New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-08

part the Secretary says
The record of the land department for the past
year is one of deeds accomplished. The ring of
pletely broken up, their predatory raids the
public domain stopped, the oHenderS iholcteG am anu
trial.
other investigations of alleged violation Of the
public land laws in that section and elsewhere are
being rapidly and vigorously pushed. and II is be-
to the fe4er 1 grand GTies having Jurisdiction of
the offences alleged, and that the offenders VIII be
Trespasses on the public timber have been less
ana umla"d9 q, nm,obe~ The vigorous
crusade against this class of offenders inaugurated
10y the department seems to have developed such
the future make the protection of the public
Charges were made and freely circulated by the the
opponents OF the admnisI9tioh TO the eleG[ 1871 ntlr
the investigation Of the land frauds by me ileIEr
Department IS not being seriously and diligently
with the Investigations are being pressed with
such vigor to manifest a determination 10
air of secrecy pervades the department. MAX
ing it difficult to obtain information as 10 'le
progress ana present status of the WORK
These charges utterly without foundation IN
competent officers of the government from the
beginning, and has been conducted, under the a.
utmost possible speed consistent with thorough
been found, have been and are being vigorously
pressed and at no time has mere , Ree any r9 r,l
ton to the progress or status of such prosecu-
lions. as to any matter In connection herewith
cI,i ~ n6 ~ Of irfnence and hieh standing
both socially and politically. and many or them
are men, of large wealth. They have thrown many
pafience1 constant effort, determination and cour
age on the part Of those having charge OF the IN
They have diligently sought. in season and out or
season to thWart the purpose OF the In{eSIsIio9
ana 10 control its results faVorHbly 20 VS.
These difficulties have been successfully met ana
criminaiIy involved and by their friends have been
circumvcnted and defeated at All points. The ae.
been from the beginning that the Investigation
should be thorough and complete, and nothing
has been left uudone accomplish Such result
chiefly in the states of California ana Oregon, but
have not been confined 10 those States in many
instances the cocspirators have reached out into
deeply laid, and the task Of unearthing them has
been one Of great difficulty; While oHy about tiC
ton was commenced. the practical results thus
While hundreds Of Thousands of acres of the
public lands Were involved in the scheme, only a
acyes-had been patented at the time Of the discoy
cry of the fraud by the Secretary Of the Interior
was immfdately stopped, and all such selections
remains in force The government is therefore in
no danger Of further loss Of its public lands through
the said scheme. The fraudulent business of the
conspirators has been completely broken up ana
their nefarious practices are now at an cnd.
Marked advances toward cyliiz5u2n nave fn 9e zen
gagged in earning selt-support has materially m
families. The Indian population has varied but
slightly from previous years, the number oelhs
this number about 10000 occupy 56 reservations IN
the various States ana IerTt cohlliSlS IPot
and the indian Territory. The five civilized tribes
Creek and Seminole, in The Indian Territory. num-
Der about S5G0 including freedmen their reserEa-
Indians occupy eight small reservations in the nortn-
western part Of the State OF New qrH MAINS o t
area of about $500 acres IheF hummer "uG'v |
and receive small amuities in money ana goods
The policy of requiring able bodied indians ,5 10
labor for their own support ana Wlthaodlis IA 'U
R@e'Sal oPg XXI ras,It Of the prattcal working Of
i% as I I Gf9mrissioner Of Indian Affairs in
his annual report the year 1902 stated that over
ration rolls as being wholly self-supporting. many
o. Tl'pt noT of the Commissioner of Pensions shows
that during the fiscal year ended June 80. 1904 the
and the number remaining on me s4i! 20 at me Gnu
Of the year was SSi.I62 net loss OF 4S' IRON 'Ie
The gains the roll during the year We're ~, a 26
new pensioners ana $S I 89 were , besione
by special acts Of Congress-. The losses 10 inc
ron during the same time by death We're $50. and
from other causes 5.337 a total Of 49l5l net loss
for the year OF I,7S3 The number Of deaths OF
soldier pensioners for the year was Sl2S 4R "a OIL
this number 30Ql We're volunteers OF the ClV ~ ar
The pension roll at the Gloss OF me year GU,Sl5g9
dependents and 6O6 army nurses .,-.
was reached in July 1902, when there were l0l 4Si
pensioners on the roll; under me opet4ilo a. rA
Two hundred and seventy-nine thousand two hun
Gated during the year l'loSf by aa4"tfe 90 af 9i
were denied ON medical grounds, and most Of them
were applications for increase in which the eX-
aiming surgeons found no increase OF disability
since the last adjudication. ,
TIE total number p. Of ma Rns 6 eed at the Of ds
ability of service origin; $45o,G7 on account or
0ensiorers was "a AZ p g9l by reason OF death
he Ter
account of service of soldier; l22dl on account OF
service of soldier in old wars prior to March T.
r The fo Pssa 2sq f9E SIS 9 nsntoq
the appropriation made 5A ne a a o. 2Iaae9 for
ments for army and navy pensions during the year
including the amount disbursed by Treasury Set
balance to be covered into the Treasury of $4l0,-
or the above amount a,5o 600 wa. asked for and
! appropriated by Congress- to meet the increased
| order No. 49, known the age" order. but owing
| TO the small propOrtOnate number OF applications
increase. averaging less than s. per month, less
than $4,000 OF said appropriation was required for
a portion OF the unexpended balance which was re,
! year. The expenditure for navy pensions was
The disbursements for pensions from July l. 1850
TO June 80 1860 We're $36.4i54 % Since 1855 the
disbursements for pensions were SSOS3 21l1l1 q and
for of maintenance and expenses $J9,49I30O 90
or total of $3lS2 769Os %. making the entire cost
/ of the maintenance of the pension system since
the foundation of the government S3,279 PA 462 81
OF the amount that has been expended for pen
! stons since the foundation Of the government
S7O000.OOO was on account OF the war of the Reyo-
! luton $459267I4 16 on account of service in the
$3.50 500 % account Of service in the
Indian War, S35 1862 1870 80 account of service in
| the Mexican War, &,5S6,200 90 account of The
war with SPAIN 81 PSF 924 90 account of the reg
ular establishment and $30ll 1913 235 - account
! of the war OF the rebellion
The cost of the pension system reached its maxi
! mum in 1893 when it amounted to 81 "A per capita
| of the entire population. II, however, has beer
| growing less each year, and in 1894 the total cos
J of pensions amounted TO only 81 Il per capita OF
j population.
! In 1883 the cost of the pension system per $l,Op
! of the aggregate wealth Of the United States was