among the homes of
the Indians and introduce civilized Gus
successfully that for at least twe years
past it has received the unstinted praise
of the friends of the Indians in the East,
while progress marks the manag cement of
most of the reservations. Secretary Smith
has felt a deep interest in the Indian work.
He has urged upon Congress the desirable
ity of changing the office OF commissioner
OF Indian affairs into a commission of three
men, two to be civilians of different politi-
cal faith and one army officer; the object
being to thus prevent politics from getting
into the service and also to free the bureau
from changes of policy.
The most important change in the Pat
ent ONCE during this administration has
cution of applications for patents. which,
prior 70 the present administration had
caused complaints and some scandal. The
Berliner patent, which was issued more
than fourteen years after the application
was filed, was one that excited attention
more than airy other, perhaps. on this
point. There were many applications in the
Patent Office which the records show were
deliberately delayed with the apparent in
tention of ~prolonging the prosecution al
most indefinitely. on Feb. IA. 1895. three
new rules were established which cut off
the opportunity for delay and provided that
where cases had been pending more than
i've years. the applicant should show cause
rapidly, and If 1t appeared that the delav
was Intentional. required the application to
be finally rejected. In 1890 the expense of
Ehoto-ithographing patents was SIG. 600.
The present contract price for the same
york is less than $50, 1000. This reduction in
expense was the result of the acceptance
by the commissioner, under the direction of
the Secretary. of competitive bids. The re-
suit is that work is now done as well as
ever and the expense reduced one-half.
AT the first of his administration there
We're pending 4,6o0 pension appeals undis-
posed of in the Secretaries office. The cur
rent work has been kept up, and these ac-
cumulated cases disposed of. Considerable
friction was created for awhile by the eff
fort in the pension office to bring the adj
ministratfon of the act of June q. 1890.
down to the terms of the act applicable to
disabilities and TO remove from the rolls
those improperly upon them. 1t is said
by the commissioner that this excitement
was due largely TO a misrepresentation of
what was being done and a fear of action
which was not contemplated. For over
a year past the work OF the bureau has
been moving smoothly ana cases are being
disposed of rapidly.
Early in the administration Major Powell
resigned the dictatorship of the geological
survey, and upon the recommendation of
Secretary Smith. Prof. Walcott was put
in charge. This bureau has never had
three years of more proficient work. A
distinct feature of the administration has
been the practice of bringing the chiefs of
divisions in the Seeretary's office direct
w into contact with the Secretary daily.
so that he might keep in touch with ali
He has made the positions Of
chiefs of at least four of these
divisions very similar in their character to
under secretaries in the English cabinet;
and had Intended to add this fall an in
crease in salary for these officers, with
the view of adding to the Importance of
the posi- ions and giving TO the department
Immediately under the Secretary four
chiefs of divisions who could afford to de-
vote their life work to their respective
branches of the department with which