11. Secured the repeal of the inhibition against expenditure of more than $10,000 per annum for Rocky Mountain Park, thereby paving way for greater development of that great scenic area.

12. Investigated status of lands in Hawaii National Park, and arranged for legislation which, when enacted, will assist in securing desirable private lands within park area by exchange of territorial lands.

13. Cooperated with highway and other associations in dissemination of information regarding parks and monuments.

14. Arranged for donation of block of land in city of Hot Springs, Ark., for location of free public bathhouse.

15. Installed a new water system in the Muir Woods National Monument.

16. Completed the road around the rim of the crater in Crater Lake National Park and trails from the road to Sun Notch and Crater Peak.

17. Established the feasibility of airplane travel to Yosemite and Rocky Mountain National Parks.

18. In cooperation with Smithsonian Institution conducted excavation and repair of ruins in Mesa Verde National Park.

19. Constructed new road in Mesa Verde National Park ascending the east side of Point Lookout, giving commanding view over surrounding territory.

20. Improved road through section of Petrified Forest National Monument, thereby opening up further area to visitors.

21. Made important repairs to Tumacacori Mission to preserve it from decay.

22. Made improvements in Casa Grande National Monument for better accommodation of visitors, and cooperated in archaeological investigations made there.

23. Completed trail to Forst's Cave in Shoshone Cavern National Monument, thereby opening up this natural curiosity to the public. 24. Cooperated with scientific societies in excavation work in Chaco Canyon and Gran Quivira National Monuments.

25. Engaged in cooperative work with the Bureau of Service, National Parks and Monuments, of the Railroad Administration, established in Chicago, to inform the public regarding railroad rates and tours to the national parks, monuments, and other resorts.

26. Established a course of lectures on the national parks and their attractions to be given each year in Yosemite National Park.

27. Furthered the establishment of museums in Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Rocky Mountain National Parks. Also at the Casa Grande Monument.

28. Completed new road in Gardiner River Canyon, Yellowstone National Park.

29. In cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution arranged for assembling of data for a book on the wild flowers and trees of Glacier Park, and with the Biological Survey and the University of Washington for a popular volume on the wild life of Mount Rainier National Park.

30. Cooperated with the National Parks Association, the Association of Mountaineering Clubs of America, and other organizations in the dissemination of information leading to a broader use and appreciation of the national parks.

31. Gave special attention to the conservation of the wild life of the parks and monuments, by reduction in number of predatory animals and establishment of game preserves.

32. Planted large consignments of fish in the lakes and streams of some of the larger parks, in cooperation with Federal and State. commissions, in order to develop and maintain good fishing waters for tourists.

33. Conducted investigations of large tracts of land containing the redwood, with a view to the further conservation of this rapidly diminishing tree in national parks, and including the reservation of timber along public highways.

34. Collected $196,703.03 in revenues from the national parks.

35. Prepared new edition of popular pamphlet Glimpses of Our National Parks, and copy for Glimpses of Our National Monuments. 36. Established new department of landscape engineering for the harmonious development of the national park areas.

37. Surveyed lines for new roads and trails in Grand Canyon, Glacier, and other national parks.

38. Planned for the extensive enlargement of facilities within the park to provide adequate accommodations of every kind for the traveling public.

39. Planned comprehensive trail development for Yosemite National Park.

40. Started detailed survey of floor of Yosemite Valley.

41. In addition to above attended to repair and maintenance work in all the parks under funds provided.

ABSTRACT OF REPORTS OF BUREAUS AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS OF THE DEPARTMENT.

OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR.

The following table shows the number of matters received and disposed of during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1919, which were docketed or recorded. It does not, however, account for a very large number of miscellaneous matters of which no formal record was kept.

1 Under "Miscellaneous" are grouped such matters as opinions, Indian matters, contracts, leases, etc. as well as many other varied matters arising in the several bureaus of the department and which, for one reason or another, may be referred to the solicitor's office for consideration.

From the above table it will be noted that out of a total of 11,427 matters docketed, only 712 were pending and undetermined at the close of the fiscal year; and that the total of each class shows a reduction over that of the previous year. This volume of work represents formal appeals and a great variety of miscellaneous matters coming from every bureau of the department. An additional class of work now also being submitted for consideration by this office is that arising under the law providing for relief in certain cases of contracts connected with the prosecution of the war, commonly known as the "War minerals relief act." Notwithstanding the great volume and variety of work of the office, it is now reached in docket order for consideration within a little more than two months after receipt. By such early disposition, after careful examination of records and thorough consideration of the questions involved, a substantial benefit is conferred not only upon the parties in interest, but also upon a great many others transacting business before the department in various ways dependent upon such adjudication.

The court work during the year shows highly satisfactory results. Three cases against the Secretary were decided favorably by the Supreme Court of the United States in two, adverse judgments in the court of appeals having been reversed. The court of appeals decided seven cases in which the Secretary was involved. Of these, two (in one of which this office did not appear for the Secretary) were decided against the department. Eighteen cases were disposed of in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, in three instances adversely. In one of these the department took no appeal, leaving the decision final, and making the fourth case during the last 10 years where final judgment has been against the department. Another was a case not defended by this office. And the third, State of New Mexico v. Lane (being the one lost also in the court of appeals), is now pending in the Supreme Court of the United States, where it invites final judgment on the question, very important in the administration of public-land laws, as to when a State acquires a vested interest in land embraced in a selection list. Another interesting case decided at nisi prius involves the administrative ruling of February 15, 1917 (46 L. D., 32), construing the statutes governing soldiers' additional rights; with which construction the court agrees. Six cases have been argued and submitted, with no decision rendered at the close of the fiscal year. Eleven new suits were filed within the year. There are now pending: United States Supreme Court, 8; court of appeals, 4; Supreme Court of the District, 32; in all, 44. There are two other cases, decided in favor of the Secretary of the Interior by the court of appeals, potentially pending, where the right of appeal has not expired. Aside from these cases, this office represented the Government, unsuccessfully, in another case at the request of the solicitor general.

GENERAL LAND OFFICE.

Area of land entered and patented.-The total area of public and Indian lands originally entered and allowed during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1919, is 11,863,672.28 acres, not including 137,403.27 acres embraced in finals not heretofore counted as original dispositions of land. The latter area is constituted as follows: Public auction, 104,721.15 acres; abandoned military reservations, 7,509.29 acres; cash and private sales, individual claimants and small-holding claims, 14,090.26 acres; pre-emption entries, 86.26 acres; and soldiers' additional homesteads, 10,996.31 acres. The area of 11,863,672.28 acres is an increase of 1,889,340.67 acres, as compared with the area originally entered and allowed during the fiscal year 1918. This increase in allowed entries is due to the stock-raising homestead act of December 29, 1916, 5,559,235.11 acres having been allowed under that act.

The area patented during the fiscal year is 10,777,001.349 acres, an increase of 1,224,519.132 acres, as compared with the fiscal year 1918. Of the above area 8,312,318.888 acres were patented under the homestead laws, an increase of 1,819,521.072 acres, not including as homesteads 13,334.12 acres patented as soldiers' additional entries.

Cash receipts and expenditures. The total cash receipts from the sales of public lands, including fees and commissions ($1,194,472.10), sales of reclamation town sites ($43,863.86), and sales of lands in the Oregon & California Railroad grant ($114,008.32), for the fiscal year 1919 were $2,817,063.27. The total receipts from the sales of Indian land were $1,387,781.74. Other receipts aggregated $98,829.19. The total receipts of this bureau during the fiscal year 1919 were $1,303,674.20..

The total expenses of district land offices for salaries and commissions of registers and receivers and incidental expenses during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1919, were $794,984.62. The aggregate expenditures and estimated liabilities of the public land service, including expenses of district land offices and surveys made from the appropriations for surveying the public lands outside of railroad land grant limits, were $3,026,554.46, leaving a net surplus of $1,277,119.74 of receipts over expenditures. Disbursements from the following special deposit trust funds and reimbursable appropriations are not included in the above figures as receipts or expenditures: From deposits by individuals for surveying the public lands, $47,020.65; from surveying within land grants (reimbursable), $12,572.36; from opening Indian reservations (reimbursable), $2,672.93; and from surveying and allotting Indian reservations (reimbursable), $54,705.49.

Field service. As the result of investigations in the field, $101,298.96 were collected and turned into the United States Treasury; in addition to this sum, $10,944.41 have been placed in the Treasury as royalty on coal mined during the past year from a tract in Colorado, as well as $26,193.35 as royalty from a coal lease in Wyoming. As a result of field investigations 164,363.83 acres have been restored to the public domain; of this acreage 85,323.83 acres were restored to open range by abatement of unlawful inclosures without

suit.

Special agents have investigated and reported on 17,399 cases, 3,447 of which were adversely and 13,952 favorably reported. Two hundred and fifty-two hearings in Government contest cases havebeen held. Civil suits in 65 cases were recommended to the Department of Justice as the result of investigations during the year. Eighty-six were tried in court, of which 60 were won and 26 lost. As the result of the successful suits, $43,895.94 was recovered and