The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-03

point Of social. political. and economic
ability from their white associates. There
are other tribes which have as yet made
no perceptible advance toward such equal
i'y.
| To try to force such tribes too fast
II 10 prevent their going forward at all
| M1r,over, the trib,s live under widely
] different conditions. Where a tribe has
! made considerable advance and lives on
| fertile farming soil II liz possible to allot lie
! members lands in several,y much as Is the
case with white settlers. There are other
4 tribes where such a course is not desirable
On the arid prairie lands the effort should
| be TO induce the Indians 10 lead pastoral
rather than agricultural lives. and TO per-
| init them 10 settle In villages rather than
| to force them into isolation.
| The large Indian schools situated re-
! mote from any Indian reservation do a
special and peculiar work Of great inn
| portance. But. excellent though these are,
| an immense amount Of additional work
| must be done on the reservat ions themselves
among the old, and. above all. among the
young, Indians.
The first end most important step toward
the absorption of the Indian il TO teach
him TO earn his living: vet II Is not neces-
ilvto be assumed that in each community
all Indians must become either tilers Of the
soil or stock raiSers. Their industr NAV
properly he diversified. and those who show
special desire or adaptability for industrial
or even commercial pursuits should be
encouraged so far Ar practicable to follow
out each his own bent
Every EFFORT should be made TO develop
the Indian along the lines Of natural apti-
tude. and 10 encourag e the existing native
Industries peculiar 10 certain tribes, such as
the various kinds of basket wea wing, canoe
building smith work, and blanket work;
Above ALI, the Indian boys and girls should
be- gwen confident command Of colloquiAl
English, and should ordinarily be prepared
for vigorous struggle with the conditions
under which their people live, rather than
for iinme 'i1te absorption into some more
highly developed community
The officials who represent the Govern
rnent in dealing with the Indians work
under hard conditions. and also under
conditions which render II easy TO do wrong
and very difficult TO detect wrong Conse-
quen'ly they should be amply paid on the
one hand. and on the other a particularly
high standard of conduct should be de-
inanded from them. and where miscon-
quot can be proved the punishment should
be exemplary
SCIENTIFIC AID TO FARMERS
In no department Of governmental work
in recent years has there been greater s,ic-
cess than IN that Of giving scientific aid
10 the farming population, thereby showing
them how most efficiently to help Them
selves. There IL no need Of insisting upon
its import ance. for the welfare Of the farmer
il Fundamentally necessary to the welfare
Of the Republic as a whole. In addition to
such work as quarantine against animal
ana vegetable plaques and warning ga inst
them when here introduced much efficient
help has been rendered to the farmer bv
,he introduction Of new plants specially
ftted for cultivation under the peculiar
conditions existing In different portions OF
the country.
New cereals have been established IN
the seri-arid West. For instance, the prac-
ticahilitv of producing the best types OF
macaroni wheats in regions OF an an
nual rainfa Of only ten inches or there
abouts has been conchsivelv demon
sira,et Through the Introduction Of new
rices in Louisiana and Texas the produc-
ton of rice in this country has been made
20 about equal the home demand In the
southwest the possibility Of Requesting
"verStockei range lands has been demon
~tr'ted IL the North rnanv new for
age crops have been Introduced while in
the Fast il has been shown that some OF our
choicest fruits can be stored and shipped in
such a way a. 10 find a profitable marke
abroad.
! again recommend 10 the favorable con-
sideration of the Congress the plans OF the
Smithsonian Institution for ma king 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 soon
become extinct unless specimens from
which the represent atives may be renewed
are sought IN their native regions and
nlalntdlneO there IN safety
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The District of Columbia il the ONLY part
OF our territory in which the National Gov
eminent exercises local or municipal func-
tons and where in consequences the Govern
ment has free hand in reference to certain
which must be essentially local or municipal
In their character. The Government
should sec TO IL, for instance, that the nv
Gienic and sanitary legislation affecting
Washington Is Of high character: The
shape of crowded and congested tenement
house districts or of the back ALLEY type
should never be permitted to grow up in
Washington. The city should be a model
country
The charitable and correctional syp-
TENS Of the District should receive con-
sideration at the hands Of the Congress to
the end that they may embody the results
fields. Moreover, while Washington IL
not great industrial city, there b some
lndustrialism here, and our labor legisla-
ton, while II would not be important In
itself, might be made model for the rest
OF the nation. We should pas $, for instance,
a wise employers liability act for the Dis.
trict OF Columbia, aud we need such an act
IN our navy. yards. Railroad companies
IN the District ought to he required by
law TO block their frogs.
ELlANEOVs.
The safety appliance law for the hotter
protection Of the lives and limbs Of rail-
wav employees, WHICH was passed in 1898
went into fun effect on Aug 1, 1901. 1t has
resulted In averting thousands of ca s,lal-
ties. Experience shows, however, the ne.
cessity OF additional legislat ion to perfec-
his law. A bill to provide for this passed
the Senate at the last session II ia to h.
hoped that some such measure NAV now
be enacted into law
There Is growing tendency to provide
Tor the publication Of masses Of documents
Tor which there is no public demand and
Tor the printing of which there Ia no real
necessity. Large numbers of volumes
are turned out by the Government print
ing presses for which there is no ulstif-
cation. Nothing should be printed by any
az the departments unless il contains
something of permanent value, and the
congress could with advantage cut down
very materially on all the printing which
" has now become customary To proyide
The excessive cost Of Governmen, prntin-
Is strong argument against the position
o'those who are inclined on abstract grounds
10 advocate the Governments doing snv
WORK which can with propriety be- left In
private hands
Gratifying progress has been made dur
ing mo year in the extension Of the merit
system Of making appontm ents in the
Government service II should be ex-
tended 10y law to the District OF Columbia
II Is much to he desired that our consular
system Ice established nv Law an a basia