Estimates of appropriations required for the surveying service, &c.—Continued. Detailed objects of expenditure, and explanations. Contingent expenses of offices of surveyors general-Continued. Office of surveyor general of Montana: Rent of office for surveyor general, fuel, books, stationery, pay of messenger, and other incidental expenses (R. S., p. 391, sec. 2227; appropriated, 22 Stat.) NOTE. The estimate of $3,400 is made to cover the growing expenses of the office, estimated at $2,400, to pay for increased accommodations really necessary for the office business, and $1,000 for cost of restoring torn and defaced records and for binding field notes and plats and mounting the latter, absolutely necessary for the preservation of the records. Office of surveyor general of Nevada: Rent of office for surveyor general, pay of messenger, fuel, books, stationery, and other incidental expenses (R. S., p. 391, sec. 2227; appropriated, 22 Stat.) Office of surveyor general of Nebraska and Iowa: Rent of office for surveyor general, fnei, books, stationery, and other incidental expenses (R. S., p. 391, sec. 2227; appropriated, 22 Stat.)...... Surveyor general (R. S., p. 389, sec. 2210).. NOTE. The $5,500 estimated for clerk hire in the surveyor general's office is for the office work on public land surveys, of which an increased amount is being made every year; also for securing copies and obtaining records of private land grants. Office of surveyor general of California: Surveyor general (R. S., p. 389, sec. 2210) Clerks in his office (R. S., p. 391. sec. 2226). NOTE. The $35.000 for clerk hire is to cover the expense of regular office work, estimated at $20,000; office work in ar rears, $10,000; and $5,000 for completing the reproduction, &c., of the original Spanish archives. 35, 100 25,000 $3,000 Estimates of appropriations required for the surveying service, &c.-Continued. Detailed objects of expenditure, and explanations. Salaries of surveyors general and their clerks-Continued. Office of surveyor general of Colorado: Surveyor general (R. S., p. 389, sec. 2210) NOTE.-The $7,800 estimated for clerk hire is for five employés, viz: Chief clerk, $1,800; two draughtsmen at $1,500 each, and two transcribing clerks at $1,500 each; said force being actually required for the current office work. Office of surveyor general of Dakota: Surveyor general (R. S., p. 388, sec. 2208; appropriated, p. 559, 22 Stat.) Clerks in his office (R. S., p. 391, sec. 2226) NOTE. The estimate of $12,900 for clerk hire is for chief clerk at $1,800, chief draugthsman at $1,500, and six assistant clerks at $1,200 each, making $10,500; also $2,400 for additional clerk hire, attendant upon surveys of exterior and standard lines west of Missouri River and within the present Sioux reservation expected to be relinquished. Office of surveyor general of Florida: Surveyor general (R. S., p. 388, sec. 2208). Clerks in his office (R. S., p. 391, sec. 2226) . NOTE.-The $5,400 estimated for clerk hire is for chief clerk at $1,600, draughtsman at $1,400, one transcribing clerk at $1,200, and one translator at $1,200. A large amount of office work is in arrears, and there are many old Spanish official documents on file in the surveyor general's office which should be translated without further delay, while they can be read. Office of surveyor general of Idaho: Surveyor general (R. S., p. 389, sec. 2210).. Office of surveyor general of Louisiana: Office of surveyor general of Minnesota: Surveyor general (R. S., p. 388, sec. 2208) Clerks in his office (R. S., p. 391, sec. 2226) Office of surveyor general of Montana: Surveyor general (R. S., p. 389, sec. 2210) Clerks in his office (R. S., p. 391, sec. 2226) NOTE. The estimate of $12,100 for clerk hire is mostly for the pay of clerks for regular office work attendant upon necessary increased public surveys, to meet the demands of settlers and enable them to secure title to their lands without long delays, and also to bring up arrears of work, such as indexing, correcting, and arranging the records of surveys of past years, heretofore neglected. The extension and completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad through Montana will greatly increase the call for surveys there. Estimates of appropriations required for the surveying service, &c.—Continued. $7,000 5,500 8,000 6,000 153, 500 NOTE.-In submitting the foregoing estimates attention is respectfully invited to the fact that while the sums estimated for salaries of surveyors general amount to $44,500, which is an excess of $6,650 over the amounts appropriated by Congress for salaries of said officers for the year ending June 30, 1884, yet the amounts hereinbefore estimated for said salaries are authorized by specific provisions of law, referred to in the estimates, except in the case of Dakota, where the organic act fixes the salary at $2,000, but by annual appropriation the salary has been increased to $2,500, which is the amount estimated. F.-RAILROAD DIVISION. This division has charge of the adjustment of railroad, wagon-road, and canal grants, and of contests between settlers and the various grantees; also of the work arising under the several acts of Congress granting the right of way through the public lands. The reports of construction of land-grant railroads during the fiscal year show an aggregate of 1,210.68 miles, which, with those previously reported (16,239.10 miles), make a total of 17,449.78 miles, distributed as follows: During the fiscal year there were patented for railroad purposes 477,740.24 acres, an increase, as compared with the previous year, of 301,333.58 acres. There were also patented for wagon-road purposes 440,856.52 acres, an increase of that amount as compared with the previous year. No certifications were made for canals. Twelve railroad patents, covering 124 pages of record, and one wagon. road patent, covering 30 pages, were issued. The lists of selections awaiting examination or action at the close of the fiscal year covered 3,070,453.41 acres, an increase, as compared with the previous year, of 1,112,060.62 acres. In the appropriate place in this report will be found tables showing the condition of the adjustment of the various grants at the close of the fiscal year. Of contested cases there remained awaiting final action 1,014. Of these, 718 have received some action, and 296 have received no attention, save to enter them upon the docket. There were pending 453 applications to file for or enter lands within railroad limits. These applications, which are in the nature of contested cases, have received no attention whatever. Of ex parte cases there remained for final action 5,424. Of these, 746 have received partial action, and 4,678 have not been reached for examination. 6262 1-5 65 The number of letters received and registered was 4,328; the number written was 4,519, covering 4,192 pages of record. The number of railroad companies claiming the right of way through the public lands under various laws is steadily increasing. A table herewith shows the roads so claiming. The preparation of reports for Congress, and answering letters from individuals concerning specific tracts and cases in contest which had not been reached for examination and decision, consumed much of the time of the employés of the division. |