The Portland daily press., 1896-12-08

years almost constantly had under oonsiu-
Grafton various plans for dealing wlVn
the conditions existing between tno .,.
roads and the government. l have .nus
far felt justified in withholding ac1ioh
under the statute above mentioned.
In the case of the Union Pacific CoIn
pany. however. the situation has Dec 9n
| especially and Immediately urgent fro
oeedings have been instituted to forclose
"a hrst mortgage upon those aided pafus
| OF the main lines upon which the govern
ment holds second and subordinate
mortgage lien. In consequence of tnose
proceedings and increasing complications
added to the default occurring on the 1rsv
| day OF January, 1897. O condition will DC
presented at that date, SO far as this COM
pany is concerned. that must emphasize
the mandate of the act of 1887 and give TO
executive duty under its provisions
more imperative aspect.
| Therefore unless Congress shall otherwise
direct or shall have previously deter
mined upon different solution OF inc
problem there will hardly appear to be
any reason for delaying beyond the date
of the default above mentioned such eye
outive action as will promise to subserve
| the public interests and save the govern
ment from the loss threatened by further
| inaction.
| DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The department OF agriculture is SO in
| timately related to the welfare OF our peo'
! pie and the prosperity OF our nRG1on
| that it should receive the encourage
ment of the gov eminent.
From small beginnings 1t has grown to be
| the center of agricultural intelligence and
the source of aid and encouragement to
agricultural efforts. Largs sums OF
money are annually appropriated for the
maintenance of this department., and it
ho o0nfpCcpd that tha 1ppiC1atinn
Iating TO 1t has not always BEEN directly in
the interest of practical farming or properly
guarded against waste and extravaganza.
So far however. as public money has
been appropriated fairly and sensiDly to
help those who actually till the soil.
no expenditure has been more pro-
| fitably made or more generally approved
by the people.
Under the present management OF thu
department. its usefulness has been en-
HANGED in every direction, and at the
same time strict economy has been en-
forced 10 the utmost extent permitted by
Congressional action. From the report OF
the Secretary it appears that through
careful and prudent financial manage
ment he has annually saved large sum
from his appropriations, aggregatlng dur
ing his incumbency and up to the close
of the present fiscal year nearly one-fifth
of the entire amount appropriated. These
TGSuIU9 U2VN Ud0u tUUOIU pilSu6u ny a
conscientious study OF the real needs OF the
farmer and such regard for economy as
the genuine farmer ought to appreciate,
supplemented by rigid adherence to oivA
il service methods in department. which
should be conducted in the interest OF ag-
rioulture instead of partisan politics. The
Secretary reports that the value Uf our
exports of farm products during the last
fiscal year amounted to $50. 600, coo, an in
crease OF ST., 00G. 900 over those of the year
Immediately preceding. This state ment
is not the less welcome because of the fact
that notwithstanding such increase the
proportion of reported agricultural pro-
ducts to our total exports of all desorlp
tions fell off during the year. The bene-
fits OF an increase in a gricultural exports
being assured the decrease in proportion
to total exports is the more gratifying
when we consider that it is owing to the
fact that such total exports for the year
increased more than S75. 600, 600. The
large and increasing expectation of our
agricultural products suggests the great
usefulness of the organization lately estah-
lished in the department for the purpose
of giving to those engaged in farming
pursuits reliable information concerning
the conditions, needs, and advantages of
different foreign markets. Inasmuch as
the SUCCESS of the farmer depends upon
the advantageous sale of his products,
and inssmuch as foreign markets must
largely be the destination of such pro-
ducts. it is quite apparent that knowl-
edge of the condition and wants that AZ
feet these markets, ought to result in SOW
ing more inteiiigently and reaping bet
ter promise or profit.
Such information points out the way to
prudent foresight in the selection and
cultivation of crops and to release from
the bondage of unreasOning monotony OF
production a glutted and depressed mark
ct and constantly recurring Improbable
toll. In my opinion the distribution .of
seeds by the government as at present
conducted ought to be discontinued. No
one can read the statement of the Score
tary on this subject and doubt the ex-
travaganoe and questionable results OF
this practice. Friends of the farmers and
certainly the farmers themselves. are
naturally expected to be willing to aid
the department in this work.
The weather bureau now attached to the
department of agriculture, has continued
to extend it's sphere of usefulness and by
an uninterrupted improvement in the &C.
ouracy of it's forecasts has greatly In
creased it's efficiency as an aid and prOteo-
ton to all whose occupations are related
to weather conditions. Omitting further
reference to the operations of the DEPART
ment, I commend the Secretary's report
and the suggestion it contains to the
careful consideration of the Congress.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
The progress made in civil service re-
form furnishes a cause for the utmost
congratulations. 1t has survived the
doubts Of It's friends as we'll as the rancor
OF It's enemies and has gained a perma-
nent place among the agencies destined
to cleanse our politics and to improve.
economize and elevate the public service.
There are now in he competitive CLASH
fed service upward of eighty-four thous-
and places. More than half of these have
been included from time to time since
March 4, 1893. A most radical and sweep
IT eu,ss from head to .Jo0t.