Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-04

lions OF the pending bills relating to the
holding OF farm lands. l commend TO
your attention the suggestions Of the seq
rotary Of the interior upon this subject.
BANKRUPT LAW.
The enactment Of national bankrupt
law is regarded desirable. The consti-
tuition having given to congress jurisdic-
ton of this subject, !: should be exer-
cIsed, and uniform rules provided for
the administration of the affairs OF in
solvent debtors. The inronveniences re-
sultinE from the occasional and trrnuor-
arg exercise of this power by congress,
aud from the conflicting state codes of
insolvency which come into force inter-
nediately, should be- removed by the en-
artment of simple, inexpensive aud
permanent national haukrup; law.
COPYRIGHT LAW.
l also renew my recommendations in
favor of legislation sffording just copy
right and protection to foreign authors
on footing of reciprocal advantage for
our authors abroad.
UNIFORM CoUPLERs.
It may still De impossible for this
congress to inau2urate BY suitable leg
islation q movement looking TO Uniform
ity and increased safety in the use Of
couplers ana brakes upon freight trains
engaged in Interstate commerce. The
chief difficulty in the way is TO secure
an agreement rs TO the best appliance,
simplicity, effectiveness and cost being
considered. This difficulty will only
yield to legislation which should be
based upon full inquiry and impartial
tests. The purpose should be to secure
ha
managers and owners, but the fearful
fact that every years delay involves lhe
sacrifice Of two thousand, lives and the
plead both with congress aud the man
agers, against any needless delay.
WATER SUPPLY.
The subject of the conservative and
equal distribution of the water supply of
the arid reg Gus has had much attention
from congress, but has not as yet been
put upon permanent aud satisfactory
basis. The urgency of the subject does
not grow out of any large present de-
mand for the use of these lands for ngri-
culture, but out of the danger that the
water supply aud the sites for the neces-
sary catch basius may fall into the hands
of individuals or private corporations,
aud be used to render subservient the
large areas dependent upon such supply.
The owner of the water Is. the owner of
The lands, however the titles may run.
All unapproprinted natural water
sources, and all necessary reservoir sites
should be held by the government Tor
equal use at fair rates, of the homestead
settlers, who will eventually take up
these lands. The United States should
not, in my opinion, undertake the con-
struc ion Of dams or canals. but should
lirnI; its work to such surveys ana OBJ
servntiOns as will determine the water
supply, both surface and subterranrau,
the areas capable of irrigation, aud the
use, location and storage capacity OF
reservoirs. This done, the use of the
water and sale of the reservoir sites
might be granted 10 the respective
states and territories, or to iudivid-
uats or associations, upon the con-
ton that the necessary work should
he constructed ami the water furnished
at fair rates without discrimination, the
rates TO be subject TO supervision by the
legislatures or by boards of water COM
missioners duly constituted. The essen
tial thing to be secured is the common
and equal Use at fair rates of the accu-
nulated water supply. 1t were almost
better that THESE lanuS snOui0 re main
arid than that those who orcupy them
should become the slaves of unrestrained
controlling the one and es-
sential element of land values and crop
results.
THE TELEGRAPH.
The use OF the telegraph by the post
Office department as means for the
rapid Transmission of written cornmuni-
cations is, i believe. upon proper terms,
quite desirable. The government does
not own or operate the railroads, and it
should not, l think, own Ut operate any
telegraph lines. 1t does, however. seem
to he quite practicable for the govern
mcnt TO contract with the telegraph COM
pauies, as Ii does with the railroad COM
panies. to carry at specified rates such
as the senders may des-
ignate for this method of transmission. l
recommend that such legislation be
enacted as will enable the postoffice de-
partment fairly to test, by experiment,
the advantages Of such q use Of the tele-
graph.
rEnCRaI ECTIn%s