Litchfield enquirer., 1878-12-12

know, from the expressions 01 1n0lans them- selves and from many concurring reports, that there is steadily yincreasing desire, even among Indians belonging tecOmparatively wild tribes, tO have their children educated | invite at tention to the reports of the secretary of the interior and the commissioner of Indian at- fairs, touching the experiment recently lnaug- urated, in taking fifty Indian children, boys and girls, from different tribes, to the Hamp- ton Normal Agricultural Institute, in Virginia where they are to receive an elementary En- glish education and training in agriculture and other useful work, to be returned to thelr tribes, after the completed course, as interpre, ters, instructors and examples. It IS reported that the officer charged with the selection ot those children might have had thousands of young Indians sent with him had 1t been pos sble to make provision for them. l agree with the secretary of the interior in saying that 'sthe result of this interesting experiment, if favorable may be destined to become ali lul- partant factor in the advancement Of clvlliZa- tion among the Indians.a
 The question whether achange in the con- trol of the Indian service should be made was, at the last session of congress- referred to committee for inquiry and report. Without desiring to anticipate that report, l venture to express the hope that in the decision of so i'm portant question the views expressed above may not be lost sight of, and that the decision, whatever it may be, will arrest further agita- tion of this subject, such agitation being apt to produce disturbing effect upon the service as well as on the Indians themselves.
 THE HOT SPRINGS COMMISSION.
 In the enrolment of the bill making appro- priations for sundry civil expenses, at the last session of congress, that portion which pro vided for the continuation of the Hot springs =. kaI Ac kho commission had completed the work of taking testimony on the many conflicting claims, the suspension of their labors, before determining the rights eff cOmplainAnts threatened, for time, to embarrass the interests not only of the gov ernment, but also of large number of the citizens of Hot Springs who were waiting for financial action on their claims before begin ming contemplated Improvements In order to prevent serious difficulties, which were ap- prehended, and at the solicitation of many leading citizens of Hot Springs and others interested in the welfare of the town, the sec retary of the interior was authorized torequest the late commissioners to take charge of the records of their proceedings. and to perform such work as could properly be done by them under such circumstances, to facilitate the fu- ture adjudication of the claims at an early day, and to preserve the status of the claimants until their rights should be finally determined. The late commissioners complied with that request, and report that the testimony, in all the cases has been written out, examined, brefed, and so arranged as to facilitate an early settlement when authorized by law. It is recommended that the requisite authority he given at as early day in the session as pos sible, and that far compensation be allowed the late commissioners for the expense incurred and the labor performed by them since the 25th of June last
 PROTECTION OF PUBLIC TIMBER.
 invite the attention of congress to reccom- mendations made by the secretary of the in- teriOr with regard to the preservation of the timber on the public lands of the United States. The protection of the public property is one of the first duties of the government. The de- partment of the interior should, therefore, be enabled by sufficient appropriations, to en- force the laws in that respect. But this mat | ter appears still more important as question | of public economy. The rapid destruction of our forests is an evil fraugnL with the gTavrsts
 consequences especially in the mountainous
 districts, where the rocky slopes, once denuded
 of their trees, will remain so forever There
 the injury, once done, cannot be repaired. 1 | fully concur with the secretary of the interior
 in the opinion that for this reason, legisla-
 tion touching the public timber in the moun- tainous states and territories of the west, should | be especially we'll considered, and that exist | ing laws, in which the descruction of the for ests is not sufficiently guarded against, should | be speedily modified. A general law concern | ing this important subject, appears to me to be a matter Of urgent public necessity.
 ENCOURAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
 From the organization of the government, the importance of encouraging, by all possible | means, the increase of our agricultural produc- tions has been acknowledged and urged up on | the attention of congress and the people as the
 surest and readiest means of increasing our
 substantial and enduring prosperity. The | words of Washington are as applicable today as when in his eighth annual message he said |:
 ''It is not to be doubted that with reference either to individual or national welfare, agri- culture is of primary importance. In propor- ! tions as nations advance in population and other circumstances of maturity, this truth
 becomes more apparent, and renders the culti-
 vatiou of the soil more and more an object of public patronage. Institutions for promoting
 it grow up, supported by the public purse-and
 to what object can it be dedicated with great
 CT propriety ?. Among the means which have
 been employed to thls end none have been
 attended with greater success than the estaO- lishment of board composed of prop
 CT characters, charged with collecting and diffusing information, and enabled, by pre-
 miums and small pecuniary aids, to encourage
 and assist the spirit of discovery and improve l ment,. this species of establishment c0ntribu'
 ting doubly to the increase of improvement by
 stimulating to enterprise and experiment, and l by drawing to a common center the results | everywhere of individual skill and observation
 and spreading them thence over the whole na ton. Experience accordingly hath shOwI
 that they are very cheap instruments Of i'm
 mense national benefit" The great prepon derance of the agricultural over any other in
 terest in the United States entities ii to all thC
 consideration claimed for it by Washington
 About one half of the population of the United States is engaged in agriculture. The value
 of the agricultural products of the United
 States fer the year 1878 is estimated at three l thousand millions of dollars. The exports of agricultural products for the year 1877, as ap- | pears from the report of the bureau of statis-
 tics, were five hundred and twenty-four mill
 lions of dollars. The great extent of our country, with it's diversity of soil and climate, enables us to produce within our own borders,
 and by our own labor, not only the necessaries
 but most of the luxuries that are consumed in
 civilized countries. Yet. notwithstanding oul
 advantage of soil, climate, and intercommuni
 cation, it appears from the statistical statement in the report of the commissioner of agricul ture, that we import annually from foreigI
 lands many million dollars worth of sgricul tural products which could be raised in ou own country.
 Numerous questions arise in the practice o advanced agriculture which can only be an 1 swered by experiments, often costly and some times fruitless, which are beyond the means oi private individuals and are just and proper
 charge on the whole nation for the benefit of
 the nation. It is good policy, especially iu | times of depression and uncertainty in other
 business pursuits, with vast area of uncnlti- vated, and hence unproductive territory,
 wisely opened to homestead settlement, tC
 encourage by every proper and Legitimate
 means, the occupation and tillage of the soil The efforts of the department of agriculture tC
 stimulate old and introduce new agriculture industries, to improve the quality and increas' the quantity of our products, to determine thu
 value of old or establish the importance of new
 methods of culture, are worthy of your carefu
 and favorable consideration, and assistance b!
 such appropriations of money and enlargement
 of facilities as may seem to be demanded b,
 the present favorable conditions for the growtl