Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1903 — SEES BIC LAND STEAL. [ARTICLE]

SEES BIC LAND STEAL.

Secretary of Interior Point* Loss In National Domain. . The annual report of the Secretary of the Interior, covering the Work of the different branches of that department of the government through the fiscal year, haa been made public. Recommendations are made for changes in homestead laws and pension regulation*. The report shows that public lands disposed of through the year aggregated 22,824,300 acres. Existing laws relating to public lnnda in many instances do not provide adequate protection for the interests of the government, and numerous frauds involving several hundred thousand acres have been discovered. In Oregon a land commissioner and his aaaistanta were found to have defrauded the government. In other portions of the Pacific coast there was loss of tracts of forest lands through swindles. In homestead lands the brevity of the residence term is found not to carry ont the purpose of Congress, but rather tends to encourage speculation under cover of the law. It is found in a large proportion of cases that the homestead settler assumes a tract of land with the intention of remaining no longer than fourteen montha, abandoning his claim and allowing it to remain unimproved for years. Land is accumulated by these settlers and held for opportunity for Bale. The Secretary advises the repeal of the commutation clause tit the homestead act and with it a change in the timber and stone lands acts. The right of assignment In desert land claims also is found to ba costly to th# government. By its provisions individuals, associations and corporations have acquired vast bodies of the public domain. A repeal of the assignment clause of the act is recommended. The present method of examining applicants for peusions is found to be uncertain, expensive and unsatisfactory, the personnel of the various medical boards being liable to outside contxbl and political dictation. The lack of uniformity of the marriage laws of the different States is also believed to work hardships to soldiers* widows, depriving many of them of the stipend to which they are entitled. The report of the commissioner of pensions shows that the total number of pensioners is now 1,043,933, the loss through the year amounting to only 2,901. It is believed that this Is the last year where the pension list will contain an enrollment of over 1,000,000 persons. The cost of maintaining the fund is $1.75 per capita of population, but the decrease in numbers is now believed to be so rapid that in ten years there will be little burden in carrying the roll. The estimated number of survivors of the war of the rebellion is 900,000, of which 703,450 soldiers and sailors are now on the lists., An “unknown army” of 200,000 has never asked for pensions. The commissioner of education, in his data, reports that in the last fiscal year there were 15,925,887 pupils enrolled In the public school. The total enrollment of public and private schools, academies and colleges was 18,080,840. The total number of colleges, universities and technological schools was 638, of which 131 admit womeu. Of the forty-three tech~ nical schools twenty-seven have women students in their Dumber. Men students number 78,133 and women 29,258. The total value of property possessed by institutions for higher education was $417,205,234. Of seven of these institutions each had endowments of more than $5,000,000, and eight have from $2,000,000 to $5,000,000. The benefactions reported through the year amounted to $17,039,907. Commerce is taught in 177 universities, fifty-one public and private normal schools, 950 academies, 8,213 public high schools and 620 business schools, with 240,ffi)7 students engaged in preparation for commercial work. In agricultural and mechanical schools there are 47,147 students. The Indian population of the United States Is approximately 270,000. There are 150 reservations, containing 55,127,000 acres, outside of the Indian Territory and New York. A marked progress toward civilization is noticed, and the abolishment of Indian agencies is said to ba a help iu enabling the Indian to break from ancient tribal traditions and influences and become self-supporting. Thera era 257 schools for educating the red men and their children. Two new forest reserves have been set aside, making a total of fifty-three. Devastating fires swept over several of the western reserves, but the total burned area was not much greater thau in the preceding year.