The Irish standard., 1902-11-29
HAD VERY BUSY YEAR
Secretary Hitchcock Tells of Affairs
of Inter or Department.
Danger from Illegal Occupation Of
Public Lnnls-InterestingS Stats.
tics Regarding penSions-Ed.
ucAtiOn and the Indians.

Danger from Illegal Occupation Of
Public OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES tatis-
tics Regarding Pensionx-Ed-
ucation 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, despoii-
ers of forests and land monopolists,
and the encouragement and fostering
of irriga lion that they may ne made
more productive. form the principal
part OF the report on the public do
main. The secretary praises the
presidents efforts in behalf OF irriga,
ton and argues that when land
ceases to be public it should become
the property of those most deserving
of its use, and be given to them i'll
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 19,4SS, $3.50 acres,
classified as follows: Cash sales, 1,757,-
592.63 acres; miscellaneous entries, en-
bracing homssteads, land warrants,
scrip locations. Indian selections,
swamp lands, railroad and wagon
road selections, Indian allotments, etc,
1854, 1926 acres, and Indian lands,
116,150.12 acres, showing an increase
OF 3,925.T39 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, $780,
|
depredatinns ON public lands, Sal ,415.97;
from sales of timber on forest reserves
S27,47S.7O; from sales of government
property. $l,Ol4.45. and for furnishing
copies of records and plats. $23.2G2 10
aggregate, $6.26l ,92T.1S. an increase OF
$l,2S9.766.39 over the preceding fiscal
year.
The total area of the public lands
may be stated To be proXimutely ], $780,
'9,Sio acres. of which S93,955,476 acres
are undisposcd of. l51. 161 ,G3S acres have
been reserved for various purposes, and
,64, 422,726 acres have been appro-
prated.
Indian Affairs.
The total Indian population of the
united States is approximately &c.,
BOG, of which the New York Indians
and those known as the Five Civilized
Tribes embrace S9,732, leaving rs, 574
occupying 1856 reservations. having
55,127,000 acres. outside of New York
aud the Indian Territory
During the past year6, sos allotments
were made, the area thereof being an.
pr"xmately $4,000 acres Allot,nents
in severalty. embracing in the aggre-
gate S,G12,OO0 acres, have been made
since the passage of the act of Febru.
AIRY 8. 1887, to approximately 71,421
Indians.
The general condition of the Indians
has been fairly satisfactory during the
year: no serious trouble has occurred
Progress toward civilization has been
marked. more Indians having engaged,
IN civilized pursuits and in efforts at
s"l1-slIppori than ever before
Pensions.
The report of thc rumn,i>s innrr of
pensions shows that the total n,,m-
hrr ~ pensioners on the roll during
he fiscal year ended June 80, 1909. WA
l.Od l,6S7. and the number remaining
on the roll at the close of the wear
was 999,446. Il met gain over the prcvi-
Gus year OF LII. and exceeding in
number of pensioners any former
year.
The gains to the rolls during the
year were A0.12l new pensioners and
1881 renewals and RESERVATIONS. n to-
tai of 43,952. The losses To the rolls
during the year by death were 81, 145.
and from other causes 5,O0G, total of
42,24l. leaving 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 $3.50, 0G3 O89
from $130,3S0, 00S in 1870, and the ex-
penditures for the common schools
(including elementary and second
airy schools, but excluding all insti-
buttons for higher education) amount
cd to $22G,O43,23G, as against S63.-
39G,GG6 in 1870. In the latter wear
the expenditure for schools per capt.
ta. Of the population was $1G4; in
1901 it was $2.93 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, 1867, 919, has
increased from SAB, ,sOG for 1890.
Hat Flowers on His Grave.
St. Louis, Nov. 24.-Jamcs Culps,
GO years old, who Travelled for St.
Louis nursery firm, was buried at
Macon, and, according to his diving
request, there was no ceremony and
no flowers, except artificial ones
taken from his widows hat. He fur
thcr specified that his burial should