The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-12-03
TOPICS RANGE
!, FROM TOLL OF
DEATH TOCOAL
Report Says That $4,000 Union
Army Veterans Died in
Last Year
MAZE OF STATISTICS
Says That There Are Coal
Lands Capable Of Producing
200 Billion Tons

Washington, Dec. 3.-(AP)-Th,
news that the union armies of tn,
sixties had been cut $4,000 in yeav
by the toll of time is placed in Z
maze of statistics alongside the ma
tcriai fact that there are 30, 900 .OO(
acres of coal lands in the United
States and Alaska, capable of pro.
ducing 100000, 100000 tons, in the
annual report of Secretary West OF
The Interior department.
Humane and material considera.
tons both find space in the bulky
volume which contains information
sufficient to give many member
OF Congress enough work to keen
him busy for the short session, with
It's reports on Indian affairs, re-
clamation. national parks and !;
myriad OF other subjects with which
this busy branch Of the government
must deal
Speaking in figures going up To
the hundreds of millions involved in
its multitude of activities, the De-
partment's Bureau of Pensions
shows that it is distributed from the
governments chest last fiscal wear
the sum of $244,222.97O, of which
S.2S.965,G72 was paid in pensions to
veterans and their dependents. while
Sl4.76l,6l6 went Ia retired govern
mcnt employees.
16i,70S Spanish Vets
Besides these figures which so
certainly show the passing of an old
order. the report shows that ga OS
Spanish war veterans, whose men,
bcrship as whole still is robust.
have been taken under the govern
ment's protecting wing, but the
largest army Of American veterans
those Of the world warts being
looked out for by the independent
Veterans Bureau.
The report Of Secretary West en-
phasizes the h..manc along with the
material effort under his own direc-
tion and that of DR.. Hubert Work.
who resigned to 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 TIE fed
cral reclamation projects. Secretary
West declares that those two sub
jccts represent the most pressing
under the Interior Department.
Cooperate With Indians
The department looks to the es-
tablishment of closer cooperation
between the States having Indian
populations and the federal govern
ment.' the-repOrt continues. "Prob-
ably states-should ultimately assume
complete responsibility for the In
dlans within their borders, but pend
ing that time there is much to be
done by the federal service"
Settlers on 90 of the "a reclama-
ton projects repaid $5,299.149 dur
ing the year and Secretary West at
tributes this to the general prosper
lty on the projects and to the new
terms of payment established for
dclinqucnts under the relief act of
1926. -
Crops valued at 1888, 2O7,2lO have
been grown on the projects compris-
ing 1,956,9l0 irrigable acres de-
velopcd at cost of s175,116.945.
while settlers arc still needed on
10000 acres. Works under con-
struction involve an expenditure Of
$9O.OOO,O0O out Of the Bureau of Re-
clamation's revolving fund Of
$166, 100000.
IS Oil. Gas Fields
Studies by the (,aolouical Snryo,,
disclosed that in this country and
Alaska, IS developed oil and gas
fields and producing $4,000, 900 bar
rels Of oil annually. It added that
there are four million acres of oil
shale from which sixty billion bar
rels Of oil may be produced.
The National Park Service has un-
der consideration establishment of
flying fields in the national parks
and Secretary West has called a con-
ference of park and railroad officials
to make plans for the DEVELOPMENT.