Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-04
INTERIOR BUREAU
BILL. before HOUSE;
IS CUT S31.000.0OO

of S23S, 600 900, or SOL ,UOU,UOV iE9"
than the amount made available iaSt
wear. was carried in the interior de-
partment supply bill as reported To-
day to the house. First of the ap-
preparation bills to receive commit
tee approval, it's figures were Wen
under the budget estimates.
Outstanding differences from the
bill passed last year are reductions
of $25, 100000 for army and navy
pensions, made possible by SHRINK
age in the number Of pensioners
$4,000 900 for the reclamation
service, $1,0O0,0OO for the Indian
service and 100000 under the gen
eral land office. An increase or
$672 900 was shown for the Alaskan
railroad.
The bill would carry out recon-
mendati0ns of the interior depart
ment for abolition of the office OF
surveyor general and consolidation
Of his work with the field survey
ing service, a change which would
result directly i'll a saving of $i6l'-
O00 This plan also would cali for
the abolition of thirty-nine Land Of
fees and do away with the position
of receiver of the remaining offices,
at an estimated saving of 1888, 900.
Among the land offices which
would be abolished next July l. un'
der the BILL it one at Jackson. Mss
The bill carries 500 ,095,00O for
the pension office; $11,883,270 for
the bureau of Indian affairs; $S,943,
900 for the reclamation bureau
$3,187,640 for the national park
service; So 081 500 for the patent Of
flee; $2,583,59 for the general lan(
office; ST sos, 637 for the government
in territories and the Alaskan rail-
road; $1,S81,5 $50 for the bureau OF
mines; $1,637,760 for the geological
survey, and $794, 495 for the bureau
of education.
Work Urges Oil Commission
Creation of a permanent federal OF
commission with a view to conSerVa
ton, congressional action on the new
reclamation program, improvements
in the administration of the country
island possessions, and legislation tc
Increase the internal efficiency OF
the interior department were rec
commended by Secretary Work today
in his annual report.
The secretary did not discuss the
oil situation at length, but he de
clared formation Of a commission Of
cabinet mmbers to deal with it is
IAN urgent necessity"
He likewise touched but briefly on
the new reclamation program which
was worked out by a special com
mission but which failed of congress
sionaI approval at the last session.
Enactment of the legislation con
templated in the program, he said,
is one of the tasks with which the
present session should deal promptly.
He suggested that within the int
rior department itself there is need
for a new bureau of public works, in
which all construction and engineer
ing work performed by the govern
ment can be centerd. He also ad-
Vocated the concentration into one
Of the cabinet, Of the territorial af
fairs of Alaska and Hawaii.
May Ask Land Law Changes
The report contained a hint that
general overhauling of the public
land laws may be recommended later
to congress. Secretary Work said a
special committee is studying these
statutes, and added:
1T is probable that growth Of the
country and changed conditions will
warrant some radical departure from
established custom. The question
arises whether the government
should continue the present method
of dispOsing Of its public domain
The present law covering the acquisi
ton of timber and stone lands on the
public domain, passed in 1878, should
be revised to better protect our van
ishing timber in the public interest
The results of the recent reorgani
cation of the pension bureau, which
clipped 100000 from the annual pay
roll and enabled the bureau TO re
turn $50 900 Of its appropriation tC
the treasury, were praised by the
secretary as constituting a measure
both of economy and efficiency. Bet
! ter results has been brought about
he said, despite the fact that 33S DO
sitions in the bureau were eliminated
by the reorganization program.
1t was pointed out that a specia.
commission is studying the situation
in the patent office, with a view t.
bringing that bureaus work up tC
date, and that improved methods Of
administration in the general land Of
rice have effected a saving Of about
$4,000 during the year in it's operat
ing expenses.
Declaring the problem Of directing
federal guardianship of 225,000 In
dams is one Of great concern to him
the secretary urged that centralized
! authority with decentralized respon
sibllfty is essential in the Indiar
service, because Of the distance be
tween the bureau in Washington
and its wards.