Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-12-11
far as practicable to follow out each MS

Every effort should be made to- develop
the Indian along the lines of natural aptf-
tude, and to encourage the existing native
industries peculiar to certain tribes. such
as 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 colloquial English, and should orts1Il-
arily be prepared for vigorous struggle
with the conditions under which their
people live rather than for immediate
absorption into some more highly develop
ed community.
The officials who represent the govern
ment in dealing with the Indians work
under hard conditions, and also under con-
ditions which rend3r 1t easy to do wrong
and very difficult to detect wrong. Conse-
quently they should be amply paid on the
one hand, and on the other hand par
ticularly high standard Of conduct should
be demanded from them. and where mis-
conduct can be proved the punishment
should be exemplary.
In no department OF governmental 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 Importance, for the welfare of
the farmer is fundamentally necessary to
the welfare of the republic as q whole.
In addition to such work as Quarantine
against animal and vegetable plaques,
and warning against them when here in
troduced, much efficient help has been
rendered to the farmer by the introduce
ton of new plants specially fitted for
cultivation under the peculiar conditions
existing in different portions of the coun-
try. New cereals have been established in
the semt-arid West. For instance, the
practicability of producing the best types
of macaroni wheats in regions of an an
nual rainfall Of only ten inches or there
abouts has been conc1usfvely demonstrate
ed. Through the Introduction of new rices
in Louisiana and Texas the production of
rice in this country has been made to
about equal the home demand In the
Southwest the possibility of regrassing
overStocked range lands has been demon
strated; in the North many new forage
East it has been shown that some of our
choicest fruits can be stored and shipped
in such way as to find profitable mar
ket abroad.
Smithsonian Institution.
I again recommend to the favorable con-
sideration of the congress the plans of the
Smithsonian institution for making the
museum under its charge worthy of the
nation, and for preserving at the national
capital not only records of the vanishing
races of men but of the animals of this
continent which, like the buffalo will
which their representatives may be re-
newed are sought in their native regions
and maintained there in safety
The District of Columbia is the only
part of our territory in which the national
government exercises local or municipal
functions, and where in consequence the
government has free hand in reference
to certain types of social and economic
legislation which must be essentially local
or municipal in their character. The gov
eminent should see to it, for instance,
that the hygenic and sanitary legislation
affecting Washington is of a high char
acter. The evils of slum dwellings, whether
in the shape of crowded and contested
tenement-house districts or of the back
alley type, should never be permitted to
grow up in Washington. The city should
be model in every respect for all the
cities of the country. The charitable and
correctional systems of the district should
receive consideration at the hands of the
congress to the end that they may embody
the results of the most advanced thought
in these fields. Moreover, while Wash
ington is not a great industrial city, there
, is some industrialism here, and our labor
legislation, while it would not be impor-
tant in itself, might be made a model for
the rest Of the nation. We should pass,
for instance, wise employer STABILITY
act for the District of Columbia, and we
need such an act in our navy yards. Rail
, road companies in the district ought to be
required by law to block their frogs.
The safety-appliance law, for the bet
lection of the lives and limbs of rail-
way employees, WHICH was passed IN 1898
went into full effect on Aug. 1, 1901 II
has resulted in averting thousands OF
casualties. Experience shows, however
the necessity of additional legislation tC
perfect this law. A bill to provide for this
passed the senate at the last session. II
is to be hoped that some such measure
may now be enacted into law.
To Cut Printing Bills.
There is a growing tendency to provide
! for the publication of masses of docu.
nents for which there is no public demand
and for the printing of which there is ne
real necessity. Large numbers of volumes
are turned out by the government print
/ ing presses for which there is no justifica
! ton. Nothing should be printed by any
of the departments unless it contain.
something of permanent value, and the
: congress could with advantage cut dowr
! very materially on all the printing which
/ it has now become customary to provide
! The excessive cost of government printing
! is a strong argument against the position
of those who are inclined on abstrac
/ grounds to advocate the governments do
! ing any work which can with propriety
/ be left in private hands.
Gratifying progress has been made dur
| ing the year in the extension of the meri
| system of making appointments in tn,
! government service. 1t should be extend
| ed by law to the District of Columbia
| 1t is much to be desired that our consular
| system be established by law on a basi:
| providing for appointment and promotion
| only in consequence of proved fitness.
Through wise provision of the con
gress at its last session the white house
which had become disfigured by incon
J gruous additions and changes, has nov
/ been restored to what 1T was planned t.
be by Washington. In making the restora
/ tQns the utmost care has been exercised
to come as near as possible to the early
/ plans and to supplement these plans by
careful study of such buildings as tina
/ of the University of Virginia, which wa!
built by Jefferson. The white house il
| the property of the nation, and so fal
as is compatible with living therein i
should be kept as it originally was, fol
the same reasons that we keep Noun
Vernon it originally was The stately
simplicity OF its architecture is an ex
preston of the character of the period
in which 1T was built. and is in ACCORD
with the purposes it was designed Il
serve 1t is good thing to preserve sucl
buildings as historic monuments which