Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1888 — INTERIOR DEPARTMENT. [ARTICLE]

INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.

REPORT ON PUBLIC LANDS. INDIANS AND PENSIONS. Secretary Vilas Presents the Work of Hi* Department for the Past Year—His Recommendations in Relation to Public Lands and Indians. Secretary Vilas begins his annual report on the work of the interior department by giving a detailed account of the doings of the public land office. The total number of acres patented during the year was 8.60.1,194. divided as fol.ows: Agricultural iands, 7,500,000 acres; mineral and coal lands, 15,988; railroad lands. 829.162; swamp lands, 96,515; internal improvement and educational grants to states, ‘)9,205; miscellaneous, 26/4)2. The final entries made during the year number 70,468, embracing 11,340,162.53 acres; original entries, 72,479, embracing 10,985,610.01 acres; railroad and state selections were filed covering 7,790,851.91. Thus, in addition to the final entries, specific claims have been newly asserted to 18,776,521.92 acres during the year. The receipts from the disposals of public lands were $12,701,072; frcm sales of Indian lands, #821,113; a total of $13,522,185. The report lays particular stress upon the necessity for some method of expediting the work of the land office. On June 30, 238,157 final entries were pending, and the number of new entries made during the year was 70,468 more than all the final entries disposed of during the same period. At the same time there were pending 350,953 original entries, of which 217,740 were homesteads, 25,429,867 acres of unadjusted railroad selections under swamp-land grants, and 1,850,000 state selections for educational and internal-improvement purposes. The report says: “The commissioner recommends an increase of the force of his office —a natural suggestion. But, although I venture it with diffidence because of the limited opportunity afforded me for study of the subject, it is my opinion that a thorough and radi cal organization of the land office should be the first step taken, accompanied by a provision of quarters suitable to the performance of the work. Neither an increase of the force nor a reorganization of the bureau can be made with much increase of efficiency while clerks, tract books, records, and voluminous papers are huddled and crowded in the unsatisfactory apartments now occupied by the land office.” Repeal of Pre-Emption Laws. The passage by Congress of the House bill repealing the laws providing for preemptions. timber-culture entries, public and private sales and the commutation of homestead entries by cash payments is recommended. Asa measure of administrative relief it would be of great value, while the homestead law furnishes all the oportunity for settlers to obtain agricultural lands which is necessary for five years at least. The repeal of the desert-land law is recommended. The total number of acres of land restored to the public domain during the year and opened to entry was 83,158,999, as followsin granted railroad limits restored, 2,108,417 acres; forfeitures of railroad grants under acts cf Congress, 28,253,347 acres; railroad indemnity lands restored, 21,323,600 acres; private laud claims, 759,553 acres; entries under pre-emption and homestead laws, etc., canceled, 29,729 acres; invalid State selections, 984,319 acres. In addition, the recovery and restoration of 65,029,538 acres has bien recommended, of which 56,654,983 acres are railroad grants. The report says. “The large estimate embraced under the head of bills now before Congress for railroad forfeitures can not, perhaps, be realized, because a considerable portion of these lands lie within the limits of grants in aid of railroads which have been constructed, and the principal ground for action is that the road was not built within the time originally limited. The forfeiture might have been declared ha<J Congress taken timely action. Such action not having been taken, it is a question of doubt whether it be nowcompetent in law for the grantor, although a sovereign proprietor, to decree that consequence after the condition has been actually performed without interruption on its part; and, if it be legally permissible, the question of the equity of such action appears likely, judging from the past, to throw a barrier in its way.” Indian Affairs.

The report says great progress has been made in the deliverance of the Indians from the ideas and habits of the past, and they now manifest less prejudice against the acceptance of the habits of civilized life, and more readily and willingly adapt ■ffKemselves to the measures designed for their improvement. This has been done by weakening the obstructive influence of chiefs and head men and by extending the jurisdiction of courts to Indian cases. A large portion of this gain is ascribed to the increased honesty of the Indian agents, and the Secretary recommends that the best possible ability should be secured in the person of these agents, and that an increased compensation should be paid. The extension of educational advantages is also urged so as to embrace all the Indian youth of the country of teachable age. “Let but the pres:nt generation of Indian youth be universally instructed according to their capacity and the Indian is settled, because there will b? no Indians when the generation of youth becomes the generation of manhood.” ‘ ‘The amount paid for pensions during the year was 178,775,861.92, an increase over the previous year of $5,308,280.22; the difference between the actual payments and the annual value having been occasioned by first payments involving arrears. Thus there were paid to 64,282 pensioners, receiving first payments during the year jhe sum of $22,299,605.46, and there remained in the hands of pension agents 6,574 cases of this kind unpaid on the 30th of June, upon which were due $2,465,722.59. The cost attending the disbursement of this money, embracing the pay of the officers and employes of the bureau, its agents, surgeons, special examiners, and others, was $3,262,524.67, making the total expenditure for all purposes by the bureau during the year $82,(138,385.59, being 21J per cent of the total gross income of the United States for that time, and nearly 31 per cent of the total expenditures :f the government for the fiscal year. This entire business was transacted without defalcation or financial irregularity involving the government, and there was some acceleration of the rapidity of payment.”