36. Studied fuel-burning practice at various refractories plants in the Eastern States, with the result that most of the plants were shown how to produce more and better ware with less fuel.

37. Completed research work showing the causes and effect of sulphur in clays on the brick, and how to fire the kilns to reduce losses from defective brick.

38. Developed a process for preparing aluminum sulphate from low-grade clays and also from Utah alunite, which will provide a much-needed cheap source of aluminum sulphate for making alum and aluminum salts.

39. Produced artificial sillimanite in the electric furnace, and continued work to eliminate irregularities in the product.

40. Demonstrated that a new method of drilling slate in quarries will greatly decrease the waste as compared with channeling.

41. Carried on blasting tests which have shown the most efficient ways of using different explosives in metal mines under difficult conditions.

42. Completed an extensive survey of those properties of ammonium nitrate that influence safety in storage, handling, and use. 43. Made a comprehensive study, for the Senate Commission of Gold and Silver Inquiry, of possible new uses for silver.

44. Made a field study, for the Department of Commerce, of the Chilean nitrate industry, which shows that there are still large reserves and that nitrate is being mined efficiently and sold at a justifiable price.

45. Continued the study of gummy deposits in gas meters, and determined that indene and styrine are two of the objectionable elements that cause trouble by precipitating tar in gas meters.

46. Determined the mechanism of scale formation in boilers and the conditions necessary to prevent the forming of scale.

THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

1. Handled largest volume of tourist travel in the history of the national parks; 1924 season, 1,422,353 visitors, as against 1,280,886 during 1923 and 1,044,502 in 1922.

2. Handled largest volume of automobile travel in the history of the national parks; 1924 season, 281,109 cars; 1923 season, 271,482 cars; 1922 season, 197,105 cars.

3. Handled largest volume of tourist travel in the history of the national monuments; 1924 season, 248,555 visitors; 1923 season, 212,826 visitors; 1922 season, 172,005 visitors.

4. Collected $663,886.32 in revenues from the operation of the national parks and monuments as against $513,706.36 in 1923 and $432,964.89 in 1922.

5. Accepted, through the department, deeds giving title to three tracts of land in Lafayette National Park; also donations of money and other gifts from park friends.

6. Secured donation of $70,500 from the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, through the American Association of Museums, for the construction of an adequate fireproof museum building and equipment in Yosemite National Park.

7. Secured donation of $5,500 for the completion of one wing of a museum building in Mesa Verde National Park.

8. Director of National Park Service appointed member of National Capital Park Commission, which was created by Congress to study the possibilities of enlarging and developing the park system of the District of Columbia.

9. Continued cooperation with Public Health Service in improving sanitary conditions in parks.

10. Secured cooperation of the United States Geological Survey in preparing topographic map of Lassen Volcanic National Park.

11. Cooperated with Bureau of Entomology in insect-control work.

12. Cooperated with United States Bureau of Fisheries and State fish hatcheries in fish planting in park lakes and streams.

13. Arranged for improved facilities of public utilities and expanded public camp grounds for motorists.

14. Secured authorization of $7,500,000 three-year program of road construction and betterment and made preliminary plans for initiation of this road work as soon as funds are available.

15. Consummated important land exchanges in Glacier National Park.

16. Continued operation of Government free bathhouse in Hot Springs National Park, giving a total of 59,683 baths to 4,025 persons. Also examined and treated 3,676 persons in the free clinic in cooperation with Public Health Service.

17. Continued and expanded the free nature guide service in the national parks.

18. Stimulated use of national parks during the winter for winter sports.

19. Resisted efforts of cattle and sheepmen to open the parks to grazing and afforded protection to animal and plant life of parks. 20. Carried on restoration work on ruins in several of southwestern monuments and continued under permit archaeological investigation of the National Geographic Society in the Chaco Canyon National Monument.

21. Through landscape engineering division greatly improved landscape conditions in national parks.

22. Through civil engineering division carried on important road projects in parks both by contract and by force account.

23. Assumed charge of two new national monuments created by presidential proclamation, namely, Carlsbad Cave, N. Mex., and Craters of the Moon, Idaho.

24. Continued the stimulation of interest in State parks through the Fourth State Park Conference held at Gettysburg, Pa.

25. Prepared and distributed 411,400 publications relating to the national parks.

26. Prepared and distributed 219,000 automobile maps of the national parks, and distributed nearly 20,000 copies of the national. park-to-park highway maps which were donated to the service.

27. Cooperated with highway automobile and other associations, as well as with newspapers and magazines, in dissemination of information regarding parks.

28. Encouraged giving of lectures by park friends on the national parks and monuments and secured much excellent publicity in this way.

29. Greatly improved the working and living conditions of field employees in the national parks, and maintained high efficiency of field personnel in various parks and monuments.

30. Continued to handle effectively through small Washington office force the greater burden of work that resulted from increased use of parks by people.

31. In addition to the above specific accomplishments kept the administration, maintenance, and protective work in the parks and monuments to a satisfactory standard with funds provided by Congress.

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 ending June 30, 1924. The table is confined to matters docketed and recorded, but does not include a large number of miscellaneous matters of which no formal record is kept, nor does it show in detail the numerous hearings and personal interviews covering many important matters transacted by

the office.

"Miscellaneous" covers such matters as "opinions," "Indian matters," "contracts," "leases," letters," and "permits."

"status

The report shows practically the same number of matters pending at the close of this year as were pending at the beginning, but more cases were disposed of during the year than in the preceding year, the figures being, respectively, 17,872 this year and 15,927 last year, an increase of about 2,000. Yet the arrears in public-land matters have increased. There were carried over last year 476 appeals and motions for rehearing. This year the record shows pendency of 659 such cases. Pension appeals increased; notwithstanding which the arrears have been slightly cut down. War minerals cases show the most marked reduction. From a total of 425 the figures have been reduced to 91, and were it not that certain rulings in two court cases, adverse to previous rulings of the department, have retarded disposition of this class of cases the entire work would have been closed out. The greatest increase during the year was in the class of matters collected under the heading of "Miscellaneous," which includes a great many subjects requiring far more time and consideration than appealed cases.

Beginning July 1, 1924, the legal work heretofore done in the Washington headquarters of the Bureau of Reclamation has been transferred to this office.

Twice as many suits in equity and actions at law against the department were filed in the Supreme Court of the District as were filed last year-22 in all. During the year two cases were decided in the United States Supreme Court, both favorably to the department. In the Court of Appeals two of five cases disposed of were lost. Both cases involved the war minerals relief act. In the Supreme Court 5 of 18 cases in which final decree or judgment was entered were decided unfavorably to the contentions of the department. At the close of the year 7 cases were pending in the United States Supreme Court, 11 in the Court of Appeals, and 17 in the Supreme Court; a

total of 35. Action in interlocutory matters is not included in this report. One case in the United States Supreme Court has been argued and submitted but was undecided at the close of the term. Six cases in the Supreme Court of the District were also under submission at the close of this report.

The war-minerals relief work began in the spring of 1919 with an organization separate from this office--3 commissioners and 66 engineers, accountants, law examiners, clerks, etc. The monthly pay roll aggregated $14,140. There were filed 1,207 cases for consideration. The amendatory act of 1921 increased the number to 1,269. By May, 1923, the force had been much reduced-to 1 commissioner and 12 attorneys, engineers, accountants, and clerks. Prior to that time this office had considered such war minerals cases as came to it by way of appeal to the Secretary. But in May, 1923, the work itself was transferred to this office and the remaining cases undisposed of by the commission were docketed here as original actions. There were 538 such cases. In other words, 731 claims have been disposed of during the preceding four years. The report closing June 30, 1924, shows 91 cases still pending, 447 having been decided within the 14 months; and, as hereinbefore stated, the work should have been entirely finished were it not that the Court of Appeals has decided that the purchase price of real property and interest on borrowed capital are factors of loss for which allowance must be made in the liquidation of claims. If the Supreme Court of the United States reverses these holdings the remaining cases will be speedily settled. In the meantime the force has been numerically reduced. On July 1, 1924, a commissioner and four accountants and clerks remain. The monthly expenditure on account of salaries for services devoted to this work May 1, 1923, was $3,033.33. It is now $1,431.67.

THE 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, 1924, is 4,564,412 acres, not including 129,871 acres embraced in finals not heretofore counted as original disposition of land. The latter area is constituted as follows: Public auction, 33,459 acres; abandoned military reservations, 69 acres: cash and private sales, individual claimants and small holding claims, 4,756 acres; preemption entries, 3,117 acres; soldiers' additional homesteads, 1,153 acres; timber and stone entries, 32,502 acres; mineral entries, 54,295 acres; coal entries, 520 acres. The area of 4,564,412 acres is a decrease of 1,850,590 acres as compared with the area originally entered and allowed during the fiscal year 1923. Of the total area originally entered and allowed during the fiscal year 1924,