Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-12-10
FRANCIS REPORT
Ga Affairs and Condition of the
interior Department.
The Public Lands and Irrigation-The In
dians and Their Needs-The Years PEN
slons Appropriation = Bond-Aided
S RaLIroAds-nev Buildings Needed.

WASHINGTON, Dec 5--Secretary of
the Interior Francis has submitted his
annual report to the president:
HE Appropriation for the Last Fiscal
Year
Amounted to S157, 179, Csc The estimates for
the present fiscal year are about 81 10000 more
than was appropriated last year. The actual
public domain is now $40 O72 y5s7 acres The
public lands still vacant amount to over co.,
4Ooo00 acres, not including Alaska About S.
zzS.75l acres have been patented TO railroads,
and there are yet Que railroads and wagon
rOads under their grants an aggregate of ia
Ss6 ,l9 acres. The total acreage segregated
fIOm the public domain was 946, 2l9, 100 acres.
The secretary deems it desirable that our
w ast@ Acreage Should be Taken up by Ac-
tuaI Settlers,
Who should be given every encouragement.
and says IL the rate of settlement continues in
the future as In the past but little vacant land
will be left In Is years time He urges legis-
lation for the preservation of forests, and
states that report viii be submitted to con-
gress by the forestry commission, which has
lately returned from 2 tour of inspection
The Des MoineS river land grant matter has
been adjusted. About s1S3s54 in awards was
agreed upon. of which S117, 632 has been paid,
and the remainder will be paid at the end OF
this year. a
Secretary Francis calls the attention Of
congress to the necessity Of legislation
And says that out Of 5oO,OOC, 600 acres of arid
lands. 101,0Co00O acres might be reclaimed by
the conservative use Of water, but it is impoS-
sible under the laws in operation to control
the reclamation of the arid regions so as to
prevent the improvident use of water over
which the general government has no control.
This should be done by a system which con-
templates the reclamation Of the entire terri
tories from q common source of supply and
the utilization Of that supply or the adop-
the general land office would be good one.
That is. place the lands in the direct control
OF the states for reclamation. He briefly
mentions the
Difficulties Between the Otoe and Missouri
Indians,
Which he states is complicated one. No
settlement has yet been agreed upon.
In speaking OF the decision Of his predeces-
sors that the eastern terminus of the North
cru Pacific Railway Co. has been fixed at Du-
luth, he states that the effect of this decision
was TO exclude from the land grant of the COM
pany all lands lying east of that city Prior
To the decision referred to, lands lying east OF
Duluth, had been appropriated by settlers and
paid for at the double minimum rate of $50
per acre, upon the assumption that they fell
within the limits Of the railroad grant, and
therefore within the operation of section 2,352
OF the Revised Statutes.
After the PRONUNCIATION of These Deci-
siOns
Numerous applications were made by persons
who had paid the double minimum price for
lands 10 have the excess of SI.25 per acre re-
funded, pursuant to the provisions of the act
OF June 10, 1880
Inasmuch the railroad company had never
Rcquiesced in the decision of the de-
paTLment, all such applications have
been suspended to await the final and
authoritative location of the eastern ter
minus of said road by court of competent
Jurisdiction He has been officially informed
through counsel of the company that a suit
viii in a short time be brought for that pur-
pose.
In the meantime while he has not ques-
toned the propriety of the ruling of the de-
partment, he deems it the safer course to d.
rect the large disbursements involved in
compliance with the request Of the settlers.
No steps have been taken to make
AIIotmenIs to the Wichita Indians,
As the act OF congress left this to the dis
erection Of the department. Regarding the
opening Of what is known as the leased dis
ttict of the ChoctaW and Chickasaw In
dIans, which is now before the court
of CLAIMS, he says that If the allotmentS
we're made, and the balance of the land thrown
open before a decision Is rendered upon the
claim of the Choctaws and ChlckaSaws, the
government would be placing the Indians upon
land under an agreement which involved the
transfer of good title, and would also be
throwing open the land to settlement when. in
point of fact. it did not have clear title there
20. he recommends that all the Oklahoma
town site boards be abolished.
Secretary Francis is Of the opinion that the
free use OF timber or public lands for CONNER
cial purposes should be discontinued.
On the Pension Question
He says that about 970,675 persons are drawing
about Si40,CUo0O0 per annum in pensions, and
the branch OF the service should be conducted
with great care and discretion. He gives ia
be which shows that the total amount paid
out by the government in pensions, and the
cost of disbursing the same during the last 81
years. Ss.034 SIT, 7G9, which lacks only $780,,
7i-,526 OF being equal to the high water mark
or the lEterest-bearing public debt He Sug
Eests number Of amendments to the pension
laws, some OF which have already been made
public NOTABLY those in regard to pensioners
resident in Germany.
One Hundred and Forty Million Dollars
Is thought to be sufficient for the payment OF
pensions during the next fiscal year unless
pensions are increased by further legislation.
The secretary recommends that an increase
from So to Sl2 per month be granted to all sur
vivors OF the Mexican war VINO are wholly dis
abled and destitute.
The Indians,
He says, now occupy about 100000 acres of
land. and those should be protected from the
sinister Vaccinations of INSCRIPTIONS men.
He recommends that the Indian bureau should
be conducted by commission OF three mem
beers, Two to be civilians of different political
parties and enc an army officer.
Concerning the Bond Aided Ra iIroads,
The secretary summarizes the recommended
tiouS 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 unquestionably will be, on
January next, when 8, I32 600 additional to its
fnde btedness, together with 30 years interest
thereon, will fail due, and must be redeemed
by the government
on january 1897. s.. 60, eco additional bonds
of The Union Pacific will mature; interest on
same-si 9sS, v6O-wiu be then due, and if not
; paid the Union Pacific viii unQuestionably be
IN default. He has, therefore, declined to pat
ent lands to the Union Pacific railroad or the
Central Pacific railroad, except in cases where
IL can be shown that the lands for which pat
enJS are asked have been sold to bona hde
purchasers. The Central Pacific railroad was,
on June 30, 1890, in default to the government
TO the extent OF Ssss 14S 66 ON its bond and in
terestr and its sinking fund" accounts.
EIe refers to the fact that the act ehartering
the Nicaragua Canal Co. requires the company
TO make report on the first Monday In De-
cember each year TO TIE secretary OF the in
terror, to be verified on oath by its president
and secretary. A preliminary statement has
been submitted by the canal company show
ing that no work has been done on the canal
since August, 1893
the Maritime Canal Co. entered into q con-
tract with the Nicaragua Canal Construction
Co for the construction Of the canal, but the
latter company became financially em5ar-
xEsseSl ill August, iSs3. and subsequently made
An assignment Of its construction contract and
ali its assets 10 the Nicaragua Co, corpor-
alton char cred BY tho state OF Vermont. The
latter company has not yet found itself Ia u