Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/35

 CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT xiii Navy-Yard and Station, Washington, D.C. — Capt. A. II. McCormick, Commandant. Naval Observatory. — Capt. Charles H. Davis, Superintendent. Marine Corps. — Col. Charles Hey wood, Commandant. Attached to the navy, and having their offices located in Washington, are the Navy Pay Office, Hydrographic Office, Naval Hospital, Museum of Hygiene, Naval Dispensary, Naval Examining Board, Naval Retiring Board, Board of Medical Examiners. The duties of these offices and of those not specifically stated above are sufficiently indicated by their titles. The composition of the navy, pay of officers, list of war-vessels, etc., will be found under the title " Navy." 7. Secretary of the Interior. — Ethan Allen Hitchcock, of Missouri, born in Alabama, 18o5 ; was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at St. Petersburg by President McKinley, which position he resigned to accept appointment as Secretary of the Interior ; appointed February 20, 1899. The duties of the Secretary of the Interior are varied ; he is charged with the supervision of the public business relating to patents, pensions, public lands, and surveys, Indians, education, railroads, the Geological Survey, the census, Indian reservations, the Territories, the various public parks, and certain hospitals and eleemosynary institutions in the District of Columbia. First Assistajit Secretary. — Thomas Ttyan. Assistant Secretary. — AVebster Davis. The Assistant Secretaries are assigned such duties as the Secretary may direct. Chief Clerk. — Edward M. Dawson. Has general supervision of clerks and employees, and of business, records, and correspondence of Secre- tary's office ; also superintendence of buildings occupied by the Depart- ment. Disbursing Division. — George W. Evans, Chief. Pays salaries of clerks and employees, and settles accounts against the Department and the bureaus under it, with the exception of the Geological Survey, which has its own disbursing officer ; also settles accounts, and pays salaries of office of Supervising Architect of Capitol. Attached to the immediate office of the Secretary are the First Assistant Attorney and the Chiefs of the Divisions of Appointment, Lands and Railroads, Indians, Patents and Miscellaneous, Stationery and Printing, Document, and, until a Census Office is established by law, the Census ; also the Board of Pension Appeals. General Land Office. — Binger Hermann, Commissioner. Has charge of the survey, management, and sale of the public domain, and the issuing of titles therefor. Patent Office. — Charles H. Duell, Commissioner. Is charged with the administration of the patent laws. Bureau of Pensions. — H. Clay Evans, Commissioner. Examines and adjudicates all claims arising under the laws passed by Congress granting bounty lands or pensions on account of service in the army or navy. Office of Indian Affairs. — William A. Jones, Commissioner. Has charge of the several tribes of Indians in the States and Territories ; also superintends the Indian schools. Bureau of Education. — William T. Harris, Commissioner. Collects such statistics and facts as are necessary to show the condition and