The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1902-12-03


now been given the treSpassers, and all the re-
sources at the command OF the government will
hereafter be used TO put stop TO such trsspassing
In view Of the capital Importance Of these mat
tiers commend them to the earnest consideration
Of the congress, and II the congress finds din.
Guilty in dealing with them from lack Of thorough
knowledge Of the subject | recommend that pro.
vision be made for commission Of experts spe.
cially TO investigate and report upon the com.
plicatod questions involved
| especially urge upon the congress the need Of
wise legislation for Alaska. 1t is not TO our
credit as a nation that Alaska, which has been
ours for thirty-iive years. should still have as poor
a system Of laws as Is the case. No country has
more valuable possession IN mineral wealth. in
fisheries, furs, forests and also in land available
for certain kinds u farming and stock growing.
II Is a territory u great size and varied re.
sources. well fitted 20 support a large permanent
population. Alaska needs good land law and
such provisions for homesteads and prescriptions
will encourage permanent settlement We
should shape legislation with a view not to the
exploiting and abandoning Of the territory but
10 the building up Of homes therein. The land
laws should be liberal in type to hold out
inducements TO the actual settler whom We most
desire TO see take possession Of the country. The
forests Of Alaska should he protected and, as a
secondary but still important matter, the game
also, and II the same time 1t is imperative that
the settlers should be allowed TO cut timber, un-
der proper regulations, for their own use Laws
should be enacted to protect the Alaskan salmon
fisheries against the greed which would destroy
them. They should be preserved as a permanent
industry and food supply Their management
and control should be turned over to the commits
sion ut fish and fisheries. Alaska should have
delegate in the congress. It would be well II
congressional committee could visit Alaska and
investigate its needs on the ground.
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 be very slow. In portions Of the In
dian Territory the mixture Of blood has gone on
at the same time with progress in wealth and
.4EItf 1nn -
varying degrees Of purity OF Indian blood who
absolutely indiStingushable in point Of social
political and economic ability from their white
associates, There are other tribes which have as
yet made no perccptible advance toward such
equality To try 10 force such tribes too fast is
to prevent their going forward at ALL Moreover,
the tribes live under widely different conditions.
Where a tribe has made considerable advance and
lives on fertile farming soil it is possible to alot
the members lands in ssycralty much as is the
case with white settlers There are other tribes
where such a course is not desirable. On the
arid prairie lands the effort should be to induce
the Indians to lead pastoral rather than agricul-
tuIal lives and to permit them to settle in viii
lagos rather than to force them into isolation.
The large Indian schools situated remote from
any Indian reservation do a special and peculiar
work Of great importance; but, excellent though
these are, an immense amount Of additional work
must be done on the reservations themselv
among the old, and, above all, among the youni
Indians.
The first and most important step toward the
absorption Of the Indian is TO teach him TO earn
his living, yet It Is not necessarily TO be assumed
that In each community all Indians must become
either tillcrs Of the soil stock Taisars. Their
industries may properly be diversified, and those
who show special desire or adaptabiiity for indus
trial or even commercial pursuits should be en-
CuuragCd so far as practicable to follow out each
his own bent
Every effort should be made to develop the In
dian along the lines Of natural aptitude and to
encourage the existing native industries peculiar
Ia lp Uf
basket weaving, canoe building, smith work and
blanket work. Above all, the Indian boys and
girls should he given confident command Of col
lOquial English and should ordinarily be prepared
for vigorous struggle with the conditions under
which their people live rather than for immedi
ate absorption into some more highly developed
community.
The officials who represent the government in
dealing with the Indians work under hard condi
tons and also under conditions which render it
easy to do wrong and very difficult to detect
wrong Consequently they should be amply paid
on the one hand, and on the other hand par
ticularly high standard Of conduct should be de-
manded from them, and where misconduct can be
proved the punishment should be exemplary.
In no department Of governmental work in re-
cent years has there been greater success than
in that Of giving scientific aid to the farming
population. thereby showing them how most Cif.
Ciently 10 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 a whole In addition
10 such work quarantine against animal and
vegetable plaques, and warning against them when
here introduced, much efficient help has been rem
dorcd to the farmer by the Introduction OF new
plants specially fitted for cultivation under the
peculiar conditions existing In different portions
Of the country. New cereals have been established
in the semiarid west. For instance the practi-
Cahty Of producing the best types Of macarOni
whca In regions ot an annual rainfall Of only
ten inches or thereabout has been conclusiyely
demonstrated. 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 pOssibil-
iy 0f rcgrassng overstOCked rance lands has been
demonstrated; in the north many new forage
crops have been introduced while in the east II
has been shown that some Of our choicest fruits
can be- stored and shipped in such a way as to
find a profitable market abroad.
| again recommend TO the favorable considera
ton 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. hut Of tLc animals Of this
continent which, like the buffalo, will soon be-
come extinct unless specimens from which their
representatives, may be renewed are sought in
their native regions and maintained there in
safety.
The District Of Columbia Is the only part Of
our territory a. which the national government
exercises local municipal functions and where
In consequence the government has free hand
in reference to certain types Of social and ccO-
nomic legislation which must b, essentially local
or municipal in their character The government
should see to il, for instance that the hyrienic
and sanitary legislation affecting Washington is
Of a high character. The evils of slzm dwellings,
whether in the shape Of crowded and congested
tenement house districts 0f the back alley
type, should never be permitted 20 grow mp in
Washington The city should be model in every
respect for all the cities Of the country. The
charitable and correctional systems Of the Dis
trict should receive consideration at the hands OF
the congress 10 the end that they may embody
the results of the most advanced Thought in these
fields Moreover, while Washington is not great
industrial city, there is some industrialism here,
and our labor legislation, while IL would not be
important in itself might be made a model for
the rest Of the nation. We should pass. for in
stance, wise employers liability act for the Dis
trict ot Columbia, and We need such an act in
our navy Yards Railroad companies In the Dis
triCt ought to be required by law to block their
frogs.
The safety appliance law, for the better pro-
lection Of the lives and limbs Of railway en-.
pl0yccs, which was passed in 1893 went into full
effect on Aug. !, 1901. It has resulted in avert
ing thousands Of casualties. Experience shows,
however, the necessity Of additional legislation
TO perfect this law bill TO provide for this
hoped that some such measure may now be en-.
acted into law.
There is a growing tendency to proyidN for the
publitatiOn Of masses of documents Tor which
there is no public demand and for the printing Of
which there Is no real necessity. Large rgmhcrs
Of volumes are turned out by the government
printing presses for which there is no lusaritipn.
Nothing should be printed hy anN uf thc depart.
mpnts unless Il contains something oi psrmiNcit
value, and the congress could with ady3a.gse cut
down very materially on all the printiar which
Il has now become customary 20 provide lie
excessive cost Of government printing i strong
argument against the position u those who are
inclined on abstract grounds 10 advocate the gov
crumcnt's doing any work which can with pro-
pHoty be left in private hands
Gratifying progress has been made during the
year In the extension Of the merit system of max