The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-12-08
WILL WIPE OUT
ALL LAND FRAUD
vigorous Crusade Will Ac-
cOmp.ish Result.
Mr.. HlTCHC0CNS REPORT
Secretary Of Interior Reviews Indian
Affairs and Pensions and Pat
ents Business.


annual report of the Secretary of the
Interior, made public this morning
After describing the character of the
various frauds. the Secretary says:
The vigorous crusade against this
class of offenders inausurated by the
department seems 10 have developed
such "a wholesale regard for the law as
bids fair in the future TO make the pro-
lection of the public property less dith-
cult"
Illegal Seizures.
As 10 the seizure of land without war
rant of law by the big cattle growers of
the West, Secretary Hitchcock says:
with respect TO unlawful Enclosures,
49, reports OF special agents were re-
ceived during the year. showing am area
OF 1.153,5G7 acres of public lands unlaw-
fully Enclosed. Through the efforts of tha
special agents, thirty-nine of such in
closures, embracing 7lI515 acres of pub
lie land, have been removed, and pro
ccrdiugs are pending 10 compel removal
an the remaining cases reported.
The Secretary denies reports that no
serious attempt has been made TO obtain
convictions iu the Pacific Coast ldn7
frauds. The Secretary says that the
offenders are being punished as fast as
the federal courts VIII act
Large Acreage Disposed OF.
The Secretary announces that there
We're disposed Of during the year ending
June 30. 10. 405 S21.95 acres, q decrease OF
G.3lS 4117O from last year. He couJiuues
The total cash receipts during the
fiscal year from various sources incIud-
ing disposal of public land, 1886, 1913 g.
and Indian land. Sa5a,t5tb-; from urpIc-
datlODs on public lands. Si2,5S3.OSi from
sales of timber on forest reserves 800
CLIO, from sales OF Government prop
erty, Ss3s.S5 and for furnishing copies Of
records ana plats, S23Ut5; aggregate,
50 .eS3 3ilaS decrease of Sl.74l, 0l65 from
the preceding fiscal gear.
Indians Not Disappearing.
Reports that che Indians are slowly
but surely disappearing are denied tn
the report Secretary Hitchcock says: +,
The Indian population has varied buJ
slightly from previous years, the num-
Der being about the same as reported
last year. -lU0m. OF this number about
lNlu occupy l55 reservations I'm the vac
rious States and Territories containing
about a5lzl.ot0 acres, outside OF the state
Of New York and tie indian Territory.
Pensioners Dying on.
..Thc report of the Commissioner of
Pensions shows that during the fiscal
year ended June 30. 1904 the total num-
Der OF pensioners on the roH was lob,
9I9 aad the number remaining ON the
roll al the end Of the year was 934.7j2,
nec loss of 1.753 from the previous year.
.-Ih= gains 70 Jbf FQI uulng me 81 4r1
were 4EzF NGW pensioners and BIS
RESERVATIONS and renewals "a total OF
1885, On this number 52i were pen
stoned hy special act of Congress.
THE losses 10 the fOll during the same
time by death were $50 and from
other causes 5.35i. a total of s3,l5i, net
loss for the year Of l,lS5. The number
of deaths OF soldier pensioners for the
year was 81 ~. and OF this number oJ.UI
were volunteers of the civil war.
THE pension r0ll al the close Of the
year contained the names 0t t-oal' sol
diers "a. 81 Widows and dependents, and
65 army nurses.
Cosr Of Pensions.
The pensioners on the roll June 60.
1904 Included one Revolutionary war
widow and Two daughters. There is one
survivor OF the war 1872 and SIS widows.
The cost OF pensions 10 the Govern
meut has. the Secretary states, been as
follows
cor lhc amount that has been ex-
pended for pensions since thr IoHnua-
lion OF the government HthHlJyfi was on
account OF the war OF the Revolution,
S45.2-G,-l4l6 on account OF service IN the
war OF 1872 S.. h96.s3 0u account Of
service iu the Indian war S,5,lp-, 100
Ola account al service IN inc Mexican
w4r S. sNf. 1uI W ol account OF the war
win spain. SZZS7.S2is5 un account or the
regular establishment. and sd.Ull SO, 20 l5
an account of the war Of me feDelloA
rTb+ Secretary quotes the report OF inc
Commissioner Of Patents, sHoMiAs ~
there were 1.s.9 patents. 80 tIaut-
marks. l#+4 labels, and 20 prints We're /
issued The number of patents expired
was 1886