Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-12-05

gone into operation, some OF its i'm
portant provisions being limited to
. take effect at dates yet i'll future, the
general provisions OF the law have been
in force less than sixty days. Its effect
. upon trade and prices still largely
stands in conjecture. 1t is curious
to note that the advance in the prices
OF articles wholly unaffected by the
tariff act waS'by many hastily ascribed
to that act. The enlargement of our
currency by the silver bill gave an
upward tendency to trade and had n
marked effect on prices, but this effect
of silver legislation by many is errone-
ously attributed to the tariff act.
There is neither wisdom nor justice i'll
the suggestion of the subject that
tariff revision shall he opened before
this law has had IL fair trial.
TIE NAVY.
The construction and equipment OF
the new ships for the navy has made
very satisfactory progress ever since
March 4th, 1889. Nine new vessels
have been put in commission, and dur
ing this winter four more, including
one monitor, will he added. The con-
struction of the other vessels authOriz-
ed is being pushed, both in the gov
ernment and private yards, with
energy, and watched with the most
scrupulous care.
The experiments conducted during
the year to test the relative resisting
power of armor plates, have been SO
valuable as to attract great attention
in Europe. The only part of the work
upon the new ships that is threatened
by unusual delay is the armor plating,
and every effort is being made to re-
duce that 10 the minimum.
1t is II source of congratul"tion that
the anticipated influence of these mod
ern vessels on the esprit dc corps of the
officers and seaman has been fully rca-
lized. Confidence and pride in the
ship among the crew are equivalent to
a secondary battery. Your favorable
consideration is invited to the recon-
mendations of the secretary.
ARID LANDS.
The subject of the conservation and
equal distribution of the water supply
of our arid regions has had much at
tention from congress, but has not rs
yet hcen pu: upon II permanent and
satisfactory basis. The urgency of the
subject does not grow out of any large
present demand for the use of the lands
for agriculture, but out of the danger
that the water supply and the sites
for the necessary catchbasins may fall
into the hands of individual or pri-
vate corporations and lie useJ to rem
der subservient large areas dependent
upon such supply. The owner of the
water is the owner Of the lands, how
ever the titles may run. All proposed
water sources and all necessary reser-
vors should be held by the govern
ment for the equal use at fair rates
of the homestead settlers who will
eventually take up these lands.
STATE CONTROL ADVOCATED.
The United States should not, in my
opinion, undertake the construction
of dams or canals, but should limit all
work TO such surveys and observations
as will determine the water supply,
both surface and subterranean, the |
areas capable of irrigation and the use
of the storage capacity of reservoirs.
This done. the use of the water and of
the reservoir sites might be granted to
the respective states or territories, or
to individuals or associations, upon the
conditions that the necessary works
should be constructed and the water
furnished at fair rates without dis
elimination; the rates to be subjected
to provisions by the legislatures or by
boards of water commissioners duly
constituted.
The essential thing to be secured is
the common and equal use at fair rates
of the accumulated water supply. 1t
were almost better that these lands
should remain arid, than those who
occupy them should become the slaves
of restrained monopolies, controlling
the essential element of land values
and crop results.
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The use OF the telegraph by the post
office department as a means for the
rapid transmission of written commu-
nications, is, ! believe. upon proper
terms, quite desirable. The govern
ment does not own or operate the
railroads and it should not, / think,
own or operate the telegraph lines.
1t does, however, seem to be quite
practicable for the government to con-
tract with the telegraph as it does
with the railways to carry. at speci-
fled rate, such communication as the
sender may desire for this method of
transmission. / recommend that such
legislation be enacted as will enable
the pOstOffice department fairly to test
by experiment the advantages of such
a use OF the telegraph.
THE MORMONs.
The increasing number and influ.
ence of the non-Mormon population in
Utah are observed with satisfaction.
The letter of Wilfred Woodruff, presi-
dent of the Mormon church, in which
he advised his people to refrain from
contracting any marriage forbidden
by the laws of the land, has attracted
much attention, and it is hoped its in
fiuence will be highly beneficial in re-
straining infractions of the laws of the
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