Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-12-04

amount OF irrigated land, may Keep :
I family In plenty, whereas no one ooulu
ret a living from 100 acres OF dry pastu.o
iand capable Of supporting at the out
side only one head OF cattle TO every Yen
acres In the past great tracts OF tne
public domain have peen leneee AZ atract
| defiance OF the law forhidding the maln-
'enance or construction Of any sgen en-
lawful lnclosure Of public land tor va
/ rious reasons there has been little inter-
ference with such Enclosures IN the past.
/ but ample notice has now been given
/ the trespaSsers, and all tho resources ~
the COMMAND q me goVer,nmeh,t i,na ~ .neh wsS
trespasslng.
Alaska Legislation Asked For.
l especially urge upon the congress the
/ iced OF wise legislation for Alaska. ~
| ia not TO Our credit as natlc7 that
| Alaska. which has been ours or - years
/ should still have as poor a system OF
| laws as Is the case. No country has a
more valuable possesslon--in mineral
Also s.,'' IN land avaiisble Tor certain kinds
OF farming and stock growing, Il Is
| territory OF great size slnd varied re-
sources, we'll fitted to support large
permanent population. Alaska needs a
good land law and such provisions for
homestCads and preempilons as will en-
courage permanent settlement We
should shape legislation with a view not
TO the exploiting and abandoning OF the
territory, hut TO the building up OF homes
therein The land laws should be liberal
in type. 80 as io held out indncemes,s
sise to see take possession OF the eoun-
try. The forests OF Alaska should be
protected, and. as a secondary but stll
Important matter, the game also, and at
tho same time Il Is imperative that the
settlers should be allowed TO cut tim
be, under proper regulations. for their
protect tho Alaskan salmon fisheries
against the greed which would destroy
them. They should he preserved as a
permanent industry and food supply
Their management and control should he
turned over to the commission OF heh
and fisheries. Alaska should have a delo-
gate in the congress, II would be well
Ii congressional committee could visit
Alaska and investigate It's needs on the
The Indians.
In dealing with the Indians our aim
should be their ultimate absorption into
cases this absorption must and should
be very slow. In portions Of the Indian
territory the mixture of blood has gone
on tne d same lone s@ %iih rGgess fSsTs ars n
plenty OF men with varying degrees Of
purity OF Indian blood who are abso-
iueely indlstlnguishahle 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.
Il
prevent their going forward at all More
over, the tribes live under widely differ
ent conditions Where tribe has made
considerable advance and lives on fertile
farming soil II is possible to allot the
members lands In severalty much as is
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
lives, and to permit them to settle in
villages rather than to force them into
The large Incsan schools situated remote
from any Indian reservation DO a special
and recuhar work Of great Importance.
But, excellent though these are, an i'm
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 hving; yet II is not neces-
sarily to be assumed that In each commur-
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 adaptabllity for IN
dustrial or even commercial pursuits
shOua be encouraged so far as practicable
TO follow out each his own bent
Scientific Aid 60 Farmers.
In no department OF governmental work
In recent years has there been greater sue
cess than Ia that Of giving scientific aid to
the farming population thereby showing
them how most efficiently 10 help them
selves There Is no need Of insisting upon
Its Importance, for the welfare OF the
farmer - fundamentally necessary 70 the
welfare Of the republic as a whole, In at
ditl0u TO such work as quarantine against
animal and vegetable plaques, and war
much cinclent help has neen rendered 10 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 semi-ar'd west
For Instance the pract'cabiltty OF .produn-
regions Of an annual rainfall OF only tcn
Inches or thereabouts fas beer conclusive
ly demonstrateG Through the introduc'
ton OF new rlcea in Louisiana ard Texas
the production OF rice In this co-ntry has
been made 10 about equal the home o.
mand. In the southwest the possibility Of
rrgrassiug oyerst tockeC range lands has
been demonstrated; in the north many new
forage crops have been introduced while /
ip the east Il has been shown that some Of
our choicest fruits can be stored and
ihtpped n such way as 10 find a profitable
market abroad
The District OF Columbia is the only part
OF our territory In which the national gov |
ernment exercises local or municipal finc- |
tions. and where in consequence the gov
ernment has a free hand IN reference TO |
certain types OF social ard economic legis-
hddHielpsff IL tsfF tFi chr Is sshAsS kSyers 9sa
ment should see 10 81. for Instance that the
hsNlAAI ant nhAllaIN AEEAhAaklOE aHECNiNf Il
Washington Is Of a high character. The |
evils OF slum fwellln~s. whether in the |
fhape Of crowded and t5n gested tenement
house districts or Of the baek-alley type.
shou.e never be permitted to grow up in
Washington. The city should 6e a model |
In every respect for al the cities Of the |
country. The charitable and correctional |
systems Of the district should receive cor
sideratlon at the hands Of the congress 10
the END that they may cmbody the results |
OF the most advanced thought in these |
helds. Moreover, whila Washington Is not |
great Industrial city. there is some indus
trtalism here. and our labor Legislation.
Whlie I woulo Eot be important In Itself. |
might be made a model for the rest OF the |
nation. We should PISS. for Instance a |
wise employer STABILITY act FOR the Dis-
tflct OF Columbia. and We need such an act |
the district ought to be required 81 law TO |
block their frogs
Protection for Hallway Employees.
The safety-appliance law, for the better |
protectlon o. the lives and limbs Of rail- |
way employees, which was passed In 1881. |
went Into full effect on August /. 1901. II |
has resulted In aVert.ug Thousands of i
easualt ties. Experience zhows however. the |
heCesslty OF sdcitiOnai legislation to per- |
Iect this law. A bill TO provide for this |
passed the senate at tbs LAST session. III |
70 be noped that some such measure may |
now be enacted into law
Gratifying progress has been made dur
lhs the year In the extension OF me |
merit system Of making appointnsnts
N+AN NsNAuiAtuA ser ice. IL should ba Il
extended by law to the District of Co |
ldmhia. u Is much d be desired that /
9ui consular system he established nv
law on basis providing for appointment
and promotion only - CONSEQUENCE of /
proved fitness.
The New white House.
Through wise provision OF the con.
bfess az It's last session the white house
winch has become dishRured by lncon,
sruous nddlt ons and Changes haa nov
been restored to what Il was Damned ~ 1
Le by Washington. In making The regtor-
alonA lhe utmost care has boeu efer- |
clsed 70 come as near as possible 10 tbo
sAlly plans aud 70 supplement these p,ang
by careful study OF such btiiIdinss ~
tnat OF the University Of Virginia, which
was built by Jefferson. The white honss
- tne property Of the nation and 40 lar |
Compatible with living therein il
.hould be kept as i originally was, for |
I. ns same reasons that we keep Noun, |
vernon az u originally was. The state.
" hmphcty OF It's ar hitecture 4 an
expression OF the character ~ the period
IN IN whleh u was built. and IL IN accord
WIN the purposes it was designed 10 |
seIte' ~ y good thing 20 preserve
sgeh buildings as historic monuments
when Keep alive our sense OF contin- |
ulLx with the nations past
inc reports OF the several executive
uepartments are submitted to the con.
Eress with this communication.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
white House. December /, 1902
|