Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-12-06

r"ll @ the tinted States numbered s9,
~. nsse include the pensioners of the
number added "a the rolls Sur;,;y *.
year was 1891. The number dronned hv
reason " death, remarriage. minors Iy
three xears s.s1 failure to claim within
ana az i, the number OF claims disalIowed WAS
, ,v.9ls. During the year. sy,ol pension GER
FOR e' new we. or 'ss arn q which 1907 were
amount disbursed for army ana n.,xv
pensions during the year was SIN s:,, s.ss
10, winch was N,65l. 49l.6l less than tn.
sum Of the appropriations.
The Grand Army OF the Republic nj ~.
!. recent national encampment held in
Philadelphia has brought to my atten.
uom and justice Of "a modification Or ma
third section Of the act Of June I'll 1870
which provides pensions for the widows
80 days or more during the War Of 's sSa
Rebellion and were honOrabiy discharged
provided that such widows are without
other means of support than their daily
labor and were married to the soldier
sailor or marine on account OF whose
service they claim pension prior to the
date of the act.
The present holding Of the department
- that II the widows income aside from
Der daily labor does not exceed in
amount what her pension would be, to
Wit. *6 per annum. she would be deemed
TO be without other means of siIpDort
than her daily labor, and would be en-
titled TO Il pension under this act: while
II the widows income independent of the
amount received by her as the result of
her daily labor exceeds s:sj, she would
not be pcnsionable under the act / am
advised by the commissioner of pensjocs
that tho amount of the income allowed
before title To pension would he barred
has varicd widely under different ad-
mlnis'rations OF the pension office, II,
well as during different periods of the
same administration. and has been lin :
cause Of Just complaint and criticism.
With the approval of the secretary Of
interior the commissioner Of pensions
recommends that, in order to make the
practice at all times uniform and 10 do
justice Ia the dependent widow, the
amount Of income allowed INDEPENDENT of
the proceeds Of her daily labor should
be not less than $3.50 per annum. anI he
urges that The Congress shall 20 .imerd
the act AZ 10 permit the pension Office
to grant pensiouable status 10 WIDOWS
under the terms of ;he third section Of
the act of June q, $3.50. whose income
aside from the proceeds of 'iaily Labor
Is not in excess of $3.50 per .tnnnn ! he
iicve this To he simple act e .sIice
and heartily recommend II.
TIL" Dawes commission reports that
gratifying progress has been made in IT.
work during the preceding year. Thu
field work ~ enrolment of four of thu
nations has been completed. recon-
mend that Congress al AN carly DAY
make liberal appropriation for cducation-
al purposes in the Indian Territory.
THE TWELFTH CENSUS.
In accordance. with the act of Congress
approved March :. 1893 the preliminary
work in connection with the twelfth cen
sus IL now iuliy under way. The officers
rruuirt,l for The, pIuII,.r administration az
the duties inpusch h.tv- been selected.
The provision Iur securing Il proper tuu-
merati"n 81 tho population. az woli as I"
secur. evidence OF the industrial growth
of the nation. l. broader and more cont
prehensive than any similar legislation
in the past. The director advises that cE
cry needfui effort is being made 10 pu~h
this great work ~ complexion in the time
limited by the statute. II ~ believed
that the twelfth census viii emphasize
our remarkable advance, IN all thli per
tains Ia national progress.
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.
Under the authority of the act of con
SreSs approved July :, 1898. the commits.
sion consisting Of the secretary OF the
treasury. the attorney general. and the
secretary of the interior has made an
agreement Of settlement. which has haG
my approval of the indebtedness Ia the
government growing out of the issue OF
bonds 70 aid in the construction of the
Central Pacific and Western Pacific Rail-
roads. The agreement secures to the
government the principal and interest OF
said bonds. amounting to S5SSi2, 1l5.4>.
There has been paid thereon Sill 162. 543 H.
which has been covered into the treasury
and the remainder. payable within ten
years. with interest at the rate of ) per
cent per annum. payable semi-annually,
is secured by the deposit of an equal
amount Of first mortgage bonds OF the
Pacific Railway companies. The amounts
paid and secured 10 be paid to the gov
eminent on account of the Pacific kail-
road subsidy claims are:
Union Pacific. cash SIS AS. -; -
Kansas Pacific. cash 81 303.0lU0 "
Central and Western Pacific.
cash Sll.7as.s1LH
Notes, secured SE,W0, l.2j6
Kansas Observation-Disclosures for
deficiency DUE United States.
cash SS21. Se7 40
Making "A total of 1924 Al. tssl 60
The whole indebt edncss WAS about SGD.
ooooS. more than half Of which consisted
amoun, less about s6,oo.ooo within a pc
riod OF two years.
FOREST RESERVATIONS
On June 80, 1S3S, there were thirty for
est reservations teNclusive Of the Afog-
max forest and fish culture reserve ia
Alaskal embracing an estimated area of
NJ. 49,. IA acres. During the past year two
of the existing forest reserves. the FRA
buco Canyon California; and Black Hills
tSouth Dakota and Wyoming, have been
considerably enlarged, the area Of the
Mount Rainier reserve, in the State of
Washington has been somewhat reduced, |
and six additional reserves have been eS-
tablished, namely. the San Francisco
mountains CAriZona). the Black Mesa |
tArizonab. Lake Tahoe. cCaliforniap, Gal |
latin, tMontanal. ella river. tNew Mex
icOb. and Fish lake, U'tahb. the total es-
timated area of which is 5.2u,.tl5 acres. |
This makes at the present time total |
of thirty-siX forest reservations. embrace
ing an estimated area of 46o2l 500 acres |
This estimated area is the aggregated |
areas within the boundaries OF the re- |
serves The lands actually reserved are.
however only the vacant public lands |
therein. and these have been set aside |
and reserved for sale or settlement in or |
der that they may be nf the greatest use |
to the people.
Protection OF the national forests. in
auSurated by the department of the inte-
rior in 1881, has been continued during the |
past Year and much has been accom-
pished in the way of preventing forest |
nres and the protection OF the timber
There are now large tracts covered BY
forests which Will eventually be reserved
and set apart for forest uses Until that
can be done Congress should increase the
appropriations for the work OF protecting
the forests.
AGRICI'.TtRE..
The department. of. agriculture is con
Stantly consulting the needs OF producers |
IN all the states and territories. 1t Is in
Producing seeds and plants of great
value and promoting fuller diversified ton
oi crops. Grains. grasses. fruits lcgumc: |
and vegetables are imported for all parts
OF the United States. Under this .n-
H.. I