The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-14
Washington View Of
Topics Of the Day

Special Correspondence Of The Tribune.
Washington, May 13.-Ncither the general
reader nor the tourist who may travel through
our new possessions can form any accurate con.
ception of the amount and variety Of the sub
lects that engage the constant attention OF the
executive forces employed in the government
OF our insular possessions. The Spanish govern
nent, II government it may he called, for cen.
turies had moulded their customs and habits,
and was paterna in the sense that it did not
hesitate to interfere with personal liberty and
looked upon its subjects not so much as moral
agents as creatures whose chief end was to pay
taxes and obey the laws OF a crushing, grinding,
hungry, iniquitous representative OF the king.
vice was made to pay taxes, and indeed was
encouraged, as long as there was any money
in 1t for the authorities Lotteries fourished In
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines, and the
profits from this source were counted on as
regular income. Drawings we're frequent, and
hakwcrs Of tickets infested the street corners,
hotels, cafes and even the portals OF churches.
These institutions openly advertised in the
| press and with flaming posters creating the
impression that there was short, sure, saie
| road to fortune.
All this has been changed. Papers giving
| space to lottery advertisements are forbidden
| the mails. The unholy business has been put
under ban, and this form OF gambling that had
fiourished for over three hundred years under
| the fostering care of Spain had been stopped
Gambling has also been made the subject OF
| general orders by the military governors in the
| insular possessions and constant efforts are
| made to suppress it, and they have succeeded
| in driving it into the dark that it no longer,
as in days gone by, faunts itself openly, inviting
| the passer.by to venture his money on the turn
of card. The brutal bloody bull fight has
| also been forbidden, and will soon be only
| memory among the people who owe their de-
| liyerance from this relic Of pagan Rome to
American occupation. Orders have been issued
| also looking to the protection Of animals, sem
| timent that needs much cultivation among peo-
pie whose ideas Of mercy have been derived
| from Spanish sources BY general orders pro-
| mulgated respectively in Cuba, Porto Rico and
the Philippines, the laws relating to marriage
have been so changed that the ceremony per-
formed by priest or minister Of any Christian
| church, or by certain civil officers, is consd-
| cred valid in law, and the expense hitherto CON
| nected with such ceremony has been so reduced
that the poor longer plead poverty as
an excuse for the irregular customs that have
been so prevalent among large class OF the
population.
These measures, and indeed many others that
| might be mentioned, are moulding sentiment,
| creating a higher standard OF official integrity,
| and preparing the insular possessions for better
| things, both in social life and in public bust
ness 1t is a record that. when seen through
the vista of coming years, will be somHhing
| Of which America can be proud.
Brunswick, Maine, a place of about 1000 in.
habitants is probably the first municipality in
| the United States to undertake forest planting
on large scale, or what is practically the
Old World institution of a town forest. The
town owns a tract of about 900 acres Of what
was pine land, but long since given over
l.a Lib. aaV.f ttner
OF the council 500 appropriated to i'm
prove this land by planting 1t to white pine.
Seed will be purchased and a nursery estab'
lished to raise the young trees. At the right
age they will be transplanted in rows and set
out in the positions they will finally occupy,
and will then require little more care except
| protection from fire. The land at present is
| absolutely unproductive. II the plan is
| successful it will not only be ornamental bu,
| profitable. Town forests common in Eu
rope and often furnish a large part of the mu
nicipal revenue.
| Tree planting for an unusual purpose has beer
recommended TO residents of the western irri
CATION districts by W. L. Hall, assistant su
perintendent of tree planting OF the division
Of forestry, who has recently been in New
| Mexico on an investigation. Agriculture in that
region depends largely on irrigation, and the
streams and reservoirs are much depleted by
| evaporation due to the heat and dry winds. Mr..
Hall recommends that belts of trees be planted
| along every ditch and reservoir, not only tC
shade them but to shelter them from, the wind
The problem of preventing evaporation is very
| important not only account Of the loss o.
| water, but because the percentage OF alkali II
the quantity remaining becomes excessive
| The University of the South, at Sewanee
Tennessee, has placed its s,0OOacre tract o
| f;,,,hor tnat fOxrp nDto fha 1lD
| agement Of the division OF forestry. An offcia
| of the division will mark all trees to be cut anC
will draw up the logging contracts to provide
| for the preservation Of young growth. 1t is in
tended to make the forest yield a permanen
annual revenue to go toward the support OF tn
college. Another interesting tract to come un
der government supervision is one of abou
47,OOO acres, owned by the Adirondack Leagu
club. 1t is in the Adirondack mountains o
New York, near Lower Saranac, and is KEEP
primarily game reserve. The working plal
will provide for the removal of all timber whic
can be spared without injuring the forest.
| The Treasury department has ordered speca
| agent to proceed to the Pacific coast to inyes
tgate the matter of the large influx of Jap
anese coolies to this country within the las
| few months. The question is still troubling tn
| immigration officials. Until two or three month
ago the immigration of japanese to the Unite
\ | States was small. 1t has increased so y
, | excite suspicion that the men are coming her
as contract aborers. The Treasury has also re
| quested the State department to ask America
| consuls to investigate the matter and make re
| ports
That our sales to the Orient rapid
growing is shown by the latest export figure
, of the bureau of statistics While there has bee
continued growth in our exports during tn
past fiscal year, by far the largest percentag
,, OF gain has been in our trade with the Orient
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