The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-06

1898 to cover deficiencies in army pen
sions, and repayments in the sum of
$1,000 SO, making a total of $l4S,0S2,-
S92. - available for the payment of pen
sions during the fiscal year of 1898 The
amount disbursed from that sum was
$l44, 651 ,S79 50, leaving d balance of
So 431 ,0l2 80 uneXpended on the Goth of
June, 1895 which was covered into the
treasury.
There were 3S9 names added TO the
rolls during the year by special acts
passed at the second session OF the
55th congress, making total OF 64S6
pensioners by congressional enactments
since 1851.
The total receipts of the patent office
during the past year were 81, 25S,94S.44
The expenditures were $l,0Sl, $3.50
leaving a surplus of S172,314.65.
The public lands disposed of by the
government during the year reached
s, 453 S96.92 acres, an increase or 6l4'-
7S0.26 acres over the previous year. The
total receipts from public lands during
the fiscal year amounted to $2,211 ,995.lS
an increase of $3.50 063.90 over the pre-
ceding year The lands embraced in
the II forest reservations, which We're
suspended by the act of June 4, 1891
again became subject to the operations
of the proclamations of Feb. %, 1891
creating them. which added an esti-
mated amount of 1851, $50 acres to
the area embraced in the reserves pre-
viouslY created.
In addition thereto, two new reserves
were created during the year-the Pine
Mountain and Zaca Lake reserve in
California embracing 1,644,59i acres,
and the Prescott reserve in Arizona,
embracing l0240 acres while the Pecos
river reserve in New Mexico has been
changed and enlarged to include l2O,-
600 additional acres.
At the close of the year, thirty forest
reservations, not including those Of the
Afognac forest and the fish-culture re
serve in Alaska. had been created by
executive proclamations under section
"a of the act of March g. 1891 embrac-
ing an estimated area of 40719,474
acres.
The department Of the interior has
inaugurated a forest system. made pos
sible 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 received
not only prevented destructive fires
from gaining Roadway, but has dimn-
ished the number of fires.
The special attention of the congress
is called to that part of the report of
the secretary of the interior in relation
to the five civilized tribes. 1t is note
worthy that the general condition of
the Indians shows marked improve
ment. But one outbreak of serious
character occurred during the year and
that among the Chippewa Indians of
Minnesota, which happily has been
suppressed.
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 purposes. it is having a salu- |
tary effect upon the nations composing |
the five tribes.
The Dawes commission reports that /
the most gratifying results ard g ea5er |
advance toward the attainment Of The /
objects of the government have been |
secured in the past year than in any /
previous year. l cannot too strongly |
endorse the recommendation % the |
commission and of the secretary Of the |
interior for the necessity of providing |
for the education of the 10000 white !
children resident in the Indian Terri |
tory.
The department of agriculture has !
been active in the past year. Explorers |
have been sent to many Of the coun- !
tries of the eastern and western hem |
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 |
forestery division of the department |
is giving special attention to the !
treeless regions of our country, and Is |
seeds specially adapted to !
semi-arid regions. Forest fires, which |
seriously interfere with production, and |
especially in irrigated regions, are be |
ing studied, that losses from this cause |
may be avoided. The department is in !
Quiring into the use and abuse Of water |
in many states of the weSt'and collect |
ing information regarding the laws of
the states, the decisions of tue courts
and the customs of the people in this
regard. so that uniformity may be Sc |
cured. Experiment stations are becom-
ing more numerous in these districts.
The annual appropriation Of SI200
by congress is supplemented by S400,
coo from the states. Nationwide ex-
periments have been conducted - as
certain the suitabieness as to soil and
climate and states for growing sugar
beets.
The number of sugar factories has
been doubled in the past two years, and
the ability of the United States to pro-
duce it's own sugar from this source has
been clearly demonstrate
The weather bureau forecast and OBJ
selvation stations have been extended
around the Caribbean Sea to give
early warning of the approach of hurri-
canes from the south seas to our fleets
and merchant marine.