Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-12-23
SEES Bic LANo SEAL.
Secretary of Interior Points Loss in
National Domain.


National Domain.
The annual report of the Secretary of
the Interior, covering the work OF the
different branches Of that department OF
tae government through the fiscal year,
has been made public. Recommended
tons are made for changes in homestead
laws and pension regulations.
The report shows that public lands
disposed Of through the year aggregated
%, S24.300 acres. Existing laws relat-
ing to public lands in many instances do
not provide adequate pro ection for the
interests of the government. and numer-
Gus frauds involving several hundred
thousand acres have been discovered.
In Oregon a land commissioner and
his assistants were found TO have de-
frauded the government. In other por-
tons 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 eases that the homestead settler
assumes a tract of land with the inten-
ton of remaining no longer than four
teen months, abandoning his claim and
allowing II to remain unimproyed 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 n 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 individ-
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 APP
plicants for pensions is found to be I'M
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
| er of pensions shows that the total num-
Der of pensioners is now 1,043.933, the
loss through the year amounting to only
1901.
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,T5 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 703, 456 soldiers and sailors are
now on the lists. An unknown army
of 100000 has never asked for pensions
| The commissioner of education, in his
| data, reports that in the last fiscal year
there were 15,925,SS7 pupils enrolled in
| the public school The total enrolment
| of public and private schools, academies
and colleges was 1S,0S0,S4 The tota
| number of colleges, universities and tech
biological schools was 638, of which 49,
| admit women. OF the forty-three tech
| meal schools twenty-seven have womeI
students in their number. Men student:
number rs, 1873 and women 29,258.
The total value of property possessed
! by institutions for higher education was
| S417,205, 234. OF seven OF these inst
4 tutions each had endowments of more
than $5,000,000, and eight have from
100000 to $5,00O,000. The benefac
tons reported through the year amount
ed to 17,039,967.
! Commerce is taught in 1T universe
ties, ffty-one public and private norma
schools, $50 academies, 1928 public higl
schools and 500 business schools, witt
240,697 students engaged in preparation
for commercial work. In agriculture
and mechanical schools there are At, IA
| students.
The Indian population of the United
States is approximately 10000. Their
are 156 reservations containing %, 127,
600 acres, outside of the Indian Terri
tory and New York. A marked progress
| toward civilization is noticed, and tn,
| adjustment of Indian agencies is said t
be a help in enabling the Indian to breal
from ancient tribal traditions and intiu
enees and become self-supporting. Their
are 257 schools for educating the rec
men and their children.
Two new forest reserves have been Sc
aside. making a total of ffty-three. De
vastating fires swept over several of thu
western reserves, but the total b--1ieC
area was not much greater than in th'
!