The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1901-11-29
AMERICAS GREAT Med.
Secretary Hitchcock Declares Irrigation
of Paramount Importance.
HE RECOMMENDS EARLY ACTION
Conservation of Water supply and Recia-
nation of Arid Lands Are the vital
Want of the United states-our Other
Interests.

| WASHINGTON, Nov. 25.-The an
nual report of Secretary Ethan Allel
Hitchcock of the Interior department
avs made public today. 1t endorse.
the conclusions submitted by Commits
sioner OF Indian Affairs Jones regard
ing the present Indian educational sys.
tenn. The secretary says:
t'The management of the Indian SER
vice in the field and in the schools
while satisfactory under existing con
ditions, is not deemed to be the best
for the welfare of the Indians and
different methods will hereafter be
adopted. This policy, as hereinafter
indicated, contemplates requiring the
working by Indian allottees able to do
SO Of fair portion of lands allotted
them and the contributing by their
industry to their own support of all not
entirely disqualified by actual disabil-
| ity, physical or otherwise; the discon-
| tinuance of the issue of rations to
| those known and determined to be
| able to support themselves and the
| extension to the latter of every pos
sible aid for their well-being and en-
couragement; the Inauguration of in
dustrial training in all schools where
not now established, so that such In
diane of hoth covoc NOV h, fo,,1bt 4b n
trades or industries adapted to their
circumstances"
The income of the various In
dian tribes from all sources during the
year aggregated $5,33S,8SO, a falling
off of $260,952, mostly due to the ex-
piration of treaty obligations. In the
future full leasing privileges will be
confined to those whose disability or
inability actually disqualifes them
from working more than small part
OF their allotments, those conditions
to be clearly shown; all other allottees
to be required to work at least forty
acres of their allotment.
On the question of reclamation of
the arid region the secretary says:
"fhe Investigations which have been
carried on demonstrate that there is
no one question now before the peo-
pie of the United States Of greater i'm
portance than the conservation of the
water supply and the reclamation of
the arid lands Of the west and their
settlement by men who will actually
build homes and create communities.
1t is recommended that construction
at once be begun as follows:
The San Carlos storage reservoir, re-
claiming 100000 acres or more of pub
lie lana at an estimated cost of ST.
100000; reservoirs in the Sierra Ne
vada in California, for reclaiming des-
ert lands in Nevada, the division of |
st. Mary river into the headwaters OF |
Milk river in Montana An appropri- |
alton of $4,000 is asked to carry on |
the photographic work of the peolog-
ical survey.
The report says that the act of June
3, 1887, known as the timber and stone
act, if not repealed or radically amend |
ed, will result ultimately in the com
plete destruction CT the timber on the
unappropriated and unreserved public
lands. The time has arrived, accord
ing to the secretary, when reservoirs
must be built and managed as a part |
of national system of water conser-
vation. They cannot be successful if
however, without a thor
ough system of Forest protection The
introduction of practical forestry OF
the forest reserves has now begun.
The general policy as announced in
an outline memorandum to the CON-
missioner of the land office is that ad-
ditional forest reserves with bounda-
ries drawn to liberate the small
amount Of script should be created
during this winter, the good will of
residents in the reserves should be
gained, forest fires guarded against
and the resources of the reserves !
should be made available for the con-
servative use of the people.