The Irish standard., 1902-11-29
----.11 'ssessssss -a,aa1II-
HAD VERY BUSY YEAR
Secretary Hitchcock Tells of Affairs
of Inter or Department.
Danger from Illegal Occupa ton Of
Public LnndS-lntcrestingS tatis.
tics Regarding Pcnsions-Ed-
ucAtiOn and the Indians.

tics Regarding: Pcnsions-Ed-
ucntion and the Indians.
Washington, Nov. 24.-Following
are extracts from the annual report
of Hon. Ethan Allen Hitchcock, secre-
tary Of the interior: The past year
has been characterized by further
increase in the volume OF business,
notably so in the patent office, general
land office, geological survey, and the
secretary's office.
The Public Lands.
The necessity of protecting public
lands from unlawful grazers, despoil-
ers of forests and land monopolists,
and the encouragement and fostering
of irrigation that they may pe made
more productive, form the principal
part Of the report on the public do
main. The secretary praises the
presidents efforts i'll behalf OF irriga.
ton and argues that when land
ceases to be public it should become
the property of those most deserving
of it's use, and be given to them in
the most productive condition. The
rapid curtailment of the public do
main, the increase of population, the
tendency in the far western sections
of corporations and individuals to
seize and hold, in violation of law, the
areas which are the common prop
erty of all, causes him to sound q
warning to the country.
There were disposed of during the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1902, public
lands aggregating l9,4SS,53530 acres,
classified as follows: Cash sales, 1857
500. 63 acres: miscellaneous entries, en-
bracing HONEST eads, land warrants,
scrip locations. Indian selections,
swamp lands. railroad and wagon
road selections, Indian allotments, etc,
1894 1926 acres, and Indian lands,
116,150l2 acres, showing an increase
OF 3,925.739 acres as compared with
the aggregate disposals for the preced-
ing fiscal year.
The total cash receipts during the
fiscal year from various sources, in
Guiding disposal of public land, SIS, $780,
0SS.65: Indian land, S2SS, GG6.GS; from
deprcdalons ON public lands. Sal ,41597;
from sales of timber on forcs T. reserves
S27, 47S.70; from sales of government
property. $l,ol4.45, and for furnishing
copies of records aud plats, $23,262 10;
aggregate. $6,26l .92T.1S. an increase OF
Sl,2S0,7G639 over the preceding fiscal
year.
The total area of the public lands
| may be stated To be proXimately 1907
'.'9.Si0 acres. of which S93,955,476 acres
are undisp"sed Of, l5l. l6l Gas acres have
been reserved for various purposes, and
76a,4222,726 acres have been appro-
| priated.
Indian Affairs.
The total Indian population of the
United States is approximately &c.,
BOG, OF which the New York Indians
and those known us the Five Civilized
Tribes embrace s9,732, leaving 179, 574
occupying 1856 reservations, having
| '5.l27,0OO acres. outside of New York
and the Indian Territory.
During the past year 6, SOS allotments
were made, the area thereof being ap-
| pr"Ximately $50, 900 acres Allotments
in severalty, embracing in the aggre-
| gate S,G12000 acres, have been made
since the passage of the act of Fcbru-
| AIRY 8, 1887, to approximately 71,421
| Indians.
The general condition of the Indians
has been fairly satisfactory during he
year; no serious trouble has occurred.
Progress toward civilization has been
marked. more Indians having rnvnucd
in civilized pursuits and in efforts Mt
S"ll-support than ever before.
Pensions.
The report Of the commits iuncr or
| pensions shows that the total num-
n'r ~ pensioners on The roll during
The fiscal year ended June 20. 1902. was
l04 ,GS7. and the number rcmaiuinp
on the roll at the close of the wear
was 990.44G. Il met gain over he prcvj-
Gus year OF LII. and exceeding in
number of pensioners any former
year.
The gains to the rolls during The
year were 1o.12l new pensioners and
1881 renewals and rcstorations n to-
tai of 1882 The losses To the rolls
during the year by death were 81, 145,
and from other causes 5,O9G, a total of
42,241, leaving a net gain of LII for
the year.
Education.
The value OF property used for pub
lie school purposes for the scholastic
year 1901 has arisen to $57G, 0G3, O80
from $130,3s0,00S in 1870, and the cx-
pcndtnrcs for the common schools
Including elementary and second
airy schools, but excluding all insti-
buttons for higher education) amount
cd to 1926, O43,23G, as against $685.
30G,GGG in 1870. In the latter year
the expenditure for schools per CAPT
TIA. of the population was S1.G4; in
, 1901 it was $500 per capita, the high
est rate ever reached, and an in
crease of ten per cent. to each man,
woman and child over the year pre-
viOus.
The entire income for public
schools, reported at 1924, 9G7919 has
increased from SAB, ,sOG for 1890.
Hat Flowers ON His Grave.
St. Louis, Nov 24.-Jamcs Culps.
GO years old, who Travelled for n St.
Louis nursery firm, was buried at
Macon, and, according to his diving
request, there was no ceremony and
/ no flowers cXccpt artificial npoc