Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-12-04
MATERIAL and
HUMANE FACTS
Side BY Side
ANNUAL Report of In
terror Department Is
Condemnation Of
Statistics

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4-lP-The
news that the union armies Of the
sixties had been cut Is. 600 IN n year
by the toll Of time Is placed IN a
maze of statistics alongside the ma
terial fact that there are 10000. 600
acres Of coal lands in the United
States and Alaska. capable of pro-
ducing 200. 000. 900 tons, in the nnu
al report Of Secretary West Of the
Interior department.
Humane and material c%onsidera-
tions both find space in the bulky
volume which contains information
sufficient TO give many a member Of
enough work 10 keep him
busy for the short session. with its
reports on Indian affair. reclama-
ton. national parks and a myriad Of
other subjects which this busy
branch az the government must deal.
Speaking IN figures going up TO
the hundreds Of millions involved in
it's multitude Of activities. the de-
partment's bureau az pensions shows
that IL distributed from the govern
ment's chest last fiscal year the sum
of S24i,222. $40, Of which S22S. 965 ,612
was paid in pensions % veterans
and their dependents. while i,I6l.-
SID went to retired government en-
ployes.
Emphasizes Humanity
Besides these figures which 81 GER
tainly show the passing Of an old
order. the report shows that 1884,
70s Spanish war veterans, whose
memberships az a whole still is ro-
bust. have been taken under the gov
ernment's protecting wing, hut the
largest army OF American veterans
those OF the world wars being
looked out for By the independent
veterans bureau.
The report OF Secretary West m
phasizes the humane along with the
material effort under his " direc-
ton and that Of DR.. Hubert Work,
who resigned 70 become head OF the
republican national committee
Stressing the need for a new def
mite policy for the administration
Of Indian affairs and reporting a
general healthy condition on the fed
eral reclamation projects, Secretary
West declares that those two sub
iects represent the most pressing
subjects under the interior depart
ment.
The department looks 10 the es-
adjustment Of closer cooperation be-
tween the states having Indian pop
ulations and the federal govern
ment," the report continues. Prob
ably states should ultimately assume
complete responsibility for the IN
dians within their borders. but pend
ing that time there IS much 10 be
done by the federal service
Settlers on - Of the p reclama-
tion projects repaid S5.299,li9 during
the year and Secretary West attrib-
utcs this 70 the general prosperity
on the subjects and 20 the new terms
Of payment established for delin-
quents under the relief act Of 1926.
Crops valued ut $l33.20T .2l0 have
been grown on the projects compris-
ing l,956,9l0 irrigable acres devel-
opcd at a cost of Sl75.1lG.945. while
settlers are still needed on 10000
acres. Works under construction in
volve an expenditure Of S90.000,000
out Of the Bureau Of Reclamation's
fund Of 5$l6G. 100000.
Studies hy the geological survey
disclosed that in this country and
Alaska, 65 developed oil and gas
fields are producing 100000 bar
rels OF oil annually. II added that
there are four million acres OF oil
shale from which sixty billion bar
rels Of oil may he produced.
The national park service has I'M
der consideration establishment az
flying fields in the national parks
and Secretary West has called n
conference Of park and railroad Off
Gals 70 make plans for the develop
mcnt.