Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-11-28
CONGRESSIONAL ACTION.

CONGRESSIONAL ACTION.
Report of the Secretary of the Iuteri"i--
Value aud Profits from Public Lands
stated The Improved Conditions in the
Territories.
One of the most interesting and I'm
portant reports to come before the
National Congress which viii convene
In Washington next week, will b" that
of the Secretary of the Interior, Ethan
Alien Hitchcock.
The report is brought down to June
30, of this year. He says:
The ACCESSIBILITY of the early enact
ment of legislation looking to the re-
clamation of the arid lands of the coun-
try has been frequently mentioned in
previous annual reports Of the depart
ment, and Congress at its last rseion
recognized the national importance Of
irrigation by the passage of the recla-
nation law. approved June II, 1902.
This law creates a fund from the moneys
received from sales of public lands, To
be expended in the construction of irri-
cation works which pass ultimately into
the control of the settlers, the moneys
received therefor to be applied to the
further extension of the irrigation sys-
ten.
PUBLIC LANDS.
Mention is made of the establishing of
forest reservations aud the work of re-
forestration on these reservations.
There were Disposed of during the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. public
lands aggregating 19,4SS,535 acres.
The total cash receipts during the fiscal
year from various sources, including
disposal of public land, 81, SS0,0SS 60,
and Indian land, S2SS .GGG.GS; from dep.
relations on public lands, $ll .4l5.97
from sales of timber on forest reserve 5,
S27.47S.70; from sales of government
property, $l.0ll45, and for furnishing
aggregate. Sc, 2G1 ,927.1S, an increase OF
Sl.2S9 7G6 80 over the preceding lisca
year, leaving a net surplus IN the treas
ury of 81 $50 33S IS, an increase over the
surplus remaining at the end of the pre-
ceding li-cal year of 81 22l, S9711.
The total area of the public lands may
be stated to be Approximately l,SO0. 539,
$40 acres, of which S93. 800, 47G acres are
uudsposed of, 15l.lG1 G3S acres have
been reserved for various purposes. anC
ga l22 72G acres have been appropriated
PENSIONS.
The report of the commissioner o.
pensions shows that he total ndmbei
fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. wa.
OH ,GS7, and the number remaining or
the roll at the close of the year was 800,
4iG, a net gain over the previous year o.
I'LL, and exceeding in number of pen
sioners any former year.
Information was received at the
bureau Of the death during the yeal
of 5o,l2S Old soldiers; of that number
however, only -. Obj were on the pen
sion roll, but it Is believed that owing tC
new legislation enacted by Congress the
number on the pension roll at the end OF
the present year Will exceed | 900 900
The appropriation for the payment
of pensions for the fiscal year wa.
Sl44 100000. The disbursements fol
army ana navy pensions were Sl31,504,
2G799, leaving an uneXpended balance
to be covered into the treasury o
$1,000, OS3.57.
PATENT OFFICE.
The report of commissioner of patents
on the business of the patent office TO
the fiscal year ended June 80, 1902
shows that there were received during
the year 1862 applications for mechan
zeal patents, 1907 applications for de
signs. 1879 applications for reissues, 1874
! caveats, 2460 applications for trade
marks, 1920 applications for labels, ant
270 applications for prints.
There were 7,3S7 patents granted. in
GLIDING reissues and designs. and 1856
trademarks, $50 labels and 172 print
registered. The total receipts of tn
Office were 81, 49l .53s.s5, the total ex
penditures were 81 329 92i.63, and tn
surplus of receipts over expenditures
, being the amount turned into tn
treasury-was Sl6l 6l4.22.
EDUCATION.
The commissioner of education, in hi
annual statement, presents some interes,
/ ing data and statistics of education in tn
United States.
: The total number of pupils in schools
? elementary, secondary, and higher
public and private, during the year end
Ing June 30. 1901, was 1928. 230, q
Increase of 27S.52 over the previou
year.