Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-11
Things You Want to Know
The Government at
Work-The Interior
Department.

I Ia no small thing. The government has
| been the direct owner OF more than two
! thousand million acres Of land, about one
| half OF which stiil remains In its posses
sion. During a recent year 100000 acres
were sold for cash, $4,000 acres were given
! away for services rendered and 1S,0O0,OO0
practically given away to $4,000 homestead
ers. Besides this thirty complete towns
sites were sold, 100 coal mines 1000 gold
mine claims and 5000 tracts OF timber land.
! This indicates that Uncle Sam does q thriv-
ing real estate business.
Although the Indians are rapidly being
absorbed in the encompassing currents OF
superior civilization, there sun remains
enough incompetent ones TO require the
continuation Of a national guardianship.
This guardianship is delegated to the COM
missioner OF Indian affairs, who has charge
Of their lands, moneys schools, supplies
and general welfare, In the early history
OF the bureau Of Indian affairs the Indian
country was divided into large districts.
which were In charge Of superntendents.
These districts in turn. were subdivided
into reservations, and each reservation had
It's own Indian agent, All OF this has been
changed and tho superintendent no longer
exist, while the agents are passing. The
affairs of small groups Of Indians are now
placed in the hands Of bonded day school
teachers or farmers, who report directly to
the commissioner OF Indian affairs.
! Under present conditions the commissioner
is authorized to sell an individuals hold
! ing in tribal lands, where he thinks the
money would do the Indian more good than
| the Land; or he may transfer to any COM
petent Indian the complete management of
I his individual estate A rule has been es-
tabllshed that all Indian signatures shall
be made by the impression In wax of the
right thumb Of the signor.
The bureau Of education directs the ma
tionsl educational interests of the country.
| It's reports are published annually In two
volumes. which are valuable as a statistical
encyclopedia OF educational progress. They
also contain a summary OF all the latest
ideas in the educational world, of all recent
legislation, and of everything Of value In
aiding the teachers OF the United States to
keep abreast of world movements In educa-
tlonal circles.
Tho geological survey was originally in
tended to survey the public domain and to
| ascertain the character of its mineral de-
poslts, but II has so broadened the scope
Of its work as to become one of the most
important bureaus in the. entire govern
ment service. Many Of its duties have been
assigned to the new bureau OF mines under
the law passed last winter. Between the
two they have charge of the work OF sur
veying the country, making the official
maps OF the nation investigating the water
resources Of the country, studying all ques-
tons relating to the safety Of miners and
the economical handling of mine materials,
testing building materials and many things
Of equal Importance to every citizen. The
process OF making the official maps of the
country is full of interest one of these
maps is complete one Of the United
= States, and when the work is finished II
will have cost the nation 100000 In add
, ton to this topographic map there is one
being made Of the geologic formation OF
the country. 1t will be many years before
these two maps are worked out in complete
detail The whole country already has
been surveyed in general way, but these
maps bring It down to a mnuteness seldom
undertaken by any government.
The reclamation service, another branch
! Of the Interior department, has charge OF
the irrigation OF the semi-arld regions OF
the United States and the drainage OF the
r swamp lands OF the country. It's labor'
promise to have an Increasing importance
as the years go by. As these lands, wheI
properly irrigated or drained, are the mos
productive in the United States, the in
creasng population Of the country will
make It essential that this work be carried
forward with great rapidity. The govern
ment reclaims the land and then sells 4
= to those who expect to farm 1t, at rat'
j. sufficient to pay all expenses OF reclama
; ton. In the irrigated country the bis
o water projects are turned over to the user
? of the water, who mutually share the ex
ponse OF the upkeep. The reclamation ser
J. vice is spending many millions of dollar
= a year, and is handling almost as muci
l. material as is being taken out OF TIN
j. Panama canal during the same time.
e by FREDERIC ]. MAsEIN.
e TOmOrrow-Ths Government at worl
IS Ix.-DepRrtmsnt OF Agriculture.