The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-12-05

poLlSys l. ISSullS lOltOWlHS It's 1uLIO~
duction have fully justified the congress
in the large appropriations made for its
establishment and extension. The aver
age yearly increase in postoffice receipts
in the rural districts of the country il
about 2 per cent. We are now able, by
actual results, to show that where rural
free delivery has been established to such
an extent as to enable us to make COM
parisoLy the yearly increase has been up
ward OF 10 per cent
livery routes had been established and
were in operation. covering about one
saira Of av 'aS ,srri for -ut of free tss ds Initss
service. There is now awaiting the ac-
ton of the department petitions and APP
74S additional routes. This shows con-
clusively the want which the establish
ment of the service has met and the
need of further extending it as rapidly an
possible. 1t is justified both by the
financial results and by the practical
benefits to our rural population; it brings
relations with the active business world:
it keeps the farmer in daily touch with
the markets.; it is a potential educational
force; it enhances the value of farm
property. makes farm life far pleaSanter
and less isolated, and will do much to
check the undesirable current from coun-
it is to be hoped that the congress will
make liberal appropriations for the con-
tinuance of the service already estao-
Irrigation and Protection of Forests.
Few subjects of more Importance have
been taken up by the congress In recent
years than the inauguration OF the sys-
tenn OF nationally aided irrigation for the
arid regions of the Far West A good
beginning therein. has been made; Now
that this policy of national irrigation has
been adopted, the need of thorough ana
scientific forest protection will grow more
rapidly than ever throughout the public
land states.
Legislation should be provided for the
protection Of the game. and the Wild
creatures generally, on the forest re-
serves. The senseless slaughter of game.
which can by judicious protection be per-
manently preserved on o'ir national re-
serves for the people as a whole, should
be stopped at once. 1t is, for instance.
a serious count against our national good
sense to permit the present practice OF
full creature as the elk for it's antlers or
tusks.
culture. and :" whatever extent they may
be reclatuse,l uEder the national irriga-
ton Law, tbs, remaining public lands
err. the settler who lives on his land and
for no one else. In their actual use the
desert land law. the timber and stone
homestead law rave been so perverted
from the intention with which they were
enacted as to permit the acquisition OF
large areas of the public domain 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 discus
sion as to the best manner OF using these
public lands in the West which are suit
able c}.lc1y 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 homestead law. On the other hand
we should recognize the fact that IN the
grazing region the man who corresponds
to the homesteader may be unable 10
settle permanently il only allowed to use
the same amount OF pasture Iand tnal
to use Of arabic land. One hundred and
sixty acres of fairly rich and we'll
watere1 soil. or a much smaller amount
plenty, whereas no one could get a living
from 60 acres of dry ptsture LAND capabIe
of supporting at the. outside only one
head of cattle to every ten acres. In the
past great tracts of the public domain
have been fenced in by persons having no
| forbidding the maintenance or construc.
ton of any such unlawful Enclosure OF
public land. For various reasons there
has been little interference with such In
closures in the past, but ample notice mas
now been given the trespassers; and al
the resources at the OF nmS
government will hereafter pc USED 10 pun
a stop<to such trespassing..
In view Of the capital Importance OF
these matters, l them TO th6
earnest consideration of the congress ana
III the congress finds difficulty in deallng
with them from lack Of thorough Know.
edge of the subject, ! tnas
provision be mades for a commission OK
exneIts specially to Investigate and re-
port upon the complicated duestiohs III
Alaska ~ iced Of 8etter Laws.
I esIar:. .liv urge upon the congress- the
need nf Use legislation for Alaska. II ~
not I, our credit as a nation that Alaska
which has been ours for thirty-nve years.
should still have as poor a system Oh laws
as is the case. No country mas a more
valuable possession-in miOeral wealtn.
in fisheries. furs, forests. and also IN Iana
available for certain kinds OF farming
-.l nil u L N q forTIOrN OI
great size and varied resources, well
fitted to support a large permanent pop
ulation Alaska needs a GOO lana ar6
preemptions as will encourage permanent
Settlement. We should. shape legislation
with a view not to the exploiting ana
abandoning of the territory. but TO the
building up Of homes therein. The land
laws should be liberal in type, SO as TO
held out Inducements to the actual settler
whom we most desire to see take posses
sion of the country. The forests OF Alaska
should be protected. and, as a secondary
but still important matter. the game also.
|, and at the same time it is imperative that
/ the settlers should be allowed to cut tim
) Der. under proper regulations. lot tnelr
own use. Laws should be enacted to pro-
' lect the Alaskan salmon fisheries against
. the greed which would destroy them.
They should be preserved as ~ Pefma msn.
' agement and control should be turned
over to the commission of fish and fish
$ cries. Alaska should nave a delegate IN
9 the congress. 1t would be well if a con-
e gressional committee could visit Alaska
a and Investigate it's needs on the ground.
e In dealing with the Indians our ain
should be their ultimate absorption into
the body OF our people. But IN many
cases this ABSORPTION 'n"st and shoult
d be very slow. In pn.tc.i OF the ln0laT
l. Territory the mixture cs blood has gon'
q on at the same ,irre with progress II
j. wealth and education, so mat there ar
q plenty cf men WITH varying degrees Q
n puriu, CT Iian blood who are absolutel!
d indisting,iSb atie m point OF social, poi1ti
l. cal, and economic ability from their whit
i associates. There are other tribes Whlcl
It have as yet made no perceptible advanc
g toward such equality. TO try to fore
such tribes 100 East is to prevent thei
d going forward at all. Moreover, tn
10 tribes live unde.. widely different cond1
It tions. Where q tribe has made consider
r able advance and lives OH fertile farmln
= soil it is possible to allot the member
IS lands in severalty much as is the cas-
y with white settlers. There are othe
l. tribes where such a course is not desS
II able. On the arid prairie lands the effoI
Is should be to induce The Indians to, lea
s. pastoral rather than agricultural live!
and to permit them to settle in village
It rather than tolforce them into isolation.
vt The large Indian schools situated RI