Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-12-05

throughout their careers.
The National Guard. ~
The measure providing forthe reorsani-
zation Of the militia system an6 for secur..
ing the highest efficiency in the national
guard. which has already passed the house.
should receive prompt attention and ac-
lation Of the national guard to the militia
and volunteer forces OF the United States
should be defined. and that In place OF our
Jsnt sy ossqe, shoa aTs BE-
NEEDS OF THE NAVY, e.,
More ships and Men Needed ID kee
Pace with the Times.
For the first, time in our history naval
under the immediate command Of the ad-
miral OF the navy. Constantly increasing
attention Is being paid to the gunnery. q
the navy. but II Is yet iat'from what !,
crease asked for, by the secretary of the
navy in the appropriation Tor improving
the craftsmanship be granted. In battle
the only shots that count are the shots that
hit. 1t is necessary to provide ample
FUNDS for practice with the: great guns in
time of peace. These funds must provide
not only for the purchase of projectiles. but
for allowances for prizes to encourage the
gun crews, and especially the gun pointers.
and for perfecting an Intelligent system
under which alone 1t Is possible to get good
practice.
There should be no halt in the work of
building up the navy. providing every year
additional fighting craft We are a very
rich country, vast In extent of territory and
great In population: a country, moreover
which has an army diminutive indeed when
compared with that of any other first-class
power. We have deliberately made our
own certain foreign policies which demand
the possession of a first-class Eavy. The
isthmian canal will greatly increase the
efficiency OF our navy II the navy is. of SUI
MI hue kax I'm
navy. then the building of the canal would
be merely giving hostage to any power
Of superior strength. The Monroe doctrine
American H foreign AZ policy: but it. WoulS be- be-
worse than idle to assert 1t unless we In
tended to back 1t up, and 1t can be backed
up only by thoroughly good navy. A good
navy Is not provocative of war. 1t is the
surest guaranty Of peace.
Each individual unit OF our navy should
be the most efficient of Its kind as regards
found in the world. call your special at
tention to the need of providing for the
manning of the ships. Serious trouble
threatens us II we. cannot DO better than
We are now doing as regards securing the
services of a sufficient number OF the high
est type Of sailormen, of sea mechanics.
The veteran seamen of our warships are
navy which rides the waters of the world
they are unsurpassed in daring. in resolu-
ton, in readiness. in thorough knowledge
OF their pTOIesSlOE. Iney deserve every
consideration that can be shown them.
But there are not enough of them. It is
no more possible to improvise crew than
il T. possible to improvise - warship. To
battery, and to send It afoat with raw
crew. no matter how brave they were in
dividually. would be to insure disaster If
a foe of average capacity were encountered.
Neither ships nor men can be improvised
when war has begun.
We neeC thousand additional officers in
order to properly man the ships now pro-
vide6 for ard under construction. The
classes at the naval school at Annapolis
should be greatly charged. At the same
time that We thus add the officers where
lirement of those at the head Of the list
whose usefulness has become Impaired.
Promotion must be fostered If the serv-
Ice is to be kept efficient
There Is not a cloud on the horizon at
present. There seems not the slightest
chance of trouble with a foreign power.
We most earnestly hope that this state
Of things may continue: and the way to
! thoroughly efficient navy. The refusal
TO maintain such a navy would invite
trouble. and II trouble came would insure
disaster. FatuOus self-complacency or
'anlty. or short sightedness in refusing
to prepare for danger. is both foolish and
wicked in such nation as ours; and
past experience has shown that such
'atuity in refusing to recognize or pre-
,are for any crisis In advance is usually
by mad panic Of hysterical |
ear once the crisis has actually arrived. |
Rural Free Delivery.
The striking increase in the revenues
VI the post otfice department shows clear |
y the prosperity of our people and the |
Increasing activity of the business of the |
country.
The receipts of the post Office depart-
nent for the nscal year ending June 80 |
asst amounted to 1921, S4S, on &C. an increase |
If l0.2l6,S53.S7 over the preceding year, |
he largest increase known In the history l.
II the postal service The magnitude OF I
his increase will best appear from the
act that the entire postal receipts for
he year 1860 amounted to but $S51S.067.
Rural free delivery service is no longer
n the experimental stage: 1t has become
fixed policy. The results following It's
have fully justified the con-
'ress in the large appropria tions made
or its establishment and extension. The
lverage yearly increase in post Office re-
eipts in the rural districts of the coun-
ry is about two per cent. We are now
lhle, by actual results. to show that
where rural free delivery service has
'een established to such an extent as to
nable us to make comparisons the yearly
Increase has been upward of ten per
ent. ii
On November I, 1902. 1850 rural free
delivery routes had been established and
we're in operation covering about one
bird of the territory. of the United States
valuable for rural free delivery service
here are now awaiting the action of the
department. petitions and applications for
he establishment of 1918 additional
outes This shows conclusvely the want
which the establishment of the service
las met and the need Of further extend
ng it as rapidly as possible. 1t il justi-
led both by the financial results and by
he practical benefits to our rural pop
latiOn: 1t brings the men who live on
he soil into close relations with the ac-
i've business world; II keeps the farmer
n daily touch with the markets: 1t is II
otential educational force; 1t enhances
he value of farm property makes farm
lfe far pleasanter and less Isolated and
viii do much to check the undesirable
1t Is to be hoped that the congress will
make liberal appropriations for the con-
inuance of the service already estab-
shed and for its further extension.
PrOgress Of Irrigation.
Few subjects of more Importance have
cen taken up by the congress in recent
ears than the Inauguration of the sys-
EN- of nationally aided irrigation for the
inning therein has been made. Now
hat this policy Of national irrigation has
cen adopted, the need OF thorough
nd scientific forest protection will grow
lore rapidly than. ever throughout the
states
SO far as they are available for agrf-'
ulture, and to whatever extent they
lay be reclaimed under the national ir--I
lgation law. the remaining public lands
hould be held rigidly for the home
uiider. the settler who lives on his land.
nd for no one else. In their actual use
he desert-!and law. the timber and stone