New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-11-11
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
SPEEDING UP" UNDER
FALLS ADMINISTRATION
Special to State Record.

opeCial 10 state RECORD.
Washington, Nov. 9.-There is
probably no executive department of
the government which comes in con-
tact with more people and whose ac-
tivities affect greater proportion of
the population than the Department
of the Interior. This department
handles all affairs relative to public
lands, including homestead rights,
reclamation, irrigation, timber, water
and mineral rights, public surveys,
all subjects in connection with geo.
logical resources and rights, water
rights, mines and mining and all
kindred subjects, all questions per-
tanning to national parks and reser-
vations. In addition to these sub
jects it has under its control the
bureau of Indian affairs, the bureau
of public education, the bureau of
pensions, the patent office, and the
Alaska engineering commission
1t is perfectly obvious that there
is hardly a family in the United
States that does not touch at some
point one or more of these bureaus.
The mass of work handled by the
Interior Department is something
tremendous. This has generally been
taken as an excuse for the depart
ment's always being behind in at
tending to public affairs. One of
the conspicuous accomplishments of
the Department Of the Interior und-
er the administration of Secretary
Fall has been a speeding up of all
its activities.
Western Men in Charge
AS his fright hand men, in this
work, Secretary Fall has had the
very able service and cooperation
of his assistants. 1t Is significant
that this Department, which has to
do with so many problems effect
ing the West, is largely differed
by men from out the West who are
familiar, by reason of their birth
and long years of experience, with
the various questions which mean
SO much to Western states.
Secretary Fall himself is from
New Mexico. His first assistant,
who acts as secretary in his absence,
is Edward C. Finney, of Kansas. His
second assistant, Francis M. Good
win, is from the state of Washing
ton. Secretary Falls private sec
retary and administrative assistant
Charles V. Stafford is like the sec
retary, from New Mexico. The sol
icitor of the department, Edwin s.
Booth, comes from Montana, the
commissioner of the general land Of
flee, William Sprye, is from Utah,
and was formerly governor of that
state his assistant, Mr.. Wickham,
comes from California; the commits
sioner of Indian affairs, Charles II.
Burke, halls from South Dakota and
was formerly a member of the Con-
gress from that state.
These are a few of the Western
men all of whom are 100 per cent
Republican, who are in charge OF
key positions in-tne Department of
the Interior. Their intimate know
ledge of the affairs which they have
to handle enables them to reach de-
cisions without unnecessary delay
than would be necessary were they
not familiar with subjects referred
and with a great deal less red tape
to them.
Doing Twice As Much Work
Some idea of the manner in which
the department is turning out work
can be obtained from a report OF the
office of the solicitor. who handles
appeals from all bureaus of the de-
partment. This makes his office an
index, in general way, of the
amount of business the various bur-
eaus are handling. From the re-
cords of the solicitors office 1t Is
possible to obtain a comparison OF
the amount OF business handled for
the six months, April to September
inclusive, this year, and the amount
of business handled April to Septem-
Der, inclusive, in 1920. During the
months indicated in 1920 the soli-
citor's department received 4,+SS
cases on appeal from the various
bureaus; II disposed Of 1850. Dur
inr the corresponding months this
vear. under the administration OF
Secretary Fall and the immediate
9 upervision of Solicitor Booth, the
office received a total OF
7,l4s cases and disposed OF 1855.
In other words, under the present
administration, the business of the
office has increased near
ly 100 per cent, and yet the off1ce'
with no greater force than was en-
ployed under the previous admins
tration, has been able to handle this
increased amount of work and dis
pose of over 100 back cases IN ad-