Evening star., 1896-12-05
Mr.. FRANCIS REPORT.
The Secretary Deals Sharply With
the Pacific Roads.
SENATOR VESTS ASPHALT TOUCHED UP
A Conservative but Patriotic Pen
sion Policy.
THE BLIC DOM AIN

The annual report Of Secretary Francis
| was made public this morning. The Secre-
| tary of the Interior considers in prompt
| and decisive way a number Of questions Of
| public policy that have for many years
| baked settlement. The report offers So
luton of the problem of the bond-aided
roads, deals exhaustively with pension ad-
! ministration, reviews the work of the
Dawes commission and touches on various
matters of especial significance in the west
The public domain is the first topic con-
sidered. The total number OF acres dis
posed Of up to June 80 last was 946, 6,OOO, ,OOO
leaving public domain still vacant estimat-
ed at over oOO,OOO.OOO, not including the dis
tI-ct Of Alaska, with an area of over 369,-
ooooOO acres Since the homestead act was
passed on May 20, 1862. there have been
lo2, So, 132 acres entered by homestead set
tiers. OF this 1U3,OOO,OOO acres will be pat
eiited when the legal conditions have been
met Of the remainder, 42,OGOOUO acres
represent entries Cancelled and almost TO-
OoOOOO acres ccmmuted to cash.
There are yet due to railroads and
wagon roads under their grants ia 1856, $50
acres. OF which not more than 60 per cent
are available for patenting under the con-
uitions OF the grants The total grants of
iaAos 70 the various states and territories
Up TO March II last aggregated 49, ,StiS $50
acres, in addition to agricultural. college
scrip for 1.S5O,UOO acres.
disappearing Public Domain.
ihe total of all lands segregated from the
public domain aggregates 946 2lS, 16U acres,
The report says:
These figures demonstrate that the
country is being settled with great rapidi-
ty, and that the public domain is being
diminished by great strides. Ii the rate of
disposition Of the last thirteen Years, which
Is 2.hGOO.UOO acres year, is continued for
thirteen years to come there will be little
OF the public domain outside of Alaska in
Possession of the government at the expi-
ration Of that time. Of the l14,Wn 900
acres granted to railroads. but not PATENT
eo' there can be no objection to transfer
ring possession and control Of whatever
portion mas been earned by complying with
the grants, and that may be available
hereunder ESTIMATED at 1O,UO,uU acres)
until these grants are adjusted no addi-
tlonal ones should be made. During the
year lo,o2I,si4 acres were patented TO rail-
roads under congressional grants
Discussing forest reservations, the report
says. no permits to cut timber on public
lands should be granted for any purpose
olher than to supply the needs Of settlers
in the neIghbornooo.
Secretary Francis urges upon Congress
the necessity for legislation for the recia-
nation and disposal of lands within the
ard regions. Unless the Carey act could
oe amended SO as to give the state power
10 piedge 'ands for their reclamation he
says 1t would be better TO place the lands
under the direct control of the states orly
so 1ar as may be necessary to secure their
reclamation for the 1eneiit OF actual set
tiers
Payment of Pensions,
Pensions paid by the government and the
cost of paying them for thrty-one wears
amount to $2,o34S17, 7G,. This lacks but
S4e.n n2OO of being equal to the high
water mark of the interest-bearing public
debt The present number of pensioners
Is 9|O,G1S. greater by 1866 than in 1893
Wnen the maximum cost was reached, and
is greater tnan ever before. This Is due
to the death Of old soldiers and the con-
tlnued payment of allowances to their heirs,
While the amount paid is decreased through
the death of invalid pensioners leaving no
dependents The pension policy of the
department has been to make the pension
list roll roll Of honor rather than to save.
money to the government; the effort has
teen to defeat the designs of imposto
Whlle recognizing me claims of the needy
and deserving. General public sentiment
however, is that the obligation Of the gov
ernment is confined to those who fought
for its maintenance and those dependent
upon them. The total number of our pen
sioners in foreign countries was 3,7Sl who
were paid sos. 135. The commissioner OF
pensions has been directed to accept from
the pensioners residing in Germany only
such declarations and other papers OF
claimants as may be made before United
States minister consul, or other consular
officer of the United States
Increase of from IS to $12 per month is
recommended for all wholly disabled and
destitute Mexican war survivors.
The Indian Office.
Under Indian affairs the Secretary re-
peats the recommendation of his predeces-
sor for a commission of three, one Of whom
shall be army officer to take the place
of the commissioner and assistant com
| missioner of Indian affairs. With regard
to the dispute over the Uncompahgre In
dian reservation in Utah in which yall,a-
BILE deposits of aSphaltum have been dis
covered, Secretary Francis expressed the
opinion that the commission which treated
with the Indians for the allotment of their
lands totally misunderstood the agreement
of 1889. by which the Uncompangres were
removed from Colorado. The Indians de-
clined to pay $1.25 an acre for the lands
allotted to them, because they We're led
to believe that the purchase money would
come out of their trust fund of $1,25O, 600
which furnishes them $4,000 per annum
This is not the case. The purchase money
would not disturb the trust fund, but would
eventually come out of the proceeds CT the
sale of their Colorado lands. The com
mission was dissolved last February.
1T is my Judgment says the Secretary,
that some legislation should be enacted
whereby the people of the United States
can at an early date have the benefit of
these valuable and useful deposits. If the
lands containing them were owned by an
individual a corporation instead of by
the government, business methods would be
pursued in dsposiDg of them; they would
be sold to the highest bidder at public
auction. or by sealed bids. or would be
leased, or the right to work the deposits
would be granted for a consideration in
the shape of royalty or otherwise. Such
lands are different from agricultural, tim
ber or coal lands.
The UncOmpah9re Asphalt.
"It is claimed that considerable portion
of the Uncompahgre and Uintah reserva-
tions, known as the lava BEDS contain
substance called 'elaterite, which, with
solution recently discovered, makes
valuable paint and an insulator of incom-
parable quality. Such deposits of gilsonite
or elaterite are of rare occurrence: in fact.
l know of no other within the limits of the
public domain.
LAS Congress took no further action on
this subject, after receiving the reply of
my predecessor to it's resolution of Janu-
ary 16, 1896, / have not felt justified in
changing the situation as l found it.
Il recommend that Congress authorize
the appointment of another commission to
negotiate with the Uncompahgres, explain
To them how the lands allotte ed can he ma i'll