Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-05

4 mon racine, CdSu............ SoS. 4fS.
| Kansas Pacific. cash. ........... 6,303, 600 90
Central and Western Pacific,
cash II, I9S, 314. IA
Notes. secured. II, 900, ~. SO
| Kansas Pacific-dividends for
| deficiency due United States
| cash S21, S91. 40
| Making a total of. 421 GOT 95
| The whole indebtedness was about sl3n-
000000 more than half of which consisted
| of accrued interest, for which sum the
| Government has realized the entire amount
| less about s6,0o0,0O0 within period of two
| years.
On June 80 1898, there were thirty forest
| reservations exclusive of the Afognak For
| est and Fish Culture Reserve in Alaska),
| embracing an estimated area of 40 10 414
! acres. During the past year two of the
| existing forest reserves, the TrabucO Can
| yon California; and Black Hills South Da-
kota and Wyoming) have been consider
| ably enlarged the area of the Mount
| Rainier Reserve, in the State of Washing
| ton. has been somewhat reduced, and six
| additional reserves have been established.
| namely the San Francisco Mountains (Ari-
| zona). the Black Mesa (Arizona), Lake
| Tahoe California;. Gallatin (Montana),
| ella River (New Mexico, and Fish Lake
| Utah), the total estimated area of which
| is 5,20J 175 acres. This makes at the pres
| ent time a total of thirty-siX forest reser-
| vations embracing an estimated area of
| IS 021. 500 acres. This estimated area is the
| aggregated areas within the boundaries of
| the reserves The lands actually reserved
| are, however only the vacant public lands
| therein. and these have been set aside and
| reserved for sale or settlement in order
| that they may be of the greatest use to
| the people.
Protection of the national forests, in
augurated by the Department of the In
| terror in 1897. has been continued during
| the past year and much has been accom-
| plished in the way of preventing forest
| fires and the protection of the timber.
| There are now large tracts covered by
| forests which will w ha
| and set apart for forest uses Until that
| can be done Congress should increase the
| appropriations for the work of protecting
the forests.
| Department of Agriculture.
| The Department of Agriculture is con-
| stantly consulting the needs of producers
| in all the States and Territories. 1t is in
| Producing seeds and plants of great value
| and promoting fuller diversifcation of
| crops. Grains, grasses, fruits. legumes, and
vegetables are imported for all parts of the
United States. Under this encouragement
| the sugar-beet factory multp les in the
North and far West semi-tropicai plans
| are sent to the South, and congenial cl.-
| mates are sought for the choice produc-
| tons of the far east. The hybrfdizing of
! fruit trees and grains is conducted N the
| search for varieties adapted to exacting
conditions. The Introduction of tea gardens
| into the Southern States promises to pro-
| vide employment for idle hands. as well as
subject of irrigation where 1t Is of vital
| Importance to the people is being carefully
| studied, steps are being taken to recia m
| injured abandoned lands, and informa-
| ton for the people along these lines is be-
| ing printed and distributed.
Markets are being sought and opened up
| for surplus farm and factory products IN
Europe and Asia. The outlook for the edu-
cation of the young farmer through agri-
cultural college and experiment station
with opportunity given to specialize in the
n If 4 cyrjc VERY
| Using. The people of Hawaii, Porto Rico
\ and the Philippine Islands should he helped,
| by the establishment of experiment sta
| tons, to a more scientific knowledge of the
| production of coffee. india rubber. and other
| tropical products, for which there is de-
| mand in the United States.
| There is widespread interest in the i'm
| provement of our public highways at the
| present time and the Department of Agri-
| culture is cooperating with the people in
| each locality in making the best possible
| roads from local material and in expert
menting with steel tracks A more intelli-
| gent system of managing the forests Of the
| country is being put in operation and
| careful study Of the whole forestry problem
| is being conducted throughout the United
| States. A very extensive and complete ex-
| hibit of the agricultural and horticultural
| products of the United States is being pre-
| pared FOX the Paris Exposition.
| THE PHILIPPINES.
| On the 10th of December, 1888, the treaty
| of peace between the United States and
| Spain was signed. 1t provided among other
| things that Spain should cede to the
| United States the archipelago known as
the Philippine Islands, tina. the United
| States should pay to Spain the sum of
| twenty millions CT dollars, and that the
| civil rights ard political status of the ma
| tive inhabitants of the territories thus
| coded to the United States should be de-
| termined by the Congress. The treaty was
| q on = tf q lri1
! AIRY. 1899. and by the Government of Spain
| on the 18th Of March following. The ratfi-
| cations We're exchanged on the 18th of
April and the treaty publicly proclaimed.
| On the ID of March the Congress voted the
sum contemplated by the treaty. and the
| amount was paid over to the Spanish Gov
| eminent on the LIST of May.
In this manner the Philippines came to
| the United States. The islands We're coded
| by the Government of Spain which had
| been IN undisputed possession Of them for
centuries. They Were accepted not merely
by our authorized commissioners in Paris
| under the direction of the Executive but
| by the constitutional and well-considered
| action of the representatives of the peop e
OF the United States in both Houses of
| Congress. | had every reason to believe
| and l still believe, that this transfer of
sovereignty was in accordance with the
| WISHES and the aspira tons of the great
| mass of the Filipino people.
FROM the earliest moment no opportunity
was lost OF assuring the people of the is
itilus OF our ardent desire Tor their welfare
and of the intention of this Government
| to do everything possible to advance their
| interests. In my order of the 10Th of May
| 1898, the commander of the military expe-
| dltion dispatched to the Philippines was in
| structed to declare that We came not to
| make war upon the people of that coun-
| Try nor upon any party or faction
| among them. but to protect them in their
| MONIES, IN their emp oyments. and in their
| personal and religious rights That there
| should De no doubt as to the paramount
| authority there, on the nth of August it
| was directed that there must be no joint
| occupation with the insurgents" that the
| Chlted States must preserve the peace and
| protect persons and property within the
| territory occupied by their military and
| naval forces; that the insurgents and all
| others must recognize the military occu-
| patton and authority of the United States
| AS early as December 4, before the cession.
| ana IN anticipation of that event. the COM
| manner IN Manila was urged to restore
| peace and tranquility and to undertake the
| estaDhshment OF a benefcent government
| Which should afford the fullest security for
i ne and property
| On the list of December, after the treaty
| was signed, the commander of the forces of