Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-03-07
CHAPTER XII.
The Department Of the Interior.

The Department of the interior
was established In 1S49. It started
with Just four bureaus: The general
land office. taken from tho Treasur,
Department: the Indian office. taken
from the War Department.; the bu.
reau OF pensions. also from the Wal
Department. and the patent office
from the State Department.
Many other duties Of government
during the succeeding seventy-five
years have been added to the Interior
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES important, like
the reclamation service: some unim-
portant. But the four original bu-
reaus are still the big important
spending bureaus In the Department
Of the Interior.
DR.. Hubert Work IS the present
secretary. When Will Hays resigned
as postmaster General In March, 1922,
MS ms nrst assistant. DR.: Work, became
pert b. Fall resigned as Secretary OF
the Interior. March 5, 1923, Or. Work
was shifted from his position as POST
master General to that of Secretary
OF the Interior.
Or. Work is from the west-colo-
RADIO. He can be seen at his Office
In the magnificent new Interior
huiIdlng without a previous appoint
ment. He Is the most accessible to
the public Of the nine members OF
There are two kinds of minds IN
Washington" declared DR.. Work
slowly. In reply to my question as to
Wnere taxes could be cut 1.-THE or
ganized mind. and the organizing
mind. mind. NOV the organized mind is
|neeOe0. nEafIII rofr nj TO-
on details. 1t works on precedent.
The vast majority of workers in the
public service are OF this kind.
The organizing mind Is different.
detail. poor on order. but 1t is the
one which spots the leaks. 1t is
the one great need in the public
service today"
Land Once Gave Billions.
But let us see what this big Int
rior Department does. outside Of In
dian affairs and pensions. These bu-
reaus will be taken up in our next
article.
There is the general land office.
1t Is very old bureau. It was
organized in 1912 under the Treasury
1928 report lists 81 distinct accom-
plishments Of the land office for the
year. Probably no bureau in the
whole range Of history has handed
over to the citizens, free Of charge,
such stupendous wealth in the form
of agricultural land, mineral land. oil
land and timber land. For the fiscal
year 1928 a total of S2.S44,00O was
spent by this office. This amount is
increased by approximately 100000
In the estimates for 1924.
1t is safe to say that II the vast
land wealth had been conserved for
the people and not exploited for pri-
vate gain this department today
could pay all the civil expenses Of
the federal government. The total
value of the natural wealth given
away will reach many. many billions
Many people now believe this pol
icy was dead wrong. They contend
have been conserved for future gen.
erations and that no lands In fee Of
any character should have been given
away. Save what is now left" is
their motto; '1ease what may be alb
ssolutely necessary but give no more
land away"
Then there is the geological sur
vey. 1t was organized as a bureau
in 1879. This bureau Classics all
public lands. examines and reports
the geologic structure, mineral re-
sources and mineral products Of the
national domain. For some years it
has been engaged in making q geo
logic map Of the United States and
Alaska involving vast topographic
and geologic surveys. 1t is collect
ing each year statistics on mineral
production and conducting investiga-
tions relating to surface and under
ground waters. The Secretary in his
1928 report relates forty-seven i'm
portant phases of this work carried
on in 1928. 1t is large, important
work, having a wide appeal. The
bureaus received 100000 letters in
1923 and sent out 100000 pieces of
mail and spent Slab 900. The esti-
mate for 1924 is about $4,000 more.
Government Gets Royalties.
The bureau Of the mines is another
division. Its activities are wide in
scope. It deals with the whole prob
lem Of mining and mining conditions,
treatment Of ores, oil and gas. 1t
concerns itself with tests and analy-
ses Of Goals. lignites. ores; it admin
listers all regulations governing the
production of coal. oil, gas and phos-
plate from lands mined under gov
eminent lease.
For instance, 37,S94,0o0 barrels of
Oil were produced on the public do
main in 1923, which yielded royalties
to the government of 7,647,000 bar
rels. valued at $10.244.000.
The Secretary mentions sixty dis
report for 1923. A total Of $4.124,00