The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-09
one In EVERY 50
DRAWSA PENSION
Secretary Hitchcock's Annual
Report Shows Lower Total
Than Last Year.

g.
Washington, Dec. 9.-One person in
every eighty-three in the United States
is a government pensioner, according
to the secretary of the interior, in his
annual report. The pension roll this
year reached its highest mark, 1,O64.-
1876, as against l,001 ,494 in 1902, the
highest previous year. The number re-
naming on the roll at the close of the
fiscal year was 998, AL, a net gain of
3,679 over 1904. Of the Indian wars
there are 2,269 survivors, and Of the
vivors Of the civil war number 6sS,6os.
not including. SOB army nurses.
The war with Spain leaves the gov
eminent with more than 10000 BEN
sioners, Of whom 1911 are invaiids.
LOGS widows, PIP minor children, 1851
mothers and 473 fathers, and nine
brothers and sisters Of dead soldiers.
In the Army and Navy.
There are $4,000 pensioners in the
army and navy, Of whom 10000 are
invalids.
OF the 9es,441 pensioners on the
rolls, TT ,15s were males and 281,283
were females and dependents. A total
Of 1883 new pension claims were re-
jected during the year and 220,822
claims are pending; s5,499 are original
claims. ~. go. = -,~ 'r
: The amount paid in pensions is less
| than last year: 1902, $137 ,504, 300;
1908, $l37, 75O,6O0 1904, $14l, 693,6OO
1905, $141,142, 96O.
- The Land Frauds.
Secretary Hitchcock reviews the land
4 fr oh tad IN, %ha So%i o,
Of the late Senator Mitchell of Oregon
and; others, and recommends legislation
to prevent future crimes Of that kind.
The value of the mineral products
Of this country for the year was $780,
There were 1926, oss enrolled pupils
in the. public schools, not including
45,201. in Porto Rico.
+. The secretary recommends stopping
eal-ki1ling off Alaska for eight or ten
years. Alaska, he says, is destined to
become a great agricultural country.
. OF Interest In Northwest.
Secretary Hitchcock takes up many
subjects Of interest to the northwest
and deals with them in a vigorous man
| ner. The secretary does not see the
/ necessity for continuing receivers OF
public moneys at landoffces, and he has
accordingly recommended that these OF.
fees be abolished. The aggregate OF
! imately $250,000. The secretary be.
'lieves that with an appropriation OF
| $4,000, clerks could be employed to
| do the necessary work Of receiving and
receipting for money for public lands.
/ Endorsement is. given to the policy
of requiring :able-bodied Indians te
earn their living and Of withholding n
! gent. It is becoming more and more
/ popular among the Indians, the secre
tary says. since they realize that il
provides direct and tangible pecuniary
1 benefits to all who will avail themselves
! Of the opportunities afforded for self
! help. (. g@-ss: ~. T. - "a
The report indicates that the open
j ing Of Rosebud and Devils Lake IndiaT
4 lands in South Dakota and North Da
The former reservation about. 1872 IL!
acres are still ,undisposed Of, about 300,
! 900 acres having been disposed of a.
from 81 down to $3.50 an acre, the lat
4 ter price now obtaining, as provided
in the act opening the reservation
7 About, half the Devils Lake reservation
has been entered by settlers, 45,S7,
acres being undisposed Of on Sept. 1. 3
{. 35. b. I + Logging Operations.
Logging operations on the cedei
! Chippewa reservations cost the Indi
!. ans less than 3 u per cent Of the gross
\ receipts last year, against a charge Of
\ 5. per. cent in the preceding year. The
average price paid for the timber cut
during the past year was 1910 thou
sand feet, for which the contractors
! paid $s15,261. .-sss.
The Recommendation of last year fol
better facilities for detecting violation!
Of the law against selling liquor tx
asks for the appropriation Of an ade
quate fund for the employment of spe
cial agents, detectives, ETC., to inves
tigate cases OF, liquor-selling. In thi
connection he calls attention to the de
cision Of the supreme court in the Hef
case, in which All Indian holding AN al
4 lotment was declared to be a citizen
and says that he fears the effect of thi
:, decision will prove a serious drawback
5. to the efforts Of the department il
Isuppressing the liquor traffic with In
: dams. ---.. - 80 a.: Is.
!. No mention is made of the recent at
tempt to make contracts for the sal
'tof timber on allotments on the Whit
. Earth reservation but the report say
,, THAT on the Grand Portage reservation
. operations Melted the Indians $40
!, for stumpage and $4,000 for wages. TIL
! net proceeds of timber operations o.
the Red Lake reservation were $7715S
and that .361 contracts with lumbe
, companies for timber on the Leec
.. Lake reservation were approved It j
also stated that dead and down opera
: tions on the White Earth reservation
Melted $24,S5s for timber on triba
!, Hands, and $46,831 for timber On al
!. lotted lands, ..ss
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