Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-11

about one-half OF which still remains in
i 800 possession o During recent year
[,JOWO acres were sold for cash, JOO,
OO acres were given away for services
rendered, and 100000 practically given
away to $1,000 homesteaders. Besides this
| thirty complete town sites were sold 100
coal mines, 1900 gold mine claims, and
| 5000 tracts of timber land. This indicates
that Uncle Sam does q thriving real
! estate business.
| Although the Indians are rapidly being
absorbed in the encompassing currents
Of superior CIV
Indian Under ilization. there
National Guardian. eno,n, Ia"
petent ones to require the continuation
| of a national guardianship. This guard
ianship is delegated to the commissioner
Of Indian affairs, who has charge Of their
| lands, moneys, schools. supplies and gen.
eral welfare. In the early history of the
bureau of Indian affairs the Indian coun-
try was divided into large districts.
which were in charge Of superintendent.
These districts. In turn were subdivided
into reservations, and each reservation
had its own Indian agent. All of this
has been changed and the superintend-
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 commits
sioner Is authorized to sell an individ-
uals holding In tribal lands where he
thinks the money would dc the Indian
more good than the land: or he may
transfer to any competent Indian the
COmnIeta vi
estate. A rule has been established that
all Indian signatures shall be made by
the impression in wax of the right thumb
of the signer.
The bureau of education directs the ma
tional educational interests of the coun-
try. Its reports are published annually
In two volumes. which are valuable as
| statistical encyclopedia of educational
of all the latest ideas in the educational
world, Of all recent legislation and of
everything of value In aiding the teach
ers of the United States to keep abreast
Of world movements in educational circles.
The geological survey was originally in
tended to survey the public domain and
to ascertain the
Duties OF character of its
Geological Survey. but it has 90
broadened the scope Of its work as to
become one Of the most important bu-
| reaus In the entire government 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 survey
ing the country, making the Official maps
Of the nation. Investigating the water re-
sources Of the country. studying all ques-
tons relating to the safety of miners and
the economical handling Of mine mate
rails. 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 a complete one |
work is finished it will have cost the |
nation three million dollars. In ad- |
dition to this topographic map there |
is one being made of the geologic for |
many years before these two maps are
worked out in complete detail. The |
whole country already has been sur
veyed in general way, but these |
seldom undertaken by any government |
The reclamation service, another |
branch of the Interior Department, has |
charge of the |
Irrigation and irrigation Of
Drainage of Lands ras,ons ~ 'ha
United States and the drainage of the |
swamp lands of the country. It's labors |
promise to have an increasing impor- |
lance as the years go by. AS these |
lands. when properly irrigated and
drained. are the most productive in the |
United states. the increasing popula-
ton of the country will make it es-
sential that this work be carried for
ward with great rapidity. The gov
eminent reclaims the land and then
sells 1t to those who expect to farm
1t. at a rate sufficient to pay all ex-
penses of reclamation. In the irri- |
gated country the big water projects
are turned over to the users of the |
water. who mutually share the ex-
pense Of the upkeep. The reclamation
service is spending many millions of |
dollars year, and is handling almost
as much material as is being taken out
of the Panama canal during the same
time.