Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-12-02
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Concluded from page fve.)

The receipts of the postofice depart
ment for the fiscal year ending June 30
last amounted to sl21. s4s. 047. 26. an in
crease of $40. PIG, $751; 81 over the preceding
year. the largest increase known in the
history of the postal service. The magni-
tude of this increase will best appear
from the fact that the entire postal re-
ceipts for the year amounted to but S.
III ,067.
Rural free delivery service is no longer
I'm the experimental stage: it has become
a fixed policy. The results following its
Introduction ave fully justified the con-
gress in the large appropriations made
for It's establishment and extension. The
average yearly increase in postofice re-
ceipts in the rural districts of the coun-
try is about two per cent. We are now
able, by actual results. to show that
where rural free delivery service has
been established to such an extent as to
enable us to make comparisons the yearly
increase has been upward of ten per
cent.
Rural Free Delivery Routes.
On November 1. 1902. 1850 rural free de-
livery routes had been established and
were in operation, covering about one
third of the territory of the United States
available for rural free delivery service.
There are now awaiting the action of the
department petitions and applications for
the establishment of 1918 additional
routes. This shows conclusively the want
which the establishment of the service
has met and the need of further extend
ing 1t as rapidly as possible. 1t is justi-
fled both by the financial results and by
the practical benefits to our rural popula-
ton; it brings the men who live 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; 1t 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 con-
tinuance of the service already establish
ed and for its further extension.
- Irrigation for Arid Regions.
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 be-
ginning therein has been made. Now that
this policy of national irrigation has beer
adopted, the need OF thorough and scien'
tihc forest protection will grow more rap
idly than ever throughout the public lanc
states.
Legislation should be provided for tn
protection of the game. and the wild erea
lures generally, on the forest reserves
The senseless slaughter of game, whicl
can by judicious protection be permanent
ly preserved on our national reserve
for the people as a whole, should d
stopped at once. IL Is. for instance, a SCI
iaus count against our national goo
a,nse to permit the present practice 9
IL tchering off such a stately and beautl
f.; creature as the elk for its antlers c
trsks.
Public Lands for Home Builders
So far as they are available as agricu
ture, and 10 whatever extent they may |
reclaimed under the national irrigatio
law, the remaining public lands should
held rlgidly for the home builder u
settler who lives on his land. and for ]
one else. In their actual use the desc
land law. the timber and stone law al
the Communication clause of the homestea
law have been so perverted from the .
tention with which they were enacted
TO permit the acquisition OF large are
81 the public domain for other thah aclu
~settlers and the consequent prevention
settlement. Moreover, the approach
exhaustion Of public ranges mas OF Ia
led TO much discussion as 70 the OF
manner of using these public lands In I
vest which are suitable chiefly or or
| m. ontnA and RteadX dew
anment of the west depends upon I
n,,,ld,ne M of homes therein. Much
orr nrosperity has been due TO the opel
,,on 81 the homestead Law. on the OIL
band. we should recognize the fact u
an the grazing region the man who cor
sponds 10 the homesteader may be una