The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-12-01
Secretary BLISS REPORT
Land, Indian, Pension, Educational
and Other Matters of the In
terror Department.
REATH'S REPORT ON POSTAL ROADS,
Makes Numerous Recon m en- dations for
the Betterment of the Mailing Service
The Director OF the Mint Tells About
the Gold of the World.


the Gold of the world.
Washington, Nov. 90. 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 800 and odd million acres OF desert lands
requiring irrigation to render them valuable
farm nR lands, the available water supply is
sufficient for only 1850. 900 acres leaving e60-
616 0OJ acres suitable only for grazing purposes
There are 30 forest reservations embracing an
estimated area Of 4O.7l9, "a acres
The Indians are declared to have
made substantial progress, and the
Chippewa outbreak was the only seri-
Gus disturbance of the year. The SEN
ate is urged to ratify the treaty with
the Uintah Indians TO receive such
Uncompahgres as should be allotted
to lands on the Uintah reservation
No agreement, however, can be made
with the Uintahs for the sale of all
their lands in order that all not need.
ed for allotment might be offered for
ure 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 pro-
gressive element of the Indians in the
territory are reported as inclined to
accept the situation in good faith.
Reviewing pension matters, Secre-
tary Bliss reports 637, 900 claims of all
classes pending and says a 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 a future reliable, intelligent
and uniform practice.
The advancement along educational
lines is outlined by an increase of over
$50, 900 of school pupils in the United
States for the fiscal year of 1S96-97 over
the previous one, but yet the total
average amount of schooling per indi-
vidual for the whole United States,
measured by the present standard,
does not quite equal five years of 200
days for each inhabitant. Tho total
number of school pupils in the country,
in elementary, public and private
schools, universities. high schools and
academies, is put at is, 255, O9S.
Assistant Secretary of the Interior
Webster Davis, in his annual report,
says the 1872 6sl appeals from the pen
sion bureau and 626 motions for recon-
sideration fled during the year make
up number unprecedented in any
one year or fwo years in the history of
the board of appeals. The proportion
ate increase still continues and on Oc-
tober last there were ll,S20 such ap-
peals and motions pending and Secre-
tary Bliss concurs in Assistant Secre-
tary Davis recommendations for pro-
viding for three additional mem bers
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 incom potency; and a 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.
Beath's Report on Postal Matters
Washington, Nov 26.-F'rst Assist
ant Postmaster General Perry $. Heath
has completed his annual report. ex-
cept the positions relating to military
post offices at the army camps and in
the Antilles and Philippines and the
rural free delivery service, both of
which await further advices The
general business of the department
shows an increase of over Sc, 900, 600
during the fiscal year. In all depart
ments of the service the influence of
prosperous times has made itself ap-
parent This year there were 81, 79s,
| O7s domestic money orders issued,
against 25, 100, 055 last year; the
amount carried was sl9l, ,354. l2i,
against sl74, ,4s2,676 There were ., 35S
new money order offices established.
The recommendations for congress
sional action are numerous and inter
| esting. Mr.. Heath recommends that
clerks in post offices be classified aud
| placed upon fixed scale of salaries,
similar to that of letter-carriers, so as
to give fair prospect of advancement
and certainty of compensation.
The consolidation of post offices is
again recommended. Congress is asked
to repeal the law forbidding the abo-
lition of post office located at any
county seat by a consolidation of post
offices. The abolition of small post
offices contiguous to large office hav-
ing free delivery and the establish
ment of stations and sub-stations in
lieu thereof, Mr.. Heath says, has been
found to result not only in vastly
improved public service, but in a sub
stantial saving in expenses, and he de-
sires authority to continue this plan.
Authority is asked to make the clerk
hire appropriation apply to all classes
of post offices At present an allow
ance for clerk hire can only be given
to first and second class postmasters.
Many third class post offices which
only escape by few hundred dollars
| of receipts from being included in the
second class have so much business
that il is impossible for any one per
son TO attend to IL properly, and the
postmasters are constantly compelled
| TO pay for such clerical help as they