Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1902-12-06

as q nation has been due to the opera
ton Of the homestead law. On the other
in the grazing region the man who cor.
responds to the homesteader may be un-
able to settle permanently Il only allowed
to use the same amount Of pasture. land
that his brother, the homesteader, IL al
lowed to use Of arabic land. One hun.
dred and sixty acres Of fairly rich ana
well watered soil, or q much smaller
IN Of Dspt gs %ber rn may yns keep could
get a living. from 100 acres Of dry pasture
side only one head Of cattle to every ten
pSSc doms hs fsnssa Il E;
persons having no title thereto, in direct
defiance of the law forbidding the main
tenance or construction Of any such un.
reasons se1e Ses an little nsr
ference with such Enclosures In the past
but ample notice has now been given
the\ trespassers. and all the resources az
hereafter be used to put q stop to such
trespassing.
Alaska Liquidation Asked For.
I especially urge upon the congress the
need OF wise legislation for Alaska. II
Alaska. which has been ours for IS years,
should still have as poor a system Of
laws as is the case. No country has 9
wsa IN sa4s for.s ns1s
also in land available for certain kinds
Of farming and stock growing. It is
territory OF great size and varied re-
S permanent e population d Alaska needs
good land law and such provisions for
homesteads and preemptions as will en-
courage permanent settlement. We
should shape legislation with q view not
to the exploiting and abandoning of the
territory, but to the building I'D Of homes
therein. The land laws should be liberal
in type. so as to hold out inducements
to the actual settler whom we most de.
sire to see take possession Of the coun.
try. The forests of Alaska should be
protected, and, as q secondary but still
Important mat matter. the game also and at
settlers should be allowed to cut tim
own use. Laws should be enacted 70
against the greed which would destroy
them. They should be preserved as q
permanent industry and food supply.
Their management and control should be
and fisheries. Alaska should have dele.
gate In the congress. 1t would be well
II a congressional committee could visit
Alaska and investigate its needs on the
ground.
In dealing with the Indians our aim
should be their ultimate absorption int
the body Of our people. But in many
be very slow. In portions of the Indian
territory the mixture Of blood has gone
on at the same time with progress In
wealth and education, SO that there are
purity of Indian blood who are abso.
iutely indlstnguishable in point of social,
political and economical ability from
their white associates. There are other
tribes which have as yet made no per.
ceptible advance toward such equality.
To try to force such tribes too fast Is to
prevent their going forward at all. More
the tribes ye under widely der
considerable advance and lives on fertile
farming soil 1t is possible to allot the
members lands In severalty much as II
the case with the white settlers. There
are other tribes where such course is not
desirable. On the arid prairie lands the
effort should be to induce the Indians to
lead pastoral rather than agricultural
villages rather than to force them into
isolation.
The large INDIAN schools situated remote
from any Indian reservation do special
and peculiar work Of great importance.
But, excellent though these are, an inn
mense amount OF additional work must be
done on the reservations themselves among
the old, and above all among the young.
The first and most important step toward
the absorption Of the Indian is to teach
him to earn his living; yet It is not neces-
ity all Indians must become either tillers
of the soil or stock raisers. Their industries
may properly be diversified. and those who
show special desire or adaptability for in
dustrial or even commercial pursuits
should be encouraged so far as practicable
to follow out each his own bent.
Scientific Aid to Farmers.
In no department Of governmental work
cess than in that of giving scientific aid to
the farming populate thereby showing
them how most efficiently TO help them
selves. 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 whole. In ad.
dition to such work as quarantine against
animal and vegetable plaques, and war
ring against them when here introduced.
much efficient help has been rendered to the
farmer. by the introduction OF new plants
specially fitted for cultivation under the
peculiar conditions existing in different
been established In the semi-artd west
For instance. the practicability OF produc-
ing the best types OF macaroni wheats In
regions Of an annual rainfall OF only ten
inches or thereabouts has beer. conclusive
ly demonstrated. Through the introduc-
ton of new rices In Louisiana and Texas
the production Of rice in this sx country has
mand. In the southwest the possibility OF
regrassing overstocked range lanes has
been demonstrated; In the north many new
lOEdSe CTOpS nave OcCH lElEOuuCcup WhhO
in the east 1t has been shown that some OF
our choicest fruits can be stored ana
shipped In such way as to find profitable
market abroad.
Protection for Railway Employees.
The safety-appliance law, for the better
protection Of the lives and limbs Of rail-
way employees, which was passed In 1893.
went into full effect on August /. 1901. 1t
has resulted in averting thousands Of
casualties. Experience shows, however. the
necessity of additional legislation to per-
feet this law. A bill to provide for this
passed the senate at the last session. 1t "
TO be hoped that some such measure may
now be enacted into law.
Gratifying progress has been made dur
ing the year in the extension of the
merit system of making appointments
in the government service. It should be
extended by law to the District of Co
lumbia. 1t Is much to be desired that
our consular system be established by
law on a basis providing for appointment
and promotion only in consequence Of
proved fitness. r....