The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-01-06
WORK DONE IN YAKIMA VALLEY
Sunnyside, Ticton and Okanogan Pro.
jects Are Covered i'm Detail
Statement.


of the interior for the fiscal year
ended June 80, 1908.
The improved methods of admin
istration instituted by him, having
for their purpose the simplificat;on
of business wiahout any loss in ac-
curacy or responsibility, have proven
Of great value. The report deals
with the work of the various bureaus
embraced within it's management.
the territories. national parks and
reservations. District of Columbia
corporations, etc.
Secretary Garfield calls attention
to INSCRIPTIONS and nprofessional
acts of a number OF attorneys prac-
ticing before the department which
resulted in their disbarment. Some
of these have brought mandamus
suits for restoration of their
names to the list of those entitled
to practice. These cases are now
pending. but lin the meantime" the
secretary says. attorneys will be
notified, heard and disbarred in all
cases where ! am satisfied beyond
a reasonable doubt that their con-
duct as attorneys has been disreput-
able, fraudulent, illegal, or I'M
doubtedly unprofessonal
Patent Office Frauds.
The recent patent office frauds.
resulting in the confession of one
defendant, the conviction of another.
and the acquittal of the third, are
touched upon. and the statement is
made that it was the first case of the
kind that had occurred in the IFS
years of patent office history. The
commissioner of patents, it is
stated, has taken steps to provide
additional safeguards around the
filing of patent papers.
Regarding the movement for the
conservation of the natural re-
sources of the country, Secretary
Garfield says that it shows the peo-
pie of the country have fully awak-
ened to the vital necessity of caring
for what is left of the public domain
The pension roll. as usual. piled
up an enormous death rate. 50,676
names having been removed on this
account. OF these 34.333 were sol
diers and sailors of the civil war
During the entire year the total
number of pensioners on the roll was
1,O06,o5S.
Desert Land and Dry Farming.
On desert land and dry farming
the report says:
The development of dry farming
and the extension of irrigated areas
has brought under cultivation many
thousands of acres of the public do
main that hitherto were considered
practically worthless. think it
clear that the remaining lands
should be classified in accordance
with the general plan outlined in the
report of the commissioner of the
general land office. The homestead
law is not applicable TO much of the
balance of the public domain If the
land is irrigated a much smaller
amount than 100 acres may be re-
Quired. If it be dry farming sec
ton mere than 100 acres may be re-
quired. Ii is probable in certain
sections where dry farming Is FEAST
Bile that residence upon the land it
self will not be possible because OF
the absence of water. 1t may thus
he necessary and wise to permit the
cultivators of such areas TO live in
communities some miles distant
from the farms and base final proof
upon cultivation and actual resi-
dence in the neighborhood.
Another great advantage OF such a
classification would be the possible
ity of classifying grazing areas in ac-
cordance with the conditions and
needs of special communities.
Patents in Fee to Indians.
Patents in fee are being given 10
Indians whenever in individual
cases il is shown that the Indian is
capable of caring for his own prop
erty. The degree of competency is
not placed too high, but ii must be
sufficient to Justify the department
in believing that the Indian will be
able so to manage his own property
as to avoid being swindled in dis
posing of it and thus becoming a
public charge. Every competent In
dian should receive his patent in
fee and assume the full obligations
of citizenship. and the department
endeavors to prevent him from
Sinking this responsibility.