The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-10

lawful inclosure Of public land For various
reasons there has been little interference with
such enclosures in the past. hut ample notice has
been given the trsSp2SSeTs, and all che
sources at the command OF the government viii
hereafter be used TO put stop TO such trespssSiRg
Ia view OF the capital Importance OF these mat
tiers commend them 10 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 Tor commission Of experts spe-
ciaIly 70 investigate and report upon the com
pltcated questions involved.
| especially urge upon the congress the need Of
wise legislation for Alaska. II is not 10 our
credit as nation that Alaska, which has been
ours for thirty i've years, should stu have poor
q system OF laws is the case No country has
. more valuable possession In mineral wealth. in
fisheries furs, forests and also in land avsilable
for certain kinds OF farming and stock growing
Il is territory OF great size and varied
sources, well fitted to support a large permanent
population. Alaska needs good land law and
s1ch provisions fer homesteads and exemptions
as Will encourage permanent settlement We
should shape legislation with q view not To the
exploiting and abandoning Of the territory but
to the building up Of homes therein. The land
laws should be liberal in type. 50 as 10 hold out
inducements TO the actual settler whom we most
desire to see take possession OF the country. The
forests OF Alaska should be protected, and.
secondary hut still important matter, the game
also, and at the time it is imperative that
the settlers should be allowed to cut timber,
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 permanent
industry and food supply Their management
and control should be turned over 70 the commits
delegate in the congress. II would be we'll il
congressional committee could visit Alaska and
investigate its needs the ground
In dealing with the Indians our aim should be
their ultimate absorption into the body OF cur
people. but in many cases this absorption must
dian Territory the mixture OF Blood has gone on
at the same time with progress in wealth and
education, so that there are plenty of men with
- III,
absolutely indistnguishable in 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
equality To try to force suct tribes too fast is
20 prevent their going forward at all. Moreover,
the tribes live under widely different conditions.
Where tribe has made considerable advance and
lives fertile farming soil II Is possible 10 allot
the members lands in seVeralty much as is the
case with white settlers. There other tribes
where such is not desirable. On the
arid prairie lands the effort SHOULD be to induce
the Indians TO lead pastoral rather than agrcul-
tursi lives and to permit them to settle in vii.
lagos 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 immense amount OF additional work
must be done the reservations themselves
Indians
The first and most important step toward the
absorption OF the Indian is to teach him 10 earn
his living, yet II is not necessarily TO be assumed
that in each community 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 adsptability for indus
trial commercial pursuits should be en-
eouraged 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 70
| encourage the existing native industries peculiar
| to certain tribes, such the various kinds OF
/ basket weaving, canoe building, smith work and
blanket work Above ALL the Indian bc1s5 and
| girls should be given confident command Of col
and ho araf.
for vigorous struggle with the conditions under
which their people live rather than for immed.
| ate absorption into some more highly developed
! community.
| The officials who represent the government in
| dealing with the Indians work under hard eondi
dons and also under conditions which render 1t
| 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
| ticuarly high standard of conduct should be de
| msnded from them, and where misconduct can be
proved the punishment should be exemplary.
In 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 eff,
GENTLY TO help themselves, There is no need oil
| insisting upon its Importance for the welfare Of
| the farmer is fundamentally necessary 30 the
! welfare Of the republic as a whole In addition
to such work quarantine against animal and
| vegetable plaques, and warning against them when
here introduced, much efficient help has been rem.
| dered 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 semiaTid west For instance, the practi-
! cability OF producing the best types Of macaroni
| wheAts in regions OF annual rainfall of only
| ten inches OF 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 POSSIBLE
ity OF regrassng overstocked range lands has been
| demonstrated; in the north many forage
| crops have been introduced, while in the east II
| has been shown that some Of our choicest fruits
stored q 3
| find profitable market abroad.
| again recommend to the favorable conSidera.
ton Of the congress the plans Of the Smithsonian
| institution for making the under its
| charge worthy Of the nation and for preserving
| NJ tIe hatoual SaPltdi lol on,s reSVIus g tne
vanishing races Of men, but OF the animals of this
/ continent which, like the buffalo, will soon be
| come extinct unless specimens from which their
| representatives may be renewed sought in
their native regions and maintained there In
| safety
The District of Columbia is the only cart 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 eco
nomic legislation which must be essentially local
OF municipal in their character. The government
| should see to it, for instance, that the bygienic
| and sanitary legislation affecting Washington Il
OF high character. The evils OF Stun dwellings,
whether in the shape Of crowded and congested
tenement house districts OF the back alley
Washington. The city should be model IN every
respect for all the cities OF the country. The
charitable and correctional systems OF the Dis
trct 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 Washington is not great
industrial city, there is indpstrislisu here,
and our labor legislation while il would not be
important ia itself, might be made model for
the rest Of the nation We should pass, for in
stance, wise employers liability act for the Dis
trict Of Columbia and we need such act in
our navy yards. Railroad companies in the Dis
trict ought 10 be required by law to block their
4 frogs.
The safety appliance law. for the better pro-
ployees which passed in 1893, went into full
effect Aug. 1, 1901. IL has resulted IN avert
ing thousands % casualties. Experience shows
however, the necessity Of additional legislation
70 perfect this law. A bin to provide for this
passed the senate at the last session. II is 10 be
hoped that some such measure may now be en-
acted into law.
There is growing tendency 20 provide for the
publication OF masses Of documents for which
there is public demand and for the printing Of
which there is no real necessity. Large numbers
Of volumes turned out by the government
printing presses for which there is justification.
Nothing should be printed by any Of the depart
nents unless il contains something of permanent
value, and the congress could eFith advantage cut
down very materially on all the printing which
It has now become customary 10 provide. The
excessive cost Of government printing is strong
argument against the position Of those who arc
inclined on abstract grounds to advocate the gov
trnment's doing any work which can with pro
priety be left IN private hands.
Gratifying progress has been made during the
year in the extension Of the merit system Of max
ing appointments in the government service. II
should be extended by law to the District Of 90.