The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-12-07
100000 ACRES
OF PUBLIC LAND YET
But a Large Part of 1t Is In
the Arid Region Says
Report

WASHINGTON. Dec T. Public
lands in the United States are being
taken up by homestcaders in rapidly
increasing quantities as shown in the
annual report OF Secretary Of the In.
terror Lane made public today. Twcn.
" million acres were claimed by pri.
vate owners in the year ending with
June 20, as against seventeen millions
for each Of the preceding two years
and still smaller average for prCvi.
Gus years.
or the two hundred and fifty mil.
lion acres Of public land still lett in
the United States much is In the arid
region. The Reclamation Service car.
ried on construction work on - irri
cation projects. completing ten and
adding 5000 farms to territory for
which irrigation water is available
Irrigation water is actually going now
TO nearly 10000 farms.
The report emphasizes the work Of
the Indian Bureau, whose health cam
paign, it is declared, has cut the death
rate among Indians seven in one thou
sand. The bureau has conducted q
campaign to save Indian babies by giv-
ing Indian mothers proper care. Hos.
pitfalls were constructed and additional
physicians were employed in the
health campaigns.
Work In the Indian schools was re-
vised to reduce the hours of academic
work and to increase the number CIV
en- to vocational training. Indian mon.
oil To-,
tional banks during the year, the re.
port says, amounted to $4,000, 900;
new regulations we're made for leas.
ing oil lands Of the Usage nation at
high rate which, the report estimates,
in the first year will pay 100000 In
royalties; ninety thousand acres of
Indian lands we're sold for $1,666, 900
and sixteen thousand acres were pur.
chased for landless Indians.
a section Of the report dealing with
the Pension office shows 709,572 names
on the pension rolls at the end OF the
year, a decrease Of 3S,575 for twelve
months. Civil war soldiers OH the rolls
numbered 362,277. Deaths of Civil
war soldiers during tho year number
ed 34,252. The amount paid for pen
sions for the year was $159,155, 600
against $165,5lS,OOO for the previous
year.
A Patent Office report gives the num-
Der of applications for patents during
the year as 10000. Forty.eight thou.
sand were granted.
The Bureau of Education report rec.
ommends formation OF Il division of
commercial education and division
for the education of exceptional chill.
drcn. Investigations are urged look.
ing TO the education Of the adult litter
ate, and better education for the chill.
drCn in the home.
Commentator is bestowed on the
work Of the Bureau of Mines in de.
ve!oping methods of testing low grade
complex gold. silver. lead and zinc
ores which. it is claimed. promise to
rejuvenate mining in certain parts of
tho country and make valuable mil.
lions of tons of ore that now cannot
be treated. The bureau since its or.
ganization has trained forty.one thou.
sand miners In mine rescue work.
Agricultural possibilities of Alaska
still are matter Of conjecture. al.
though in some parts OF the territory
the harder cereals and vegetables are
being grown. Completion of the rail.
road now being constructed from Sc.
ward to Fairbanks will do much for
the development OF Alaska, the report
says.