| Show w wIn wi i In I Secretary Fisher Faces Big Task h RS OME dOB LAno F 1 W WASHINGTON Some Some idea of ot the VT gigantic task which confronts Walter 1 L. L Fisher of Chicago the new secretary secretary- of the Interior can be gleaned glean glean- ed from the fact tact that approximately is expended annually in inho inthe ho tho department of which he has Just Justeen been een made the chief acres o of f public land Is under his Immediate jurIsdIction not Including the territory territory terri- terri tory ory of Alaska and nearly employees employees em em- take their orders from him The Importance of ot the department to o the cou country try at large cannot bo be overestimated especially at this time when tho the country is insisting upon an administration favoring use of the national national na- na ional resources of the country on the public domain and in Alaska which will not only permit Immediate development development devel devel- but conserve these resources for future generations Establishment of the Interior department department depart depart- ment was the direct result of the accession accession ac ac- ac cession of territory following the Mex Mex- lean Ican can war and general Increase In in population population pop pop- wealth and business It was made a sort of ot catchall for government government government govern govern- ment business which could not be convenIently conveniently conveniently con con- transacted by any other de de- At the present time the secretary of ot the he interior has supervision over the following offices and Institutions General land office in charge of ot Commissioner Fred Dennett which supervises supervises supervises su su- su- su the survey management and disposition of ot the public lands the adjudication adjudication ad- ad of conflicting claims relating relating re- re lating thereto the granting of railroad and other rights of way easements the issuance of ot patents for tor lands and with furnishing certified copies of land laud patents and of records plats and pa papers ers on file In that office In the national forests he executes all laws relating to surveying prospecting locating locating locating lo lo- cating appropriating ente entering re- re conveying or patenting of public lands and the gran granting ing of ot rights of way amounting to easements The employees of the department are divided among the various branches of the service as follows Office of ot secretary office of ot the Iho assistant attorney general 23 gen general ral land office 14 1487 7 office of ot Indian affairs patent office pension n office 1579 bureau of ot education geological survey 1063 reclamation service 1745 bureau bureau bureau bu bu- bu- bu reau of mines hospitals parks and reservations 86 and District of ot Columbia 26 office of superintendent of the capitol 22 total total total to to- tal Of course the big thing In the pub pub- lice eye in the department of the Interior interior interior in In- at the present time is the conservation conservation conservation con con- question involving as it does a definite policy for the administration administration adminis adminis- of ot the public domain with especial reference to Alaska as well as the contiguous territory embr embracing cIng the states Arising under the present present present pres pres- ent laws however is the Cunningham coal claims in Alaska and the waterpower waterpower water waterpower power sites' sites controversy both of which were involved in th the Ballinger- Ballinger Pinchot and both of ot which will have haye to be dealt with by Secretary Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary Fisher Even while considering these Important Items however Mr Fisher must ever have an eye on the general administration of ot the whole department t which is one of the most comprehensive in the entire government govern govern- ment I |
