New-York tribune., 1896-12-05
AFFAIRS OF TIE INTERIOR.
SECRETARY FRANCIS REVIEWS TIE
WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT.
ExpExplTrREs FOR THE YEAR-REcLAMATloN
OF ARID LANDS 49, CONDITION OF TIE
1yp,Axs-rAcIrlc RAILROAD DEBTS

OF ARID LANDS - CONDITION or THE
IypiAys-rAcIrlc RAILROAD DEBTS
PENSION APPROPRIATIONS.
Washington. Dec. 4-Sccre'ary OF the ih'e'ioi
David r. Francis has submitted his report to the
p-.s,1or, rb, concentrations for the last fiscal
year amounted TO $l57l19Soj The estimates i''
the present fiscal year are about N'o"V" '"o,
than wa appropriated last year the ast'e" ruD-
lie domain is now l,Se0.2yS' acres Inc P""'0
lands SIN vacant amount 20 over V""""' ".i''
not Including Alaska. About H.12"'ol acres nav
hcon naicntcd 10 railroads and there IS yet hu' u
railroads and wagon roads under their grants an
aggregate Of l1i726639 acres The io'ai ncrc"So
segregated from the public domain was 'i'-i'',oV
acres The Secretary deems il desirable that the
waste acreage should be taken up by actuai SET
tiers who should receive every ehcou'"tvi,
and saws that II the rate of settlement CONTINUES
in the future as in the past. but niue Nt'"'' '
will be left in thirteen years. lie urges eshi''o
for the preservation of the forests ara s"!S "
n report will be submitted to Congress py 'he
Forestry Commission, which has lately rcturlie"
from q four OF inspection. The Des MONIES ltiEci
land grant matter has been a"Jus''u ~ ~
Ssjs5 in wards agreed on. oi wmch Sii'''',
has been paid. and the remainder VIII po pau
at the end of this year
Secretary Francis calls the attention OF Ooi'S 20
"a the necessit, of legislation looking 10 the
reclamation OF arid lands. and SAYS tha' % ~.
900 900 acres Of arid lands. lclVoWc acres i"s"
be reclaimed by the conservative use vi ""'''
but II Is impossible. under the laws now IN OPERA
tion 10 control the reclamation OF the ar'o 'cso"'
en- os IN prcvcn the irprovidcnt use OF water o'ci
which the general Government has no coh'io
This should be done by Il system wnch coi''
mates the reclamation of the cntre e'ii'oi'"
from common source OF supply ana .i'e "'''
t,on of that supply the adoption OF the SUB
yas,io, of the Commissioner of the General Lana
ONce would be a good That is, place the
lands in the direct control of the states LOT ''c
walton He briefly mentions the dlnlcuitE oet"'V"
the Otoe and Missouri Indians. which he says Is
a con,nlicated one No settlement mas yet Deem
agreed on ,or
In speakng Of the decision of his predeceSsoi M
that the eastern terminus of the Northern "0''e
Railroad Company had been fixed AT Duiu'n' n7
saws that the effect of this decision WAS "
clrde from the land grant of the company all ian'
,.., .s+ of ,ha, citv Prior to the decision re-
farrcd N lands living Of Duluth had pee"
anpropriated by settlers and paid for al 'he
minimum rate of 81 80 an acre, on the as'"'',i,
thai they fell within the limits OF the raiiroau
vra,t and therefore within the operation Oh sec
a.. o go of tho Revised Statutes. After the Pio-
n,ulration of these decisions numerous "pp'.
,ions were made by persons VINO hao p"'u w
double minimum price for lands 10 nave 'n,
Of 81 . an acre refunded. pursuant W Wv -
v,s,ons of the act of June ID. 1880 lnasnuch as
H., ooronsnv rad never acquiesced IN the
ao,s,on of the Department. all such arphca'io"S
have been suspended. TO await 'he ii'i"' an IA
,ho,;,a,,ve location of the eastern terminus Oh sa'
od h, q court Of competent Jurisdictions ne
has been unoiicially Informed. through co'n'o' ~
-. o,,,orv that n suit will In short tihe pe
,..,,, sor that pilrriose In the mean uh'c "''i''
he has not questioned the proprcty OF .'e
of the Department, he deems II inc SUI o,.a
% refuse 10 direct the large disburscneh' in,oI'''
e, . cor,pliance with the request OF the Se'"0
''" " .. ha,.e heen taken 10 make allJtments 10
49,, x,-,oh,,a Indians as the act OF congress iei'
.,s 20 the discretion Of the Department. Hes"
,rs the opening Of what is known as 'he ~ e"a'" "
d,s,rict of the Choctaw and Chickdsa" "''".
which is now before the Court 0i and d'i rhe remain
Iha', ~ the land thrown open before @ Uesipi 1bick
rendered the claim OF dmld .nT he placing the Ind
ians on land under an agrsemell6 ~rnnid also be
the transfer OF the sisnd TO settlement. when in
noint OF fact it did not nave Clboma Sseai ownsite
He Teo9mhl1hnIWs l1hnWshnd Secretary Francis IS OF NE
op;non that the free use OF timoer Tipnniinued on
'or ON the subject Of pensions he say Saye , @ YEA
c63s persons dra wing ooSt S service should
IN peni..d pensiU, with great care and discretion re
gives table which shows tni9 IN pensions and the
cost OF disbursing he same IN , ce onl ssss y 525
Of being equal ,hs I sgg"sts nsTk % nuInher
est-benrmE OF inc pension laws some OF wnic IN
uairnadv been made public tnolapiF & t,o2D nrn
regard 10 pensioners living IN re thought to be
dred and forty million dollars rons ate in the next
eufcient for the payment OF pehScr hirsasnd bv fur
.ioat
her legislation The secreta'y month be- granted to
an increase of from $ to SZ War Who are wholly
ali survivors Of the Mexican ""' WIN
disabled and destitute - ooc,,nv about s. 0e00 900
The indians. he says, nov VESIp! ~ nrotected from
az sinister Vaccinations OF ulsUr roam should be
lie recommends that iAg Of ,hree members two
GO h Civilians OF different political parties anu ''''
an Ar the bondaided Railroads the s Srede
ary the di,ieation e calls
cesso,s H ~ The fact that the tables nn pfSsSs ; n
aieeriv sho:y that the Central faclv viii
citai;; ,n tho Government. or unquestl %
default nuary ~ next when 2 AZ 800 addtlcnai T
s indebte iness togeher Win ost ,ni' e redeemed by
est tepmnent on January l. 1897 ssei'v, W ,r aro
;onal bonds Of O.. do% nOm rHSt be- then due and il no
on ,d me Union Pacific will unauestona,n. VI ,. land
default 10, Pacifc or the Central Pachc ran M
road except in cases where are % asked have beer
the a sn bona d TIE TSn'ra o the Cow
railroad June 60 ss II u s ON is bond anc
srnmen,' rs., and its sinking fund accounts ,h
He gsfspS canal Company. requires the company i
make on The aIs Mo OF the interior 10
eacn year az 20 Gath hy its president and secretary
nreminary statement has nesn peg & has been dom
canal sofnpi rarai since August 1898 The MnTi'im
Canal ComPamy PGaHyol construction Company for III
cnrs,r,ction of the canal. bu, ile . ,ns" 1Sa2 on
oesanc oesa,en,v made an assignment or itS Gonsaruc
lion contract and all its ssstr sd 70 hy @ ,hc STATE
Sonpda;;' The latter company has NOT yct iouh
,.if in position resume the WORK oi coi's' uo
lion under its contract ox.o,sio, ~ tho accom-
TT" tn Secretary wants an EXTENSION ol IN 'ao ~ ~
,r,a,ons for his Department re eIIS1s 80, ' cnr ~
p poas ~ ,ale immediate steps looking to me purGhahS :
=. 6amnation Of y block or more or GROUND hu
ot co,'0 W. Contiguous 10 the Interior Departmc'i
d;,e for the erection thereon OF another s'rucl
l ,n ynee the present necessities OF an impor'h
uIe w -, Tho Government which must expand an
grow with the development OF ias counfy arsty f !,
savrcas The area Of our country thc FafirN " !,
sea,,c,o rho diyersities Of its interests tc tfad
and social relations between localities ana cSssrs
nonie make ia internal commerce OF enornlou
psyni;ude and must from time to time necesslta.
.n,errsment OF it's existing Government bureau
enia ~ esta hlishnent OF additional ones Prov
shu ,nn ' for The accommodation thereof should II