Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-25
Subjects Discussed in Secretary
Bliss Report.
REPRESENTATION FOR ALASKA
Work of Geological Survey and
Pension Bureau.
WITH INDIANS

fairs.
Reviewing the gradual dminution in pub
lie land area. Secretary Bliss says:
"0f three hundred and odd million acres
of desert land requiring irrigation to rem
der them valuable farming lands the avail
able water supply is sufficient for only H.
100000 acres, leaving 260,616o00 acres suit
able only for grazing purposes" There are
thirty forest reservations embracing an es-
timated area of H,71a,474 acres, The In
dams are declared to have made substantial
progress and the Chippewa outbreak was
the only serious disturbance Of the year.
Referring TO this trouble the report points
to Commissioner Jones successful efforts in
bringing about the surrender of the Indians.
and says the origin Of the trouble is now
under joint investigation by the Depart
ments of the Interior and of Justice.
Considerable effort has been made TO in
duce the Mile Lac Chippewas 10 so to
White Earth reservation. but with eaGer
success. Though Chippewa Commissioner
Hall hopes quite a number will remove this
autumn.
The Senate is urged to ratify the treaty
with the Uintah Indians to receive such
Tncompahgres as should be allotted to
lands on the Uintah reservation. No
agreement. however can be made with the
Cintahs for the sale of all their lands in
order that all not needed for allotment
might he offered for sale. The commits
sion reports its failure and says the terms
specified were not acceptable to the tribe.
The workings Of the Curtis Indian terri
tory act are praised and the more progress
sive element of the Indians in the terri
tory are reported as inclined to accept the
situation in good faith
Reviewing pension matters. Secretary
Bliss reports e;}5 600 claims of all classes
pc ending. and says a separate division has
been organized for the adjudication Of
claims growing out of the war with Spain.
I bpSp soldiers will receive their pppEionS
Under the general law for permanent dis
abilities contracted in the service. He also
cCncurs in the recommendation for the
creation Of Il commission TO revise the pen
sion laws and regulations in the interest of
a future reliable, intelligent and uniform
practice.
Early Legislative enactment for the taking
of the twelfth census is urged in view OF
the necessary large amount of work pre-
paratory to the enumeration of the popu-
lation.
The Geological Survey.
During the year the geological survey
has surveyed geographically 30,057 square
miles, making total now completed of ap-
proximately one-fourth of the area of the
entire country, exclusive of Alaska The
field surveys of Indian territory were com
pleted last June. This latter work has
demonstrated that it is more economical to
survey large areas in this manner than
under the contract system heretofore en-
ployed by the government in its land-sub-
division surveys. 1t is anticipated that the
to,oo0 square miles of forests now included
within the forest reserves can be thorough
ly and economically surveyed within five
years, IL adequate appropriations are made.
ne advancement along educational lines
is outlined by an increase Of over a quarter
or million of school pupils in the United
States for the fiscal year 1867 over the
previous one. but yet the total average
amount of schooling per individual for the
r0p Ia,rr
ent standard, does not quite equal five
years of 200 days each for each inhabitant
ne total number OF school pupils in the
eouulitIy' IN elementary public and private
stnoolS' colleges, universities, high schools
mo academies, is put at IL 255 u93
me render and their Lapland drivers
III Alaska nave largely passed into the
service of the Post Office Department and
are now being distributed for CARRYING tho
Yukon mail up and down the valley of the
Yukon through thousand miles of scat
tered mining settlements in the wilderness.
The report makes no mention OF the recon-,
mendation of Commissioner of Railroads
Longstreet for the government construc-
ton aid operation of a new transconti-
mental trunk line from Kansas City to San
Diego
Secretary Bliss, summing up the report
OF Governor Brady of Alaska, calls atten-
ton to the difficulty of preventing the
smuggling of liquor into Alaska. il being
impossible to enforce present regulations
without feet of revenue cutters and
steam launches to patrol the tortuous chan
nels Of southeast Alaskan waters Snug
sllhs prevails and saloons are open in all
OF the towns and mining camps The gov
ernor reports a consensus of opinion in
favor OF a stringent high license law which
would tend to stamp out smuggling and
liquor selling to the natives. The applica-
ZION to Alaska of the liquor laws in force
IN the District of Columbia, with several
minor notifications, is urged as meeting
a majority approval The governor be
HeVeS that Alaska should and can nav
revenue into the United States treasury.
Under high-license law he estimates that
the hquor traffic would yield an annual rev.
enue of not less than S2O0UU0; a tax of
few cents per case of salmon would produce
from Sj,oO0 to 10000; ten cents per ton
on wharfage collected during the past year
would have yielded 100000 He recon-
mends, however, that any system of taAa-
ton for the territory be deferred until land
laws shall have been provided
Many sections of Alaska, it is shown,
are suitable 10: agricultural purposes. With
proIer care cattle can be raised in the
miider districts. 1t cannot be doubted
that i'll the course of time vast herds of
reindeer Will cover the plains of northern
Alaska and a few thousands of dollars
spent now in helping the Eskimo to OBJ
tain herds will save the expenditure of
many thousands in the future
lHt IuT SedlS are doomed TO extinction
unless all peagic sealing can be stopped
The branding of female seals has proved
a success. The brands render the pelts
valuelejs and show that the United States
has a property right to the animal The
raising of blue foxes is becoming an i'm
portant industry. The hunting of the sea
otter has been so unremittng that very
few are now left. The governor recon-
mends that the killing of them be pro-
hibited for a long time
Representation in Congress for the clti-
lens of Alaska is strongly urged.
The past year has been one of great pro-
gress in mining operations. Many Ameri-
cans who located claims in the northwest
territory have abandoned them and have
settled on the Alaskan side of the inter
national boundary line, where a new town,
Eagle City, has sprung up. There has been
great development in quartz mining in
southeast Alaska and along the coast as
far Unalaska. Coal has been discovered
near the upper Yukon, the Tanana al / On
Prince William sound.
Public buildings at Sitka are urgently
needed for the accommodation of the cf-
fcials, and it is urgently Recommended that
Congress appropriate Sl10,yU0 for the cree
ton of a penitentiary and othe- buildings
An appropriation of sJ0,B1 for the edu-
cation of children in Alaska is earnestly