Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 December 1892 — DEPARTMENT REPORTS. [ARTICLE]

DEPARTMENT REPORTS.

The Secretaries ot the Interioi and Wax Submit their Annuals- > O* Work tho Interior Department) nod Recommendation* of tbe War Department. THK INTERIOR DEPARTMENT. The annual report of Secretary NobM •hows that the Interior Department has accomplished more during the present administration than during any other periodThe General Land Office has worked ofl the vast accumulation of farmer years, - mADi now en current business, greater to the advantage of Western settlers; the Indian Bureau has made great progress in elevating the various Indian trikes, in the work of allotment of land in seyeralty to lndividual Indians, tho consequent disintegration of their tribal relations, and tho development of schools. Great reform has g*>sn accomplished in the purchase of Indian supplies, The Fusion Office has of au innneusa volume ,<sf worn, wid has exceeded ail former fteoyds in the number of fin;.; Yota CiflelP&l a-id upon appeals, executing the be n?fi- " limit laws for the soldiers of the Union. The Consfls Office has finished nearly all of its Immense and highly scientific work, sud what romains is rapidly noaring completion. The geological survey lias progressed greatly in its topographical survey of the States and Territories; in Ideating reservoirs for tho irrigation of arid lands, and in its other useful divisions. The Railroad Bureau has kept constant •upervision of tho condition of the roadbeds and appurtenauces and given chreful consideration to the question of the maturing debts of the subsidized railroads and tho future conditions which should govern them. Tho Patent Office has kept up with current work and Introduced several important roforms. The Bureau of Education has greatly extended its operations in Europe and our own country, and the distribution of funds for agricultural colleges, a difficult probboon satisfactorily aud efficiently TJie Secretary's report discusses the reports made by his subordinate officers, and the conditions of the various territories. The government of Utah, it explains, is now in a satisfactory condition, with polygamy about stamped out. Tho population of Oklahoma is shown to be 133.QJ0, not including tho Indians who still maintain their tribal relations. Eightyfive per cent. of the population are whites, and only about 5 per cent, foreign born. It is thought that a conservative estimate of the value of the property, real and personal, in Cheyenne and Arrapahoe counties is 140,003.000; excluding these counties the assessors’ returns show a valuation of 1U.485,162. There are five national banks in tbe Territory, with an average deposit account of 1130,0C0 each, and there are fourteen private banks with a deposit account of half a million dollars. Three railroads are now in operation through the Territory. The Secretary discusses at length tho Nicaragua canal scheme, showing its present status, and expresses the opinion that this enterprise is of the utmost importance to the welfare of our country, in either peace or war, and should have most favorable recognition by Congress. THE WAR DEPARTMENT. V The annual report of the War Department, which has been submitted to the President Joy Secretary Elkins, contains many recommendations. “It is gratifying to be able to state,” tbe Secretary says, “that the army has maintained throughout the year its high standard of discipline and efficiency. Looking to the future and the possible necessity of rapidly transforming a large number of citizens Into effective soldiers, it is a matter of vital importance that the regular army In organization and personnel, should represent as nearly as may be a perfect that the grade of Lieutenant-General be revived as a permanent grade of army rank. Regarding some general features of the service, he says: Tho general conclusion, gathered from all sources,is to the effect that while the enlisted personnel of the army is, as a whole, very much better than at any time previous, much remaius to be accomplished in this connection before wo ear rest entirely satisfied. Everf possible effort has beon made \q secure the enlistment of desirable men, Tbe recruiting service has b’en administered with exceptional vigor and success during tee past two years, and the standard of qualifications has been raised until the test at recruiting rendezvous is so critical that only 28 per cent, of the applicants for enlistment were accepted during the fiscal vear ending Jane 30,1802. It seems that almost everything lias been accomplished that is posilble under existing laws, Notwithstanding all this, however, many men succeed In entering the army whose character and antecedents aro such a 9 to render their presence detrimental to tho service, and the complaint is general as to a scarcity of material for non-commissioned officers. Improvements in administrative methods may correct some of thosoevils; but it Is thought that the best remedy lies through a small increase in compensation. If good men aro warned for the array they must be paid something near what wage-earners receive in ordinary pursuits ofocivil life. Under-ihe pressure of National prosperity representative men command good pay. Under present conditions there is scarcely any poenniary benefit to attract a man to the ranks. Promotions to commissioned grades are necessarily few, and tho difference between the pay of a private nnd a non-commissioned officer Is hardly appreciable, when considered In the light of an inducement to enlistment. it. is, therefoie. recommended that at least the pay of all noncommissioned mdes be increased to the extent of making promotion thereto the object of legitimate ambition, thereby inducing the enlistment of the very best material to compete for the advantages of promotion l© the grade of both commissioned and non-commissioned officers. Considering that there are 1,881 sergeantsof all grades, and 1,014 corporals, it is apparent that, the Inducement should be ample enough to justify young men of character and capacity In Indulging the expectation of ultimately securing adequate compensation and recognition. The Secretary urges the reorganization of the infantry and nrttllory arms of the •ervice upon lines laid down in previous reports; and devotes considerable space to uu Military Academy at West Point post-graduate infantry, Cavalrv. Artillery and engineer schools. The reports of the various subordinate departments are givoh and their rocommeudatione indorsed. lie Prefers “Pinafore." The Hon. William Tecumsfib Sherman regards "Pinafore" as one of the best operas of tbeae time. “Pinafore" has one excellent musical merit It doesn’t contain “Marching Through Georgia,” a Work which has been so much heard and overheard by the lonerWffarlng eahf'of mankind. N. Y. Sun.)