The Holly chieftain., 1902-11-28

Hitchcock, secretary OF the interior, Is
devoted TO the reclamation act The
secretary says:
The past year has been character
ized by further increase in the vol
ume of business. notably SO in the pat
ent Office, general land Office, geolog-
ical survey and the secretarys office.
While. in consequence thereof. II has
been necessary. in some instances. to
extend the hours of labor. the service
required has been cheerfully rendered.
and the work dispatched in such an ex-
| petitions manner that am gratified to
state the public business is well in
| hand and there is but little arrears,
such increase in the force, ETC., as e1-
listing conditions appear to demand
has been noted in departmental esti-
mates to be brought to the attention of
| Congress in the manner prescribed by
| law.
New forest reservations have been
established during the year, the for
| estry service extended. better and
| more thorough system Of patrolling
the reservations has been perfected,
and the work of reforestation on the
various reservations has been entered
upon with satisfactory results.
The unlawful fencing of tae public
lands for grazing and other purposes
refererd to hereafter has greatly in
creased in some sections of the West
and grown so fragrant as to cause much
concern. Vigorous measures, however.
have been pursued regarding these un-
lawful occupants of the public domain,
and prompt steps taken looking to the
institution of civil or criminal proceed
ings against them.
Timber on the unreseryed public
lands cannot be properly protected; ex-
listing laws relating thereto. and es-
pecially the act of June 3. 1878, known
as the timber and stone act" II not
repealed or radically amended, will ro-
suit ultimately in the complete destruc-
ton of the timber on the unappropri-
ated and unreserved public lands, The
situation demands the passage of the
remedial legislation on this subject
hereinafter mentioned
Applications received during the year
for free use of timber in forest reserves
numbered 1922. being more than four
and one-half times the number received
during the preceding year. There were
approved by the department seventy of
such applications, and by local forest
officers, 1889.
Under the reclamation act, IN your
first message to Congress. you state
that
In the arid region it is water, not
land. which measures production. The
western half of the United States would
sustain popoulation greater than that
of our whole country to-day if the wat
ers that now run TO waste We're saved
and used for irrigation"
AS result of the strong presenta-
ton of the importance of water stor-
age, Congress pasesd the act which was
signed by you on June II, 1902. setting
aside the proceeds of the public lands
for the construction of works of recla-
alton in the thirteen states and three
territories which form the western half
of the country.
The amount of money thus set aside
in the treasury amounts to over $S,OO0,-
900. The work is to be carried on un-
der the direction of the secretary of the
Interior. The surveys, examinations
and making of recommendations have
been intrusted 10 the geological survey,
whose director and leading men have
spent the greater part Of their lives in
the arid. West, studying the problems.
measuring the rivers and preparing es-
timates of the extent to which arid
lands might ultimately be reclaimed.
On the day following the passage Of
the act plans were submitted by the df-
rector of the geological survey for
putting it into effect; and these being
approved by me, survey parties were
at once put in the field to obtain all Of
the facts concerning the feasibility Of
various projects.
The act in itself is general, leaving
to administrative action most Of the
details; so that the ultimate success of
this great undertaking may be said to
rest wholly with the men in charge.
They cannot shift this responsibility by
Congress. With this responsibility
resting upon them. great care is being
exercised in selecting the projects
which will be Of the greatest benefit to
the country; which will settle upon the
land the greatest number of people;
and which will return to the treasury
the cost Of the undertaking. keeping in
tact the fund for new works. No con-
siderations Of expediency or sentiment
can be tolerated but only those OF max
ing the working a success from q busi-
ness standpoint The same caution ia
exercised in selecting men to carry out
the details. They are chosen by COM
petitive examination through the civil
service. and are impressed with the
fact that in their selection and subse-
quent advancement ability and merit
alone are considered. Most of the men
thus obtained are from the arid West