Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-12-18
SEES BIC LAND STEAL.
Secretary of Interior Points Loss In
National Domain

SGCTGGaIy
National Domain.
The annual report of the Secretary OF
the Interior. covering the work Of the
different branches of that department OF
the government through the fiscal year,
has been made public. Recommends
tons are made for changes in homestead
laws and pension regulations.
The report shows that public lands
disposed of through the year aggregated
%, 80, 300 acres. Existing laws relat-
ing to public lands in many instances do
not provide adequate protection for the
interests of the government, and numer-
Gus frauds involving several hundred
thousand acres have been discovered.
In Oregon land commissioner and
his assistants were found to have de-
frauded the government. In other por-
tions Of the Pacific coast there was loss
of tracts Of forest lands through swim
dies.
In homestead lands the brevity of the
residence term is found not to carry out
the purpose of Congress, but rather tends
to encourage speculation under cover of
the law. 1t is found in a large proper
ton Of cases that the homestead settler
assumes n tract OF land with the inten-
ton Of remaining no longer than four
teen months, abandoning his claim and
allowing it to remain unimproved for
years. Land is accumulated by these set
tiers and held for opportunity for sale.
The Secretary advises the repeal of the
Communication clause of the homestead act
and with it change in the timber and
stone lands acts.
The right Of assignment in desert land
claims also is found to be costly to the
government. BY its provisions indiyid-
uals associations and corporations have
acquired vast bodies of the public do
main. A repeal Of the assignment clause
of the act is recommended
The present method of examining ap-
Dlicants for pensions is found to be un-
certain, expensive and unsatisfactory,
the personnel OF the various medical
boards being liable to outside control and
political dictation. The lack Of uniform
ity of the marriage laws of the different
States is also believed to work hardships
to soldiers widows, depriving many Of
them Of the stipend to which they are
entitled The report of the commission
err Of pensions shows that the total num-
Der of pensioners is now 1,043,033, the
lOSS LHlOuS1 IAC CSA announcing W WY
2,0O1.
1t is believed that this is the last year
where the pension list will contain an en-
rollment Of over 100000 persons The
cost Of maintaining the fund is $1.75 per
capita of population, but the decrease in
numbers is now believed to be SO rapid
that in ten years there will be little
burden in carrying the roll
The estimated number Of survivors of
the war Of the rebellion is 100000, Of
which 7O3,456 soldiers and sailors are
now on the lists. An unknown army
Of 5000 has never asked for pensions.
The commissioner Of education, in his
data reports that in the last fiscal year
there were 15,925,887 pupils enrolled in
the public school, The total enrolment
of public and private schools, academies
and colleges was 18OSO,S40. The total
number of colleges, universities and tech
biological schools was G3S, Of which 1o1
admit women. OF the forty-three tech
nical schools twenty-seven have women
students in their number. Men students
number rs, 1873 and women 29,25S.
The total value of property possessed
by institutions for higher education was
S417, 2O5, 234. OF seven of these insti-
tutions each had endowments Of more
than $5,OOO,OO0, and eight have from
100000 to $5,O0OOOO. The benefac-
tons reported through the year amount
ed to $17,O39,967.
Commerce is taught in 1T universi-
ties, fifty-one public and private normal
schools, 956 academies, 1918 public high
schools and $40 business schools, with
24O,697 students engaged in preparation
for commercial work. In agricultural
and mechanical schools there are Al, 147
students.
The Indian population of the United
States is approximately 100000. There
are 1856 reservations, containing 80, 1877
600 acres, outside Of the Indian Terri
tory and New York. A marked progress
toward civilization is noticed, and the
adjustment of Indian agencies is said to
be help in enabling the Indian to break
from ancient tribal traditions and infu-
ences and become self-supporting. There
are 257 schools for educating the red
men and their children.
Two new forest reserves have been set
aside, making total of ffty-three. De-
vastating fires swept over several of the
~-ostern reserves, but the total burned
lrea was not much greater than IN the
preceding year.
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