The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1902-12-11

them, We should facilitate the retirement
| Of those at the head of the list who's. use-
| fulness has become impaired. Promotion
must be fostcred IL the service is To be kept
| efficient.
POSTAL REVENUES INCREASE.
Business Activity the Causc-Progress
of Free Rural Mali Delivery.
The striking Increase in the revenues OF
| the postoffice department shows clearly the
prosperity or our people and the Increasing
activity OF the business OF the country.
| Ihe receipts OF the postoilicc department
| Tor the hscal year ending June 81 last
amounted to Si21.s4s.0i7.26. an Increase OF
Slo,2l6s33.si over the preceding year. the
| largest increase known in the history Of the
postal service. The magnitude Of this in
crease VIII best appear from the fact that
the entire postal receipts for the year lsG0
| amounted to but Ss,51S.e6I.
Rural free delivery service Is no longer
| In the experimental stage: IL has become n
fixed policy. The results following its in
PRODUCTION have fully justified the Congress
In the large appropriations made for its
| establishment and extension. The average
yearly Increase In postoiiice receipts In the
rural districts Of the country Is about =
per cent. We are now able. by actual re-
suits. TO show that where rural free deliver
suits, to show that where rural free deliv-
cry service has been established TO such
extent as to enable us to make compari-
sons the yearly increase has been upward
On Nov. l. 1902. 1850 rural free delIv-
cry routes had been established and were
| In operation. covering about one-third of
the territory of the United States available
for rural free delivery service. There are
now awaiting the action OF the department
petitions and applications for the establish
ment OF 1OsiS additional routes. This
shows conclusively the want which the es-
tablishment of the service has met and
the need OF further extending IL as rapidly
as possible. II Is justified both by the
"a nd ny fha ff..a1 Iap..
fits TO our rural population: 1t brings the
men who live on the soil Into close rela-
tions with the active business world: 1t
keeps the farmer in daily touch with the
| markets: IL Is a potential educational
force: 1t enhances the value of farm prop
erty, makes farm life far pleasanter and
less isolated. and will do much to check
the undesirable current from country TO
city.
II is to be hoped that the Congress will
make liberal appropriations for the con-
tinuance Of the service already established
and for Its further extension.
Irrigation of Arid Western Lands.
Few subjects of more Importance have
been taken up by the Congress In recent
years than the Inauguration of the system
OF nattonally-aided irrigation for the arid
regions Of the far West. A good beginning
therein has been made. Now that this poll
ley OF national irrigation has been adopted.
the need Of thorough and scientific forest
protection will grow more rapidly than ever
throughout the public-land States.
SO far rs they are available for agricul-
ture. and to whatever extent they may he
reclaimed under the national irrigation law.
the remaining public lands should be held
rigidly FOR the home builder. the settler
who lives on his land. and for no one else.
In their actual use the desert land law. the
timber and stone law. and the Communication
clause Of the homestead law have been
so perverted from the intention with which
they were enacted as to permit the ac
quisition Of large areas OF the public do
g.frr Safft md
the consequent pre-ention Of settlement
Moreover. the approaching exhaustion of
the public ranges has OF late led to much
discussion as 10 the best manner OF using
these public lands In the West which are
suitable chiefly or only for grazing. The
sound and steady development of the West
depends upon the building up Of homes
therein. Much Of our prosperity as Il nation
has been due to the operation of the home |
stead law. On the other hand, we should
recognize the fact that In the grazing re-
steader may be unable to settle permanent
ly IL only allowed TO use the same amount
of pasture land that his brother. the home
steader. Is allowed to use of arabic land.
AIaska's Need of Better Laws.
especially urge upon the Congress the
need OF wise legislation for Alaska. Ii |
is not to our credit as nation that Alaska. |
which has been ours for thirty-tive years. |
should still have as poor a system OF laws |
AS Is the case No country has more \
fisheries. furs, forests. and also in land |
available for certain kinds of farming and |
stock-growing. 1t is a territory of great |
size and varied resources. well fitted to
support n large permanent population. Alas |
ka needs good land law and such provis-
Ions for homesteads and pre-emptions rs
VIII encourage permanent settlement.
How to Deal with the Indian.
In dealing with the Indians our aim
should be their ultimate absorption into
the body OF our people. But In many cases |
this absorption must and should he very |
slow. In portions of the Indian Territory
the mixture Of blood has gone on at the
same time with progress In wealth and
with varying degrees of purity OF Indian
blood who are absolutely indistinguishable
In point OF social, political. and economic
ability from their white associates. There
are other tribes which have as yet made
no perceptiblc advance toward such equal
ity. To try to force such tribes too fast 10
to prevent their going forward at all.
The nrSt and most important step toward
the absorption of the Indian Is TO teach
him to earn his living: yet IL Is not neces-
sarily TO be assumed that In each COM
munlty all Indians must become either till
ers OF the soil or stock-raisers. Their in
dustries may properly be diversified. and
those who show special desire or adapta-
bility Tor Industrial or even commercial
practicable to follow out each his own bent
Every effort should be made TO develop
the Indian along the lines OF natural anti
tude. and to encourage the existing native
Industries peculiar to certain tribes such |
rs the various kinds OF basket weaving |
canoe building. smith work. and blanket
work Above all. the Indian boys and girls
should be given confident command of col
ioquial English. and should ordinarily be
prepared for a vigorous struggle with the
conditions under which their people live,
rather than Tor immediate absorption into
some more highly developed community.
Science Brought to Farmers Aid.
In no department of government work In
recent years has there been greater success
than In that of giving scientific aid To the
farming population. thereby showing them
how most efficiently to help themselves.
There Is no need OF insisting upon its I'M
portance. for the welfare of the farmer is
necessary 10 the welfare Of
the republic as a whole. In addition to
such work as quarantine against animal
and vegetable plaques. and warning against
them when here introduced. much efficient
help has been rendered TO the farmer 10y
the Introduction of new plants specially
fitted for cultivation under the pspuliar con-
ditions existing In different PORTIONS of the
country.
The District OF Columbia Is the only part
of our territory In which the national gov
tions, and where In consequence the gov
ernment has free hand In reference to
certain types Of social and economic legis-
lation which must be essentially local or
In their character. The govern
ment should to 1t. for instance, that
the hygienic and sanitary legislation affect
Ing Washington is of high character. The
evils of SUM dwellings. whether In a shape
of crowded and congested tenement house
districts or of the back alley type, should
never be permitted to grow up In Wash
ington. The city should be a model in
every respect for all the cities of the coun-
try.
The safety-appllance law, for the better
protection of the lives and limbs of rail-
way employees, which was passed in 1885,
went into full effect on Aug. l. 1901. Ii
has resulted In averting thousands of casu-
alties Experience shows, however, the
necessity of additional legislation to per-
feet this law.
Useless Public Documents.
There Is n growing tendency to provide
for the publication OF masses Of documents
for which there Is no public demand and
for the printing of which there Is no real
Nothing should be printed by
any of the departments unless IL contains
something of permanent value, and the Con
~nt,lI xxtt olx- -.r,tn fnt I