The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1901-11-29
WATER ON ARID LAND
Annual Report of the Secretary
of the Interior.
Storage Reservoirs Recommended
Work on Several to Begin
at Once

Washington, November 24.-The an
nual report of Secretary Hitchcock of
the interior department, made public to-
| day, indorses the conclusions submitted
by Commissioner of Indian Affairs Jones
regarding the present Indian educational
system.
The report says the act OF June 8,
1857, known as the timber and stone
act, If not repealed or radically amend
ed, will result ultimately in the complete
destruction OF the timber on the unap-
prOpriated and unreserved public lands.
The time has arrived, according to the
secretary, when reservoirs must be built
and managed as a part OF q national
system OF forest and water conservation.
This can not be successful without a
thorough system of forest protection.
The introduction OF practical forestry
on the forest reserves has now begun
The general policy as announced in an
outline memorandum to the commits
slOner OF the land office is that addition
al forest reservoirs, with boundaries
drawn to liberate the smallest of scrip
should be created during this winter,
The report highly indorses the work
and recommendations of Commissioner
OF Pensions Evans and says that the
veterans have no more sincere frienn
than their commissioner, who has
served as an enlisted man in the armies
OF the United States, and he butt smaid-
tains aud defends the honor of their
patriotic service when, refusing to iggore
both the letter and spirit of the law, he
declines to permit the impOstOr, whether
claimant or agent, to share in the
bounty provided for the veteran and
those dependent upon him"
On the question of reclamation of the
arid regions the secretary says
1.-The Investigations which have been
carried on demonstrate that there is no
one question now before the United
States OF greater Importance 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 in Arizona, re
claiming 100000 acres of public land
at an estimated cost of S1,040, 900;
reservoirs in the Sierra Nevadas in Cali
fOrnia for reclaiming desert lands in
Nevada; the diversion OF St. Mary's
river into the headquarters of Milk river
in Montana
An appropriation of $3.50, 1000 lis asked
to carry on the photographic work of
the geological survey.
The secretary says the net earnings of
the bond aided and land grant railroads
amount to over $13,O0O,OOO and the
increase in gross earnings to $37,0OO,-
600. The increase in expenses for the
year was over $24,000,O00. The debt
of the Central Pacific road to the United
States now stands $58, ,S12,715.
The secretary submits the annual re-
port received from the Maritime Canal
Company of Nicaragua, which shows
that since its organization 1, ,145 shares
OF it's capital stock have been subscribed
at par. The total amount of cash re-
ceived by the company was $1,174, ,6O3.
Expenses of the company have been
$1,172,771 in cash.