Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-02

petitions and applications for the establish
ment of 10,7iS additional routes. This
SHOWS conclusively the want which the es-
ENLISTMENT Of the service has met and the
need of further extending 1t as rapidly as
possible. 1t Is justified both by the finan-
cial results and by the practical benefits to
our rural population; 1t brings the men who
i've on the soil into close relations with the
active business world; 1t keeps the farmer
In daily touch with the markets; 1t is a po-
tential 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
country to city.
1t is to be hoped that the Congress will
make liberal appropriations for the contin-
uance Of the service already established
and for its further extension.
Irrigation.
Few subjects Of more Importance have
been taken up by the Congress IN recent
years than the Inauguration of the system
OF nationally aided irrigation for the arid
regions of the far West. A good beginning
therein has been made. Now that this pol
icy Of national irrigation has been adopted,
the need Of thorough and scientific forest
protection win grow more rapidly than ever
throughout the public-land States. 1893
Legislation should be provided for the pro-
lection of the game, and the wild creatures
generally. on the forest reserves. The
senseless slaughter Of game, which can by
5udicious protection be permanently pre-
served on our national reserves for the peo-
pie as whole. should be stopped at once.
1t Is, for instance, a serious count against
our national good sense to permit the pres
ent practice Of butchering off such
stately and beautiful creature as the elk
for Its antlers or tusks.
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 so
perverted from the H. IGNITION with which
they were enacted az to permit the acqul-
sition Of large areas Of the public domain
for other than actual settlers and the con-
sequent prevention OF settlement More
over. the approaching exhaustion Of the
public ranges has Of late led to much dis
cussion 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 homestead
law. On the other hand. we should recog
nize the fact that in the grazing region the
man who corresponds to the homesteader
may be unable to settle permanently If only
allowed to use the same amount OF pasture
"a nd that his hrothar the hnmaSteadar Ia
allowed to use Of arabic land One hundred
and sixty acres OF fairly rich and we'll
watered soil, or a much smaller amount Of
irrigated land, may keep a family In plenty,
whereas one could get a living from one
hundred and sixty acres of dry pasture
land capable OF supporting at the outside
only one head Of cattle to every ten acres.
In the past great tracts Of the public do
main have been fenced in by persons hav-
Ing no title thereto, In direct defiance Of
the law forbiddng the maintenance or con-
struction Of any such unlawful inclosure
of public land. For various reasons there
has been little interference with such in
closures in the past, but ample notice has
now been given the trespassers, and all the
resources at the command Of the Govern
ment will hereafter be used to put stop
to such trespassing. ..
In view Of the capital Importance Of these
matters, 1 commend them to the earnest
consideration of the Congress, and If the
Congress finds difficulty in dealing with
them from lack Of thorough knowledge of
the subject, l recommend that provision be
made for a commission Of experts specially
to Investigate and report upon the compli
Gated questions involved
Alaska.
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-five years,
should still have as poor system Of laws
as is the case. No country has more val
liable possession In mineral wealth. in fish
cries, furs, forests, and also in land avail
able for certain kinds Of farming and
stockgrowing. 1t Is territory Of great
size and varied resources, well fitted to
support large permanent population.
Alaska needs good land law and such pro-
visions for homesteads and preemptions as
will encourage permanent settlement. We
should shape legislation with view not to
the exploiting and abandoning Of the ter
rtory, but to the building up Of homes
therein. The land laws should be liberal
in type, so as to 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,
as a secondary but still important matter.
the game also, and at the same time 1t is
imperative that the settlers should be al
lowed to out timber, under proper regula-
lions, for their own use. Laws should be
enacted to protect the Alaskan salmon fish
cries against the greed which would de-
stroy them. They should be preserved as
permanent industry and food supply
Their management and control should be
turned over to the Commission Of Fish and
Fisheries Alaska should have a Delegate
in the Congress. 1t would be well IL a Con-
gressional committee could visit Alaska
and investigate its needs on the ground
Indian Affairs.
In dealing with the Indians our aim should
be their ultimate absorption into the body
Of our people. But in many cases this alb
sorption 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 de-
grees of purity OF Indian blood who are
absolutely indist1nguishable In point of So