Evening star., 1898-12-05

! ed the Both of June 1885 which was
/ covered into the Treasury. There were 3se
! rames added to the rolls during the year
! by special acts passed ct the second ses-
! sion of the FIfty-fifth Congress- making
total Of 6,4S6 pensioners by Congressional
| enactments since 1861
| The total receipts of the Patent Office
! during the past year We're 81 253 ash.
The expenditures were 81 0S1 633 80, leaving
a surplus of S1I2,3l4.65.
The public lands disposed of by the Gov
| eminent during the year reached & 4.l3 S9692
! acres increase of GA, 1S0.26 acres over
the previou gear. The total receipts from
public lands during the fiscal year amount
ed to S2,277 ,9361S. an increase of S1900S390
| over the preceding year The lands en-
| braced in the eleven forest reservati tions,
| which were suspended by the act of June 1.
| 1877, again became subject to the operations
| of the Droclamat tons of February -. 1897.
creating them, which added estimated
| amount of 1881 800 acres to the area en-
| bTaced in the reserves previously created.
| In addition thereto two new reserves were
| created during the year-the Pine Mountain
and Zaca Lake Reserve in California en-
| bracing 1,6i4 .594 acres, and the Prescott
! Reserve in Arizona. embracing 1920 acres;
while the Pecos River Reserve IN New Mex
| icD mas Deen CndHSeU anu enlarged 10 IN
| clude 10000 additional acres.
| At the close of the year thirty forest res
ervations, not including those of the Afog-
| nae Forest and the Fish-Culture Reserve in
Alaska, had been created by Executive
| prociamations under section 2l of the act
| of March 3, 1891, embracing an estimated
| area of 40 T19.474 acres.
The Department of the Interior has inau-
| gurated a forest system, made possible by
| the act of July, 1898, for a graded force of
| officers in control of the reserves. This
! system has only been in full operation since
August, but good results have already been
| secured in many sections The reports re-
! ceved indicate that the system of patrol
| has rot only prevented destructive fires
| from gaining headway but has diminished
! the nlm of fires.
| The 81, ,ial attention of the Congress is
| cal ed IL that part of the report Of the Sec
| retary Of the interior in relation to the
| Five Civilized Tribes. 1t is noteworthy that
the general condition of the Indians shows
| marked progress. But one outbreak of
| serious character occurred during the year,
and that among the Chippewa Indians of
Minnesota, which happily has been sup
| pressed.
While it has not yet been practicable TO
| enforce all the provisions of the act of June
| 2S, 1898, for the protection of the people
| of the Indian Territory, and for other pur-
| poses" it is having a salutary effect upon
| the nations composing the Five Tribes. The
| Dawes Commission reports that the most
| gratifying results and greater advance to-
| ward the attainment of the pbjec-s Of the
| Government have been secured in the past
| year than in any previous year. / can not
| too strongly ndorse the recommendation Of
| the Commission and of the Secretary OF the
| Interior for the necessity of providing for
| tie education OF the 3nteO white children
| -csident in the Indian Territory.
| DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
! The Department of Agriculture has been
| active in the past year. Explorers have
| been sent to many of the countries of the
Eastern and Western Hemisoheres for
| seeds and plants that may be useful to
| the United States and with the further
view of opening up markets for our surplus
| products. The Forestry Division of the
| Department is giving special attention to
| the treeless regions of country and is
| introducing species specially adapted to
| semiard regions. Forest fires which Sc
| riousl. interfere with production. especially
| in irrigated regions, are being studied that
| losses from this cause may be avoided. The
Department is inquiring into the use and
! abuse of water in many States of the West
| and collating information regarding the
| laws of the States, the decisions of the
| courts, and the customs of the people in
| this regard so that uniformity may be
| cured. Experiment stations are becoming
| more effective every year. The annual ap-
| preparation Of $I2o,e6o by Congress is sup
| plemented by Sio0,GOo from the States. Ma
| tion-wide experiments have been conducted
| to ascertain the sutableness as to soil and
| climate and States for growing sugar boets.
| The number of sugar factories has been
! doubled in the past two years and the anil
ity of the United States to produce its oVn
| sugar from this source has been clearly
| demonstrated.
| The Weather Bureau forecast and obser-
Walton stations have been extended 3rnund
| the Caribbean Sea, to give early warning of
| the approach of hurricanes from the south
seas to our fleets and merchant marine.
| Capital Centennial.
| In the year 1900 will occur the centennial
| anniversary of the founding of the city of
| Washington. for the permanent Capital of
the Government Of the United States by
| authority of act of Congress approved
July is. 1880. In May, 1900, the archives
and general offices of the Federal Govern
| ment were removed to this place. On the
| 18th of November 1900, the National Con
| gress met here for the first time and as
! sumed exclusive control of the Federal
| District and City. This interesting evert
| assumes all the more significance when
recall the circumstances attending the
| choosing of the site, the naming of the
| Capital in honor of the Father of his Conn
| try, and the interest taken by him in the
| adoption of plans for its future develop
| ment a magnificent scale.
| These original plans have been wrought
| out with a constant progress and signal
| success even beyond anything their trainers
| could have foreseen. The people of the
country are justly proud of the distinctive
| beauty and government of the Capital, and
| of the rare instruments of science and
| education which here find their natural
| home.
| movement lately inaugurated by the
| citizens to have the anniversary celebrated
| with fitting ceremonies including perhaps
| the establishment of a handsome perma-
! nent memorial to mark SO historical an oc-
casion and to give it more legal recogni-