The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-19
SECRETARY BLTSS'S REPORT
ExHh USTIVE REVIEW OF THE WORK
OF HIS GREAT DEPARTMENT


ExH< USTIVE REVIEW OF THE WORK
OF HIS GREAT DEPARTMENT.
Laws needed FER the Protection OF the Forest
Reservntiens-o7o. ora Names on the Pen
sien Rolls snd 200. Doc Claims Awaiting
Adjudication - Agreements with Indians.
WASHINGTON. Nov. ls.-In his first annual
report, which is given to the press to-day, tho
Hon. Cornelius N. Bliss, Secretary OF the Int.
rior, deals at length and in n worry interesting
manner with tho euro I work and future needs
Of the many divisions of his important depart.
mont. Tho General Land Office. the Patent
ONCE, tho Pension Bureau, the Indian Bureau.
the Geological Survey, and tho Bureau OF Edu.
cation, with all their varied branches. come
within the scope of the Secretary's authority
and jurisdiction, and his report touches upon
the working of all these branches.
In treating of tho subject of the devastation
Of the public domain by forest fires, the Secro-
tary ~testif1es to the wisdom and practical excel.
lenco OF tho act of Feb. "a, 1897, entitled An
act to prevent forest fires on the public do.
main,' and recommends its retention. On tho
general subject Of forestry the Secretary says:
"There are now existing nineteen forest rcscr.
vations, embracing lands having an estimated
area OF 1s, 993, $50 acres, which from time to time
have boon set aside by Presidential proclama-
lions. Thirteen forest reserves created by proc
lamation Of Feb. %, 1897. were. with the excep-
ton Of two In the State of California, suspended
by the Sundry Civil act of June 4, 1897, until
March l, 1898. The suspended reservations
contain an estimated area OF 10, 95l, $3.50 acres.
The preservation Of the public forests is a mat
ter Of vital interest to tho entire nation. The
enactment Of adequate laws for their protection
and the proper enforcement thereof, coupled
with the Inauguration OF q comprehensive for
est system. can only effect such result.
1T was my intention originally to establish a
forest bureau in this department, but the made.
quacy Of the appropriation for tho work pre-
cluded my carrying into effect such plan. I
have, however. taken such action as the circum-
stances permitted, and since July l, 1897, have
appointed special forest agents and supervisors
to patrol tho reserves and to enforce tho regula-
tions.
Tho force Of agents. supervisors, and assist
ants, 1t is needless to say, is insufficient for the
proper supervision of the forest reserves. and n
material increase thereof will have to be made
by Congress in order that the department may
satisfactorily fulfill the requirements Of the
law. 1t is in the interest of economy and a wise
policy to increase the force to make ii effective.
A trained corps OF from fifty to sixty forest
agents, supervisors, patrolmen, and assistants,
judiciously distributed. can be made the means
of preserving millions OF dollars worth of public
timber annually from spoliation by tresp ssers
and destruction BY fire, at n relatively slight
Cost 10 INC GONornu1ent, aSlue from the lmpOr-
tance of the forest reservations to future gene
%rations.
ton of the Commissioner of the General Land
Office that liberal appropriations be made by
Congress for the forestry service;
Attention Is directed to the law which pro-
yides a penalty for the cutting or destruction of
live oak or red cedar. or other timber on the
that it is Inadequate for the punishment Of
offences to which it relates; it fails to discrimi-
mate clearly si,b rs snd Justly st y,S as to what hs n SETstitGtf h.r .
which the Land Department has to rely to check
the waste and destruction of public timber, it's
failure to meet the ends desired is a serious mat
ter, and LEGISLATION more in accord with the needs
OF the times should be secured"
Secretary Bliss calls attention to the report of
the Commissioner of Pensions, already pub
were on the pension rolls s76.o1 names. an in.
crease of 1886 during the year. OF these there
were sixteen widows and daughters Of Revolu:
tionary soldiers, seven survivors of the war of
1912, 2s1 widows OF soldiers of that war, 10.
survivors and widows of the Mexican war. 1851
survivors and widows OF Indian wars, 663 army
nurses and ASS, O64 survivors and widows and
children Of deceased soldiers and sailors Of the
war of the rebellion. The latter number repre-
SCENTS those pensioned on account Of disabilities
or death resulting from army and navy service.
june 80. 1897, who were pensioned under the
act OF June "a; 1880; which allows pensions on
&c sof fbe se pt aea, was sn sos s l5se' not eharGeaole
The number added to the rolls during the year
was 54,O12. the number, dropped from various
causes was Al 100. and the number of claims of
various classes disallowed was 1924. The
amount disbursed for pensions during the year
bursed during the fiscal year 1896 by the sum of
61.5s4,4s0.ls. During the year 994 Asa pension
certificates were issued.
The Secretary indorses tho recommendation
OF Commissioner Evans for the passage of a law
R {So Widov t Of sn NO s psSfipn w snan .b SS s6Es epssdts to
marry, As to the status OF pension claims gen.
"There are about 200, 600 pension claims
awaiting adjudication, and it is estimated that
80 or 50 per cent. thereof will be finally admit;
they win swell the pension roll from S 1000, 900
to $1,000 900. When. however, these claims
are once adjudicated and first payments made
or crease sG eo very Co rapidly. possibly to SIZE; 600 600 or
s saii& ;oo g. ;G sSat th She a6s '66 900 600 w wiIi be- Som Pe1nised fo
fssSSst. In view y the foregoing Statements.
p~riation may be necessary. He recommends
that the Executive order of. July IA. 1897. sus-
1897. consolidating pension agencies. be con.
tinueh Indefinitely. as the interest OF the ser
vice and the Government will be best subserved
Relative to the work Of the commission Of the
Eve civilized Indian tribes, known as the Dawes
Commission, the Secretary says:
The report OF the commission indicates that
the investigation Of the rights of applicants for
tically completed; that 1t has been engaged in
tho preparation Of rolls of citizenship Of the
Dec. is. 1896. in which the Chickasaws re-
d doseiud 70 fUnfpF %, WIS 1897 suP %i1h Soth BY yri6 Sne
The latter was forwarded to Congress on
May ID, 1897. for consideration and ~ratihca-
ton, and has recently been ratified by tho
Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes. An agreement
was also made with the Creeks Sept. 81, 1897,
but the ratification thereof was refused by tho
Creek Council by an almost unanimous vote.
Tho commission does not speak encouragingly
of the prospect Of any further agreement being
entered into. The Cherokees refused to make
any agreement with the commission, and nego-
~tiations with that tribe have, for the time. been
abandoned.
Agreements concluded with such OF the Five
Tribes as have consented to negotiate vary SO
greatly in their provisions that. in view OF the
TACT that eventually a. uniform system, OF gov
eminent must be provided Tor the Indian. Ter
ritory, 1t is questionable whether any Of the
agreements now under consideration should be
definitely ratified by Congress until the desired
ana necessary uniformity c n be secured.
The five tribes have undoubtedly violated
In many ways the spirit of their, agreements
with the United States under which the Ter
ritory is now held and governed, and while do