Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-10-10
Washington Chat.
Special Correspondence.

ii va itNtA NohC NP NlAC AAhANNSA NAAAA
Secretary Hitchcock.
Mr.. McComas spent a day in consult
alton with Deputy Commissioner Ton
nor and the chiefs of the various divis-
ion OF the Indian Office. 1t is evident
that a surprise is In store for h Indi-
an service as a result OF the White
Earth Investigation. 1t was represent.
ed by Logging Inspector Farr that, in
his opinion, the re-scale of alleged
green timer at White Earth could be
accomplished at a cost of only a few
hundred dollars, n with w or three
weeks of work. 1t is believed that IL
will be necessary to establish that
there has been an amount of green tim
Der cut at White Earth greatly In ex-
cess OF the amount reported by Capt.
Mercer, CT the Indian Office will be u
a snug sum as the cost of the investi-
cation. Senator O'Neill and Agent Nc
Comas, with a crew of nine expert men,
spent Yearly two months in going over
the deserted camps at White Earth,
and the aggregate cost of the investi-
CATION will amount to more than ST.
500.
The total amount of timber cut at
w AAANS La ~ " AN~Ng
according to the return made by Capt.
Mercer and his report on the subject.
In that report the amount CT green tim
Der illegally cut was represented to be
comparatively small, probably not more
than 1000, 00C feet. The difference be-
tween the price fixed for Gead and
down timber and that charged for tim.
Der cut by t~resspassers, is from s. to
81 per 1000 feet. There will probably
be some disclosures as to excess of tim
Der cut.
within a few weeks we shall be able
to make Investigations through u in
spectors in the field in the matter of the
~desirabiiity of extending the county
system to a number of populous sec
tons" said Supt. Machen, of the rural
free delivery service. At that time we
shall investigate the needs of Wash
irgton county, Minnesota, for which
Representative Stevens has made re-
peated and urgent requests" Mr.. Ma
chan admits tina the department off,
Gals regard the county system as he
exemplifcation OF the highest aims of
the free-delivery system in the urban
section. He speaks of the spread OF the
service over half a dozen counties in
different sections Of the country, n
one just completed, suddenly increased
the number Of eree-delivery routes in
one county in New York from twelve to
fcrty-three. "A"
The point is to give a county such
complete carrier service as to dispense
with every star route service n small
postofice in the county, and give a
daily delivery Of mail to every u
in the county. 1t is by this system
that the department hopes to prove the
Efficiency and d%esirability Of h free
delivery service in rural sections, and
1t has teen demonstrated IN at least
three states that the plan Is feasible
and economical, and hat 1t can be
done as fast as the department Is pro-
vided with the necessary funds. On
account OF the high cost of such elab-
crate provisions for the extension OF
the service to the county system, 1t
must proceed slowly. But 1t is known
by the department officials that most
of the Northwestern states furnish a
number of densely-populated counties,
where the system "a be probably in
augurateu.
Naval men and those who are inter-
ested in all plans for increasing the
fighting force Of the navy are looking
forward to the recommendation or
President Roosevelt to congress with
special interest. They expect that the
new president will energetically urge
substantial additions 10 the navy. This
idea is based upon h opinions ex-
pressed by Mr.. Roosevelt while he was
assistant secretary Of the navy, at the
time of the breaking u of h war
with Spain. He was among the push
ing and aggressive young men in the
federal service who greatly deplored
the unpreparedness of this nation to
prosecute the war. In connection with
this view of the matter II is claimed
that President Roosevelt has intimated
to some Of his callers his conviction
that the navy must be enlarged and in
creased at a rate that will keep 1t at
least equal TO those OF Russia and
Germany, If not advanced to the third
ranking power of the world. with only
Great Britain and France In the lead.
The question of granting privileges OF
direct transmission Of matter which
comes from foreign ports by the inter-
national system OF parcels post, II
troubling the officials Of the treasury
and pobtofice departments. Vigorous
requests for this privilege have been
fled in behalf OF half a dozen cities In
| states along the Canadian border, par
ticularly In those which contain a large
population OF foreign birth or parent
age. The department officials hope to
be able TO make a decision within a
few days, when 1t will be determined
whether the p~ostofices at Detroit, Mil
waukee, Cleveland and st. Paul shall
have the right to transmit such pack
ages as come by parcels post direct, OF
IL such packages must go the usual
route through the custom houses.
Secretary Hitchcock denies the story
given out by the general land office to
the effect tina the Fort Hall ieserva-
ton, in Montana is to be opened TO set
t;emant under the old-time sooner
system.
The industrial commission has Just
published an elaborate report relating
TO the transportation problem, COM