UNDER GENERAL LAND OFFICE.

LEGISLATIVE BILL--SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICES.

Alaska.-The increase of $4,000 is required to pay the salaries of two additional draftsmen and a temporary typewriter. The returns of survey work done under the special appropriations of $100,000 and $50,000 in 1911 and 1912, respectively, began to be filed toward the close of the fiscal year 1912; and, anticipating the increase of work which the preparation of these returns would involve, the sum of $5,000 was set apart by Congress to be used during 1912, but as the returns were filed so late, there was no opportunity to use the fund during that year, and there has been a demand from settlers upon the lands surveyed in 1911 and 1912 for the plats to be filed in order that they may make entry, but the surveyor general has only one draftsman who can be placed upon this work, and his time is not altogether available, as he has to attend to other duties.

The increase above asked for will enable that office to proceed immediately upon the field notes and plats which now remain untouched and the preparation of which, if no more force is granted, will be put off for a year or two. It is the intention of this office to ask that the $5.000 authorized to be expended from the appropriation for the Alaska special surveys be made available for the years 1913-14, as this amount still remains unused, but if the above increase of force is granted in the legislative bill, it will not be necessary to ask for the extension of the availability of the $5,000 in the forthcoming sundry civil bill.

California.-In the estimates for 1913 there was an increase of $400 submitted for clerk hire on account of the additional work made necessary by an increase of the apportionment to the State of California for surveys, which increase of apportionment was due to the necessary expense of surveying lands within railroad grant limits of the Southern Pacific Railway under the act of June 25, 1910 (36 Stats., 834). This increase was not allowed by Congress at its last session. Since the estimates were submitted there has been a decision by the comptroller regarding the availability of the appropriations for these railroad surveys, rendering it necessary that the Government should advance a larger proportion of the cost than was originally deemed proper, and on account of the nonavailability for office work of the special appropriation for surveys within railroad land grants reimbursable it is found necessary to ask for an increase of $600 for the clerical force of that office in order to take care of the returns of these additional surveys.

Colorado. The increase of $1,590 is submitted for clerks in the office of the surveyor general of Colorado. He has asked for this additional amount because of the increase in the amount of field work which is necessitated by the additional apportionment to that State for resurveys (amounting to 25 per cent) over that of the previous year, mostly authorized by Congress. The office work upon the returns of resurveys is more elaborate and more exacting than that of original surveys, because of the necessary delineation upon the resurvey plats of the tracts of those settlers who have acquired lands under the various public land laws.

Eight surveying parties have been at work during the past two seasons making these resurveys, and the results of the labors have been filed in the surveyor general's office at Denver, and it is deemed necessary in order that there should be no delay in the preparation of the returns for transmission to Washington and subsequent filing, that there be an additional draftsman employed.

Idaho. An increase of $1,500 is submitted as required for clerks in the office of the surveyor general, as the returns of surveys have been filed in such numbers as to make it impossible for the present force of clerks to make the necessary plats and field notes within a reasonable time. The settlers upon the lands are clamoring for the filing of the plats of the surveys in order that they may get title to the land upon which they have made improvements, and to avoid the delay which would be caused by endeavoring to work up these returns with the force now in his office the, surveyor general asked for an increase sufficient to enable him to employ another draftsman.

Last season there were 12 parties engaged on surveys in Idaho. Nevada. The increase of $3,400 is submitted as necessary for clerks in the office of the surveyor general of Nevada, and this amount is asked for by him

because of the large increase in the surveys in that State. Under the act of June 25, 1910, which authorized the department to call upon the railroad companies to deposit the estimated cost of surveying the remaining unsurveyed lands within their granted limits, the Southern Pacific Railway Co. has deposited an amount which represents their share of the expense of surveys, and a number of parties have been put in the field on this work during the last two seasons under that act, but the appropriation from which the Government's share of the expense is to be paid is not considered by the comptroller to be available for office work, consequently, the increase of office work caused by this addition to the surveys usually executed in that State, requires a corresponding increase of appropriations to secure the necessary expert help to prepare the returns of these surveys for transmission to Washington and filing in the local land office so that entries can be made and the railroad lands listed for taxation by the State.

This increase will provide for two additional draftsmen, and it is believed the office force will then be able to keep abreast of the filing of the returns. Five parties have been at work in Nevada executing these surveys. New Mexico.-The surveyor general of New Mexico has asked for an increase of $2,600 for clerks in his office in order to provide for the large increase in his apportionment over last season (that for surveys for the present year amounting to 80 per cent more than the sum allotted to him the previous year). This increased allotment to New Mexico is occasioned by the surveys which are made necessary under the grants authorized in the enabling act, and the proportionate increase in the office work will be considerable, and the additional amount for clerk hire is urgently demanded, if the returns of these surveys are to be properly taken care of within a reasonable time so that the State may receive the benefits which will accrue from the said grant.

In New Mexico there have been six parties operating on these lands during the past season.

South Dakota-The surveyor general of South Dakota asked in the estimates for 1913 for an appropriation of $5,000 for the clerks in his office, and the explanation of that request or estimate was based upon the large amount of office work made necessary by the Nebraska resurveys. The last session of Congress did not provide a sufficient sum, having appropriated only $4,000. which did not enable the surveyor general to secure the necessary expert help to handle the returns which were filed in his office by the surveyors, who made resurveys in Nebraska under the $50,000 appropriation of 1912. It is found that an increase of $1,000 will be sufficient to employ the necessary draftsmen and transcribers to handle this large accumulation of work.

Four parties of surveyors have been engaged in Nebraska executing these resurveys.

Utah. The surveyor general of Utah has asked for an increase of $6,200 over the appropriation of last year for clerks in his office. It will be noted that this office estimated that an increase of $7,500 would be necessary to take care of the work in the Utah office in 1913, but Congress, at its last session, provided less than one-third of this amount in addition to the appropriation for 1912. The surveyor general has found that not only this $2.000 increase is insufficient to take care of the work, but that the work has accumulated since that time to an extent that it will require the services of three additional draftsmen and one transcriber to keep the work up to date and to provide for the preparation of the plots and field notes of the large number of surveys executed in Utah during the past two seasons under special acts of Congress providing for surveys in the southern part of Utah.

Wyoming.-The surveyor general of Wyoming recommends that the sum of $5,300 be added to his appropriation for clerk hire, and states that this amount is necessary for him to cope with the extensive returns that are now being rapidly filed in his office. This office estimated that the sum of $3,900 would be required in 1913 in addition to the sum appropriated for clerk hire in 1912, but Congress gave only $2,000 additional, and this is found to be entirely insufficient to carry on the office work in that State, if such work is to be kept up to date. The surveyor general made urgent requests to have additional force for this purpose in 1912. and he was allotted the sum of $5,000 from the fund of $25,000 authorized by Congress from the regular appropriation for surveys for that purpose. About 10 additional employees were engaged, consisting of draftsmen and transcribers, and a large amount of work was performed. The availability, however, of this fund was terminated at the close of the fiscal year 1912, and this additional force had to be dropped. It is proposed to con

tinue that force in order to dispose of the arrears of work, which at this time amount to over a year in point of time.

The increase of office work in this surveyor general's office is the result of extensive resurveys which were ordered by Congress to be made in Wyoming two years ago (amounting to about 8,000,000 of acres), and eight parties have been at work in that district executing these resurveys. No appropriations were made at the time, and the work has been carried on through apportionments to Wyoming from the regular appropriation for surveys and resurveys in the same manner as the resurveys in Colorado, and, as in the latter State, the office work necessary for the proper platting and transcribing of the returns of the resurveys is more elaborate and more extensive and requires greater care and more time than the platting of original or virgin surveys. This is owing to the great number of tracts of land which have already been improved by settlers and other bona fide holders, which tracts are, by statute, protected from impairment by any subsequent resurvey.

In prosecuting the work of resurveys it is necessary to suspend, while the resurveys are in progress, all disposals or entries upon the lands about to be resurveyed, and this involves considerable hardship upon the prospective entryman if the resurveys are not platted and filed within a reasonable time, as no entries can be made, no transfers or disposals of any kind allowed, by the local officers during the resurvey.

INDIAN OFFICE.

STATEMENTS OF MR. F. H. ABBOTT, ACTING COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, AND MR. E. B. MERITT, OF THE OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.

Mr. JOHNSON. The position of Commissioner of Indian Affairs is now vacant, is it not?

Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. And you are acting commissioner?

Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. What position do you hold-assistant commissioner? Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir; assistant commissioner.

Mr. JOHNSON. Are you familiar with these estimates that are submitted?

Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir. These estimates were prepared by Commissioner Valentine, but I have familiarized myself generally with

them.

CHIEF CLERK.

Mr. JOHNSON. The first item is a request for an increase in the salary of the chief clerk from $2,250 to $2,750. Is there any note explaining that or will you explain it orally?

Mr. ABBOTT. The second assistant commissioner, besides performing the duties of chief clerk, is authorized to sign for the commissioner as acting commissioner, so that the responsibilities of the office are often upon his shoulders. I think there is no question but that the position is worth the salary of $2,750.

Mr. JOHNSON. How long has this man been there?

Mr. ABBOTT. I think Mr. Hauke has been in the position of chief clerk for four or five years.

Mr. JOHNSON. He was in the service before being made chief clerk? Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir; he was a clerk in the bureau: I think he came up from a $900 position in the office.

BOARD OF REVIEW.

Mr. JOHNSON. The next item is, " Two members of board of review, at $2,400 each." What are they now and what positions are they holding now? What is their present designation?

Mr. ABBOTT. They are members of the board of review now.

Mr. JOHNSON. I do not see any board of review provided for here. Mr. ABBOTT. I believe that last year the board of review was made up of the law clerk and one assistant chief of division and one $1,800 clerk.

Mr. JOHNSON. If we appropriate for them as members of the board of review in this bill, what becomes of the places they have been filling? Is it proposed to appropriate for somebody else in those places?

Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. GILLETT. So that it is an increase of the board by so much. Mr. JOHNSON. The appropriations for the present year are $231,710 for that office and the estimates for 1914 are $264,880. That is an increase of about $33,000. Now, there are three chiefs of division at $2,400. That is an increase of one man, is it not? There were two chiefs of division, one at $2,250 and one at $2,000.

Mr. ABBOTT. We had the chiefs of division just the same, but one of the chiefs was carried as a financial clerk at $2,250.

Mr. JOHNSON. We are still providing for a financial clerk at $2,250?

Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. And we are providing for three instead of two chiefs here?

Mr. ABBOTT. Well, we, of course, have to have three chiefs of division whether they carry that title or not.

Mr. JOHNSON. This is an increase in the force of how much? Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir; it is an increase. There is an increase in the force of about 30 clerks all together.

Mr. JOHNSON. The law clerk is raised from $2,000 to $2,400, and you provide for three assistant chiefs of division. What are these men now-what is their designation?

Mr. ABBOTT. We call them assistant chiefs of division now in the office.

Mr. JOHNSON. How are thev appropriated for? They are not appropriated for that way.

Mr. ABBOTT. No, sir; they are appropriated for as clerks of class 4.

PRIVATE SECRETARY.

Mr. JOHNSON. Then, you ask that the salary of the private secretary be increased from $1,800 to $2,000. To whom is he the private secretary?

Mr. ABBOTT. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

ADDITIONAL CLERICAL FORCE.

[See also p. 194.]

Mr. JOHNSON. You ask for 18 instead of 14 clerks of class 4. That is an increase of 4, and you have proposed to lift a number of men

out of class 4 clerkships to other designations, so that you are providing for quite a number of promotions.

Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. I take it that if these promotions are allowed at the top that you will be able to promote practically everybody in your office, will you not?

Mr. ABBOTT. No, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. If you promote four men from $1,800 to $2,000, or any other sum above that, that allows the promotion of somebody else from class 3 to class 4, and all the way down the line?

Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir; and, frankly, the intention was to increase the salaries so as to keep a high class of men. The intention of this scheme is to make promotions from the office instead of going outside, except when we come to increase our number of $1,000 clerks.

Mr. JOHNSON. When Mr. Valentine was before the committee last year we found that he had a large force of clerks in his office paid from a lump-sum appropriation, so that we provided that hereafter these people should be estimated for as other clerks in the office, and I presume that has been done.

Mr. MERITT. That has been done.

Mr. JOHNSON. Are these men all in the service of the Government now who were paid out of the lump-sum appropriation?

Mr. MERITT. All except two clerks in the irrigation section. We need two more clerks of class 1.

Mr. JOHNSON. Are they in service at the rates of compensation previously paid?

Mr. ABBOTT. I think so. That is true of all carried on the allotment roll, Mr. Chairman. Yes, sir; they are on the same salaries.

SALARIES PAID FROM LUMP SUMS.

Mr. JOHNSON. Were you embarrassed by the provision in the legislative bill under which no person could have his compensation increased over last year's rate-that is, those who were paid out of lump-sum appropriations?

Mr. ABBOTT. We were, I might say, embarrassed a little, because we got mixed up a little as to just what that law meant; but there was no serious embarrassment.

Mr. JOHNSON. Did you get a construction from the Comptroller of the Treasury?

Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir; we did; and we did not fully understand that, and we have gone back for another construction.

Mr. JOHNSON. For a construction of his construction?

Mr. ABBOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. Is there any purpose in the Indian Bureau, when we take up these men who have hitherto been paid out of a lump-sum appropriation and provide for them here, to ask for a lump-sum appropriation in the Indian bill for clerical services?

Mr. ABROTT. I did not just understand the first part of your question.

Mr. JOHNSON. Well, we are opposed to lump-sum appropriations, so far as we can avoid them. Now, to avoid having lump-sum appropriations in the Indian bill for clerical services in the District of Columbia we have provided that they shall be taken care of in this

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