The Mena star., 1898-11-30
INTERIOR AFFAIRS.
Secretary Bliss Makes an Interest
 ing Report of His Department.
Progress of the Pension, Indian. Land, Patent, Educational and Territorial Mat ters--Assistaut Secretary Davis
 Recommends Legislation.

Washington, Nov. 26. The annual report of Secretary of the Interior Bliss. made public last night, reviews in detail the progress of the pension, Indian, land, patent, educational and territorial affairs. Reviewing the grad ual diminution of public land area, Secretary Bliss says:
 or 300 and odd million acres of desert lands requiring irrigation to render them valuable farming lands. the available water supply is sufficient for only 7,500 900 acres leaving 26),- 61d000 acres suitable only for grazing purposes There are 30 forest reservations embracing an estimated area of 40.7l94;4 acres
 The Indians are declared to have made subs tan tial progress, and the Chippewa outbreak was the only seri- ous disturbance of the year. The workings of the Curtis Indian terri tory act are praised and the more pro- territory are reported as inclined to accept the situation in good faith.
 Reviewing pension matters, Secre- tary Bliss reports 637, 1000 claims of all classes pending and says separate division has been organized for the adjudication of claims growing out of the war with Spain. These soldiers will receive their pensions under the general law for permanent disabilities contracted in the service. He also concurs in the recommendation for the creation of a commission to revise the pension laws and regulations in the interest of future reliable, intelligent and uniform practice.
 The advancement along educational lines is outlined by an increase of over 250, 900 of school pupils iu the United States for the fiscal year of 1s96-97 over the previous one. but yet the total average amount of schooling per indi- viduai for tine whole United States, measured by the present standard, does not quite equal five years of 200 days for each inhabitant. The total number of school pupils in the country, schools, universities, high schools and academies, is put at 16, ,255, 093.
 Assistant Secretary of the Interior Webster Davis, in his annual report, says the 122, 6S1 appeals from the pen sion bureau and 626 motions for recon sideration filed during the year make up a number unprecedented in any one year or two years in the history of the board of appeals. The proportion ate increase still con tinues and on Oc- tober last there were II, s20 such ap- peals and motions pending and Secre- tary Bliss concurs in Assistant Secre- tary Davis recommendations for pro- viding for three additional members of this board; for additional legislation amending the act of August z, 1897, relating to marriages; Legislation reg ulating the payment of pensions to soldiers who deprive their families of the use thereof because of immoral habits and ineompeteney; and legis. lative amendment in behalf of widows whose husbands died while in the service, death not being the result of any violation of any law. regulation or rule of the military or naval serv- ice, death under such conditions to be equivalent to an honorable discharge as now required.