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

| canoe building, smith work and blanket
| work. Above all, the Indian boys and girls
| should be given confident command of COLO
quial English. and should ordinarily be pre-
pared for vigorous struggle with the con-
ditions under which their people live. rather
than for immediate absorption into some
more highly developed community.
The officials who represent the govern
| ment in dealing with the Indians work un-
der hard conditions. and also under condi-
| tons which render 1t easy to do wrong and
| very difficult to detect wrong. Consequent.
ly they should be amply paid on the one
| hand, and on the other hand particularly
high standard Of conduct should be demand
| ed from them, and where misconduct can
be proved the punishment should be exem-
| plary
Helping the Farmers.
In no department Of governmental work
! In recent years has there been greater sue
cess than In that OF giving scientific aid
TO the farming population. thereby showing
| them now most efficiently to help them
| selves. There is no need OF insisting upon
Its Importance, for the welfare of the
! farmer is fundamentally necessary to the
welfare OF the republic as whole. In ad-
| dition to such work as quarantine against
| animal and vegetable plaques, and warning
against them when here introduced much
| efficient help mas been rendered to the
| farmer by the Introduction of new plants
| specially fitted for cultivation under the
| peculiar conditions existing in different por-
| lions Of the country. New cereals have
| been established in the semi-arid west. For
| instance, the practicability of producing the
| best types of macaroni wheats in regions
Of an annual rainfall of only ten inches or
| Whereabouts has beeD cOnclusyaly demon
| strated Through the Introduction of new
| rices In Louisiana and Texas the produc-
| ton OF rice in this country has been made
| to about equal the home demand. In the
southwest the possibility of regrassing over
| stocked range lands has been demonstrated:
| In the north many new forage crops have
| been introduced. while in the east 1t has
| been shown that some of our choicest fruits
| can be stored and shipped in such way
| as to find a profitable market abroad.
1 again recommend to the favorable con-
| sideration of the Congress the plans OF the
Smithsonian Institution for making the
Museum under Its charge worthy Of the
Nation. and for preserving at the National
Capital not only records of the vanishing
| races Of men but of the animals of this
continent which, like the buffalo. will soon
become extinct unless specimens from
newed are sought In their native regions
AMI maintained there in safety.
Washington Should Be Model
The District Of Columbia is the only part
of our territory in which the National
Government exercises local or municipal
functions, and where in consequence the
Government has free hand in reference to
certain types of social and economic legis-
1o%t
| municipal in their character. The Govern
| ment should see to It. for instance. that the
hygienic and sanitary legislation affecting
Washington is OF high character. The
evils Of slum dwellings, whether in the
shape Of crowded and congested tenement
house districts or of the back-alley type.
should never be permitted to grow up In
Washington. The city should be a model
| in every respect for all the cities Of the
country. The charitable and correctional
systems Of the District should receive con-
sideration at the hands of the Congress to
the end that they may embody the results
OF the most advanced thought in these
fields. Moreover. while Washington is not
a great industrial city. there is some in
dustrialism here, and our labor legisla-
ton, while 1t would not be important in it
self, might be made a model for the rest
of the nation. We should pass, for in
stance wise employer STABILITY act for
the District of Columbia. and we need such
an act in our navy-yards. Railroad cont
panies in the District ought to be reeuirea
by law to block their frogs.
The safety-applance law. for the better
protection of the lives and limbs of railway
employees, which was passed in 1898. went
into full effect on August 1, 1901. 1t has
suited in averting thousands of casualties.
Experience shows however, the necessity
of additional legisla ton to perfect this law.
A bill to provide for this passed the Senate
at the last session 1t is to be hoped that
some such measure may now be enacted
into law.
Public Documents.
There is a growing tendency to provide
for the publication of masses of documents
for which there is public demand and for
the printing of which there is no real neces-
sity. Large numbers of volumes are turned
out by the Government printing presses for
which there is no justification. Nothing
should be printed by any Of the Depart
ments unless it contains something of per-
manent value. and the Congress could with
advantage cut down very materially on all
the printing which 1t has now become GUS
tomary to provide. The excessive cost of
Government printing Is strong argument
against the position of those who are in
clined on abstract grounds to advocate the
Governments doing any work which can
with propriety be left in private hands.
Civil Service for the District.
Gratifying progress has been made during
the year in the extension of the merit sys-
tenn of making appointments in the Govern
ment service. 1t should be extended by law
to the District of Columbia. 1t Is much to
be desired that our consular system be es-
tablished by law on basis providing for
appointment and promotion only in conse-
uuence of proved fitness.
Restoration Of the White House.
Through a wise provision of the Congress
at its last session the White House, which
had become disfigured by homogeneous ad-
6itions and changes, has now been restored
to what it was planned to be by Washing
ton. In making the reservations the ut
most care has been exercised TO come as
near as possible to the early plans and to
supplement these plans by a careful study