Estimates of appropriations required, &c.—Continued. Detailed objects of expenditure, and explanations, Examination of public surveys. 22. Occasional examinations of public surveys in the several surveying districts in order to test the accuracy of the work in the field, (R. S., p. 392, sec. 2223; appropriated, 19 Stat., p. 348, sec. 1.) Unfinished records of surveyors general. 23. Completing unfinished records of surveys in Arkansas and Missouri; (submitted.) Appraisement and sale of military reservations. 24. For the appraisement of land and the buildings heretofore erected by the United States, and sale of the same to the highest bidder; (submitted.) 6,000 Total... 549, 990 EXPLANATION OF THE FOREGOING ESTIMATES. 1. The $40,000 is estimated for surveys and resurveys of public lands and private land claims, principally in the southwestern district, where the evidences of the original surveys of 60 years' standing have entirely disappeared, and the lands cannot be disposed of for want of proper and necessary metes and bounds. 2. The $6,000 is submitted for completing the surveys of public lands in Florida, and for extending the subdivisional lines over the lands lying between the Watson and Orr and Whitner boundary lines of Georgia and Florida, under act of Congress of April 9, 1872, (17 Stat., p. 52.) 3. The $25,000 is estimated for the continuation of the lines of public surveys in Minnesota containing settlements, or such as are calculated for immediate occupation by settlers; also for the survey of timber lands. 4. The $50,000 is submitted for the surveys of public lands in Dakota Territory, required to satisfy and accommodate the demands and needs of the settlers seeking homes in the Territory, and miners in the Black Hills. 5. The $30,000 is estimated for the survey of public lands required for settlement, and of timbered lands principally on mountain slopes, difficult of survey, but needed for bringing them into private ownership, and thereby preventing spoliation extensively being committed to the detriment of the public interests. 6. The $30,000 is estimated for the survey of arable and timber lands. 7. The $40,000 is submitted for the survey of arable, mineral, and timber lands. 8. The $20,000 is submitted for continuing the surveys to accommodate actual settlers. 9. The $10,000 is estimated for the survey of agricultural and timber lands needed for settlement. 10. The $40,000 is submitted for survey of public lands, for which applications have been made by settlers, and of timber lands. 11. The $30,000 is estimated for the extension of the lines of public surveys over settlements already made and awaiting the surveys; also for the survey of timber lands. 12. The $30,000 is submitted for the survey of arable lands required for settlements and of timber. lands. 13. The $20,000 is estimated for the survey of agricultural, mineral, and timber lands. 14. The $20,000 is submitted for the survey of arable and mineral lands; also for timber lands to accommodate actual settlers on the lands and the miners, and thereby protect the timber from spoliation and the government from loss in the disposal of lands denuded of timber. 15. The $2,000 is estimated mainly for surveys within the limits of the Union Pacific Railroad grant; also for lands containing coal, and mineral lands in the Black Hills. 16. The $10,000 is estimated for the extension of the lines of public surveys over settlements already made and over lands containing minerals and timber. 17. The $5,000 is submitted to cover the expenses of a surveyor for the purpose of ascertaining the lands sold by the State of Georgia lying south of the Orr & Whitner line, and north of the Watson line, in order that the titles to the same may be adjudicated by the Secretary of the Interior when the possessory rights to the conflicting claims shall have been ascertained, and the requisite surveys of the same are made under act of Congress approved April 9, 1872. 18. The sum of $5,000 is estimated to cover expenses of completing fragmentary surveys of public lands left unsurveyed at the time the offices of surveyors general in eleven surveying districts were closed, to be completed by the Commissioner of the General Land Office under the law. 19. The estimate of $19,600 is necessary to separate the political jurisdiction, so that the respective inhabitants may know to which particular territory their rights of citizenship belong. The boundary is needed to close the lines of public surveys upon, projected from different bases and meridians; also to enable the local land officers to know that public lands disposed of by them are within their respective districts, and to afford facilities to settlers on surveyed and unsurveyed public lands to apply to the proper land officers to file declarations to enter lands. 20. The estimate of $19,390 is required to separate the political jurisdiction of the Territo ies. The boundary line is necessary to close the lines of public surveys in Utah Territory, and also to use it as a base line to start the surveys of public lands in the San Juan River Valley, requiring separate base and meridian in the eastern portion of Utah. 21. The sum of $10,000 is needed to cover expenses of the reconnoissances to be made by the surveyors general with the view of ascertaining, personally, such regions of their districts as are settled on by bona fide pre emptors, miners, and other settlements or lands suitable for agricultural and timber purposes, so that they may avoid the expenditure of appropriations in surveys of sterile and waste lands, and subserve legitimate interests of the service. 22. $15,000 is estimated to cover expenses of examiners, to be designated by the Commissioner of the General Land Office or surveyors general, to test the fidelity of the execution of the field work; also to enable the surveyors general to satisfy themselves of the correctness of the returns made of the field work, where doubts exist as to the faithful execution of the work, before approval of the same. 23. For preparing duplicate and triplicate township plats and transcripts of field notes of surveys for the General Land Office and registers of local land offices, left uncompleted at the time the respective offices of surveyors general were closed, and now placed in this office to be finished so that the original records may be turned over to the State authorities as the law requires. 24. The lines of the public surveys have already been extended over the reservations as provided by law, but there being no means at the disposal of the department to cover the expenses of the appraisement, advertisement, and sale, this estimate is submitted for that purpose. J. A. WILLIAMSON, Commissioner. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, GENERAL LAND OFFICE, September 26, 1877. No. 14.-Estimates of appropriations required for the service of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1879, by the General Land Office. No. 14.-Estimates of appropriations required, &c.—Continued. a The $18,000 is estimated for compensation of clerk hire, consisting of four regular clerks and draughtsmen, calling for $6,000, and twelve $1,000 clerks to bring up the arrears in office work of many year's standing, viz, to prepare duplicate patent plats of confirmed private land claims, of which there are about 6,000 entitled to patents, and which cannot be patented until such plats are made. Also to transcribe field notes of surveys of about 780 townships, for a long while in arrears, and requiring one month of time to copy the notes of six townships by one clerk. Very limited appropriations for office work in former years caused so extensive arrears. b The $4,200 for clerk hire is submitted, it being actually required to transact the current work and to bring up the arrears in office work retarded by former inadequate appropriations for the same; the arrears consist of 102 townships of descriptive notes of surveys for register's office, 76 index diagrams to original field notes, and 27 original township plats, and the completion of the condensed history of the private land claims of volume No. 4. e The $7,500 is estimated for clerk hire, to enable the surveyor general to employ six of them to attend properly to the current oflice work, as well as to the bringing up of the work remaining in arrears on account of heretofore restricted appropriations for the purpose. There are 23 townships, No. 14.-Estimates of appropriations required, &c.—Continued. the field notes of which must be transcribed, 128 to be recorded, 24 descriptive lists for the registers and for record, and 47 township plats to be constructed. d The sum of 26,500 is estimated for compensation of five employés in the surveyor general's office, consisting of a chief clerk, two draughtsmen, and two transcribing clerks, actually necessary to keep pace with the field work and avoid any arrears in the oflice work. The $2,500 submitted for incidental expenses of the office is reported by the surveyor general as absolutely needed to maintain the oflice and pay of messenger. The reduced appropriation for the same objects for the present fiscal year is inadequate to cover the necessary expenses. e The $7,200 is estimated for the compensation of five clerks and draughtsmen in the surveyor gen. eral's office, to attend to the office-work consequent on surveys of public lands and mineral surveys, which latter are sensibly increasing in Colorado, and involve considerable labor in the preparation of the requisite work. Arrears of four years are reported by the surveyor general, and the fact that the appropriation for the current year has been reduced to less than one-half the amount estimated, the present estimate will be actually needed for the service. f The $10,600 is submitted for compensation of chief clerk and translator of Spanish language in the adjudication of private-land claims in New Mexico $2.000 per annum; two draughtsmen at $1,500 each, and four clerks at $1,400 each; this force is deemed neeessary in view of the ciminished approp iation for the like service of the current fiscal year, and also of the arrears existing in the preparation of dias grams of private land claims for the registers, showing the surveyed limits of the same. The $4,500 estimated for incidental expenses are to cover a fire proof safe and renewal of furniture dilapidated by wear and tear of twenty years' use thereof, &c. g The $20,000, estimated for clerk hire in the office of the surveyor general of Calif rnia, is to enable him to successfully cope with a very diversified office work called for by numerous acts of Congress. The maximum allowance by the organic law of $11,000 per annum having been found inadequate for several years past. appropriations were made of larger sums for the service, but not sufficient for bring ing up the great arrears in the preparation of descriptive notes for the local land-oflicers, as required by law. The $5,000, submitted for incidental expenses of the office, is necessary to meet the pay of mes senger, $900 per annum, and other expenses, which, in consequence of the reduced appropriation for the present fiscal year, will demand entire supply of stationery, &c., for the year, and to purchase two fire-proof safes, furniture, &c., to replace old and worthless safes and furniture. h The $4,000, estimated for the compensation of clerks in the surveyor general's office, covers scarcely the pay of three clerks for the whole fiscal year, the third clerk receiving $700 for a part of the year. The $2,500, submitted for incidental expenses of the office, goes in payment of a messenger, $600 per annum, and rent of the surveyor general's office, leaving the balance for stationery and other inci dental expenses. i The $6,300 is estimated for clerk hire in the office of the surveyor general of Nevada, to cover the compensation of clerks and draughtsmen to attend to the service of the pressing public concerns, ne cessitated by the surveys of the agricultural, mineral, and other surveys; the extended mineral land surveys demanding considerable labor in order to expedite the returns of numerous surveyors. The $4.000 here submitted for incidental expenses of the office of surveyor general are called for to meet the payment of $1,200 for the rent of the office, compensation of messenger, $700, and sundry other expenses actually nee ed for the efficient discharge of duties devolved on the surveyor general of Nevada, and to supply furniture destroyed by fire. j The $7,200 is submitted for the compensation of five clerks in the surveyor general's office, at usual rates per annum, actually needed to attend to the current official business, and to bring up the accu mulated arrears in office work since 1862, especially in regard to the swamp-land business, and the transcription of donation claim field notes of survey, the original being in dilapidated condition. * The $7,200 are submitted for the compensation of clerks in the office of surveyor general of Washington Territory, required for the purpose, not only to expedite the current office work, but to bring up considerable arrears in the transcription of the neld notes of former surveys of the public lands and donation claims, and recording the same as required by law, the accumulation of this kind of work having taken place during ten years in consequence of insufficient means provided for that purpose. As the original field notes are in a very dilapidated condition, further delay in transcribing them in proper books will cause great loss, and embarrass not only the public interest, but those of fudividual owners of lands. 1 The $6,300, estimated for clerk hire is to cover the pay of five clerks actually needed for the transaction of the ordinary business of the office, and which amount is allowed by law. The $ 3,000 submitted for incidental expenses is to cover binding of the original field notes of surveys of past years, pay of messenger, and rent of the office, &c. m The $7,500 is estimated for the pay of clerks in the surveyor general's office. To transact the official business consequent on the survey of agricultural and mineral lands in Montana. especially the latter surveys being on an increase, will demand constant work in the examination of complicated claims, protraction of numerous plats, recording the same, transcribing field notes, and other duties devolving ou the clerks, too numerous to state. The $4,000 is submitted for binding the original field notes of surveys, backing with cloth township plats, additional furniture, pay of messenger, and rent of office. All these are much needed and will absorb the amount. n The $7,100 is submitted for the compensation of clerks in the office of surveyor general of Utah, indispensably needed, to attend to extensive surveys of mineral claims, preparation of maps and field notes of the thirty-one mining districts, and to transact the usual regular business in the office, which will have been delayed on account of small appropriation made for the service during the present fi cal year. o The $6,700 is submitted for compensation of four clerks in the office of surveyor general of Wyo. ming Territory, required to transact the official business devolving on it, and to bring up the arrears, consisting of the preparation of descriptive lists of corner boundaries of public lands, quality of soil and timber of 118 townships, requiring 236 lists for the local land offices, and for the record in surveyor general's office. p The $5.500 is estimated for clerk hire in the office of surveyor general of Arizona Territory. This amount is actually required to pay clerks in his office, including one versed in the English and Spanish languages, to assist in the duties of examining and reporting upon titles to private land claims, the duty devolved on the surveyor general by the proviso to the appropriation act of July 15, 1870, (Statutes, vol. 16, p. 304.) The surveyor general reports the living in Arizona as being 25 per cent. higher than in any other surveying district. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, General Land Office, September 26, 1877. J. A. WILLIAMSON, Commissioner. |