The Washington herald., 1912-01-08

The annual report Of the Secretary OF
the Interior was made public yesterday
Secretary Fisher reviews the work OF
the General Land offic-, the Reclamation
Service. the Pension Bureau. the Patent
ONCE. the Indian Bureau. and other
branches Of the Department, but in par.
ticular calls attention to affairs in Alaska
and OF steps which should be taken ai
once to remedy present conditions.
Conditions IN Alaska call for imme-
diate action by Congress-" says Secre-
tary Fisher. Its proper administration
and development cannot DC accomplished
under existing laws. These laws neither
promote development nor protect the
public interest
Relief for AIasIxa.
He recommends as measures of imme-
diate relief:
First-The construction by the Federal
n government OF centraI trunk line rail-
road from tidewater TO the Tanana and
the Yukon.
/ Second-The passage OF a liberal but
carefully guarded leasing law for the de-
| velopment of It's mineral resources and
especially OF its coal lands.
Third-The reservation OF a sufficient
amount Of these coal lands to provide for
the future needs OF the navy, and the
mining of this coal by the government
| for this purpose.
Fourth-More liberal appropriations for
aids TO navigation, sucn as lights and
| buoys.
Fifth-More liberal appropriations for
the construction of roads and trails.
Sixth-The adoption of a form Of ter
ritoriaI government better adapted to its
remote situation and peculiar local con-
ditions.
The report sets forth that the Secretary
] OF the Navy states that there should be
reserved in Alaska, for the use OF the
navy, for the next fifty years, sufficient
high-grade coal to supply an average OF
1000 tone per year.
Form of Government.
Concerning mis- recommendation for a
change in the form of government in
Alaska. Secretary Fisher says:
Taken into consideration with the
comparatively small and widely scattered
population and the inadequate means for
transportation and communication. II
would seem 10 demonstrate. that a COM
mission form Of government would best
meet the existing situation. Such a COM
mission could consist OF appointed rep
resentatives of the Federal government
and locally elected representatives OF the
Territory itself. To IL could be trans
ferTed. under appropriate limitations, the
authority to make territorial laws and
regulations such as are now sadly need |
cd. Among these needs are some OF the |
fundamental requisites OF modern civil |
ized society, such as the regulation Of
;he public health, sanitation, and quar- |
antine; the registration OF marriages. |
births, and deaths: poor relief, compul- |
sorry school attendance, supervision Of
banking institutions" &C.
The report states that Alaska's great |
est resources are her minerals, and in ]
the development Of these the precious |
metals still hold the predominant place, |
the shipments of domestic gold and silver |
to the States during the last fiscal year
amounting to Sl5.11.OJS. a sum greater
than the value OF the shipments of other |
commodities combined. and but slightly /
less than the importation Of merchandise
into Alaska from. the States
Those Coal Claims.
The report says that the investigation
of coal claims in Alaska is proceeding as
rapidly as possible, and he calls atten-
tlon to a decision Of the Commissioner
of the General Land ONCE, cancellng the
so-called Cunningham entries on coal
land. The total number OF locations in
Alaska coal claims is given as LIE, and
the number Of applications for patent
52l.
According to the report, the total cash
receipts from the sale of public lands
for the fiscal year 1911, including miscel-
laneous receipts. were S11,OS9s27. and the
area OF land patented during the fiscal
year amounted to 2,2I2, 495 acres. The
states that he believes that
certain Of the existing laws relating TO
the public domain can be profitably
particularly the laws relating to
agricultural land. The report says that
under the reclamation act the actual re-
ceipts to June 30, 1910. werei S65, ,5S4. sol,
and the estimated total receipts to June
50, 1911. are STL17,S9o.
Red Man Passing.
The Indians in the United States. ac-
cording to the report. number slightly
more than $4,000, of whom about one
third are members Of the Five Civilized
Tribes of Oklahoma, and that all are in
process of absorption with the general |
mass OF American citizenship, and that I
when the process is complete with respect
10 any individual Indian he will have |
ost his tribal status, received In sew
eralty his share of the tribal property.
md have been freed OF all restrictions ,
n dealing with them. ,
The report says that at the beginning
Of tie fiscal year ended June %, lSl1,
there were s21. .0S3 pensioners on the roll,
and that there were added thereto during ]
he year 26. 300, made up Of original al I
owances. restorations, and renewals. I
There were dropped from the rolls 5.lS5
occasioned by death, remarrlage, &C. The !
amount expended for pensions during the {
year was S15I, is, l60. decrease, as COM
pared with the previous year Of S2,64SSs5. t
Patents and Reissues. S
During the fiscal year, which ended ,
June %, 1911. there were s4.I2S patents T
granted, including reissues and designs, e
md s,7s1 trade marks. 57s labels, and Isl b
prints were registered. The total re- e
,eipts of the Patent Once were 81, ,9S7, ,T7s. I
ind the total expenditures, 1885,, ,OOl, the I
let surplus of receipts over expenditures r
icing $Se.7T.
Secretary Fisher recommends the en- j
lctment OF legislation authorizing the re- e
irement Of employees who after long ana n
aithful service are prevented by age or II
from the efficient performance {
q 4H,afr drfffoS l.