Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-12-09
POSTAL REVENUES INCREASE.
Business Activity the Causc-ProEres,
of Free Rural Mail Delivery.

the poStomce department SHOWS clearly the
prosperity of our people and the increasing
activity OF the business OF the country.
The receipts of the postoffice department
for the fiscal year ending June 80 last
anas.ited to $121. s4s.047.26. an increase OF
SIC, ZIG. S53.H over the preceding year, the
largest Increase known in the history of the
postal service. The magnitude of this In
crease will best appear from the fact that
the entire postal receipts for the year 1860
amounted to but $685. 6I.
Rural free deltt9ery service is no longer
in the experimental stage; II has become a
fixed policy. The results following its In
PRODUCTION have fully justified the Congress
In the large appropriations made for its
establishment and extension. The average
yearly Increase In postofiice receipts in the
rural districts Of the country Is about
per cent. We are now able, by actual re-
suits. to show that where rural free deliver
suits. to show that where rural free deliv-
cry service has been established to such an
extent as to enable US to make compaE-
sons the yearly increase has been upward
Of 10 per cent.
On Nov. l. 1902, IL ,G50 rural free deiiv-
cry routes had been established and were
in operation, covering about one-third Of
the tse.itcry of the United States available
for rural free delivery service. There are
now awaiting the action Of the department
petitions and applications for the establish
ment of 10.74S additional routes. This
shows conciuslvely the want which the es-
tablishment of the service has met and
the need of further extending II as rapidly
as possible. 1T is JuSIlDeQ DOt1 by the
financial results and by the practical bene-
fits to our rural populations; 1t brings the
who live on the soil Into close rea-
lions with the active business world; Ii
keeps the farmer In daily touch with the
markets: Ii Is a potential educational
force; 1t enhances the value Of farm prop
erty, makes farm life far pleasanter and
less isolated, and will do much to check
the undesirable current from country to
city
1t is to be hoped that the Congress will
make liberal appropriations for the con-
tinuance of the service already established
and for its further extension.
Irrigation of Arid Western Lands.
Few subjects of more Importance have
been taken up by the Congress In recent
years than the Inauguration of the system
OF nationally-aleed irrigation for the arid
regions of the far West. A good beginning
therein has been made. Now that this poll
icy OF national irrigation has been adopted,
the need OF thorough and scientific forest
protection will grow more rapidly than ever
throughout the publlc-land States.
SO far as they are available for agricul-
ture and to whatever extent they may be
reclaimed under the national Irrigation law,
the remaining public lands should be held
rigidly for the home builder the settler
who lives on his land. and for no one else.
In their actual use the desert land law, the
timber and stone law. and the Communication
clause of the homestead law have been
50 perverted from the intention with which
they were enacted as to permit the ac-
QUESTION OF large areas OF the public do
main for other than actual settlers and
the consequent prevention of settlement.
moreover the approaching exhaustion OF
the public ranges has of late led to much
discussion as to the best manner OF using
these public lands In the West which are
suitable chiefly or only for grazing. The
sound and steady development of the West
depends upon the building up of homes
therein Much OF our prosperity as a nation
has been due to the operation Of the home.
stead law. On the other hand, should
recognize the fact that in the grazing re-
gion the man who corresponds to the home
steader may be unable to settle permanent
~ II only allowed to use the same amount
OF pasture land that his brother. the home
steader. Is allowed to use Of arabic land
Alaska's Need of Better Laws,
| 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-fve years,
should still have as poor system Of laws
as Is the case. No country has a more
valuable possession-in mineral wealth, In
nsneries, furs, forests, and also in land
available for certain kinds of farming and
stoek.growing; 1t Is territory Of great
size and varied resources well fitted to
support large permanent population. Alas
ka needs good land law and such provis-
ions for homesteads and prescriptions as
VIII encourage permanent settlement.
How to Deal with the Indian.
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 Indian 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 varying degrees of purity of Indian
blood who are absolutely indistinguishabe
In point of social political and economic
ability from their white associates. There
nfh nR fnfh l. t-A a..
no perceptible advance toward such equal
lily. To try to force such tribes too fast 10
to prevent their going forward at all.
The first and most important step toward
the absorption of the Indian is to teach
MIN TO earn his living: yet Ii Is not neces-
sarlly to be assumed that In each COM
munity all Indians must become either till
ers of the soil or stock-raisers. Their in
dustries may properly be diversified and
those who show special desire adapta-
bility for Industrial or even commercial
pursuits. should be encouraged so far as
practicable to follow out each his own bent
Every effort should be made to develop
the indian along the lines of natural apti-
tude, aud 10 encourage the existing native
industries peculiar to certain tribes, such
as the various kinds of basket weaving,
canoe building, smith work, and blanket
work. Above all, the Indian boys and girls
should be given confident command of col
loqulal English. and should ordinarily be
prepared for vigorous struggle with the
conditions under which their people live,
rather than for Immediate absorption into
some more highly developed community.
Science Brought to Farmers Aid.
In no department Of government work In
recent years has there been greater success
than in that of giving scientific aid to the
farming population. thereby showing them
how most efficiently to help themselves
There Is no need OF insisting upon its Inn
portance. for the welfare of he farmer is
fundamentally necessary to the welfare of
the republic as whole. In addition to
such work as quarantine against animal
and vegetable plaques and warning 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 peculiaSl con-
ditions existing In different portions OF the
country.
The District Of Columbia Is the only part
of our territory In which the national gov
eminent exercises local or municipal func-
lions. and where In consequence the gov
ernment has a free hand In reference to
certain types of social and economic legis-
lation which must be essentially local or
municipal In their character The govern
ment should sc TO 1t. for instance. that
the hygienic AMI sanitary legislation affect
ing Washington Is of s high character. The
evils of Stun dwellings, whether In a shape
of crowded and congested tenement house
districts OF OF the back alley type. should
never be permitted TO grow up In Wash
ington. The city should be a model IN
every respect for all the cities OF the coun-
try.
The safety-spplIance law. for the better
protection of the lives and limbs of rail-
way employees. which was passed IN fSa3,
went into full effect on Aug. /, f901 Ii
has resuIte ed In ayerting thousands of casu-
altiess Experience shows. however, the
necessity OF additional legislation to per
feet this law.
Useless Public Documents.
There Is . growing tendency to provide
for the publication OF masses of documents
for which there l. no public demand and
for the printing OF which there Is no real
necessity. Nothing should be printed by
anv Of the departments unless Il contains
something Of permanent vslne. and the Cen
xreSs could With advantage cut down very
materially on all the printing which IL has
nov become customary TO provide.
Gratifying progress has been made dur
Tag the year In the extension of the merit
system OF masking appointments 10 the gov
ernnoeaf service IL should be xtended By
law 10 the District of Columbia II Is
much 10 be desired that cur consular system
- - he'd By law on a basis providing
IN appointment and promotion only in coa-
sequence OF proved fitness.
Additions 10 Presidents Residence.
Through a wise provision Ct the Congress
at its lsst session the white House. which
had become dis6gurez By incongruous add
- -. 4