The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-12-10

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check this unwholesome tendano,, .
wards the urban concentration of o.
population at the expense of the CO..
try districts. 1t is for the same reasnr
that we sympathize with and annro,1a
OF the policy of building good roads
me movement for good roads is one
fraught with the greatest benefit 70 the
country districts. ~ the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
l trust that the Congress will o.
1nue TO favor in all proper WAYS ~.
Louisiana Purchase Exposition. TIT
exposition. commentaries the Louis;
ana purchase, which was the fret
great step In the expansion which
made us continental nation. The sS
petition of Lewis and Clark across A.
continent followed thereon, and MARI
ed the beginning of the process of ex
ploration and colonization which thr,s.
our national boundaries to the Paciso
Lewis and Clark Expedition.
The acquisition of the Oregon com
try, including the present States ne
Oregon and Washington, was a faot
OF immense importance in our history.
first giving us our place on the PaciSo
seaboard, and making ready the wa,,
for our ascendency in the Commerce
of the greatest of the oceans. The cane
tennial Of our establishment upon tba
Western coast by the expedition ne
a
Portland, Or, by an exposition in the
summer of 1905. and this event should
receive recognition and support FROM
the national government.
Development Of Alaska.
l call your special attention to tbe
Territory of Alaska. The country is
developing rapidly, and it has an as
sured future. The mineral wealth is
tapped. The fisheries, if wisely handled
and kept under national control. will
be a business as permanent as anv
other, and of the utmost Importance tn
the people. The forests, il properlv,
guarded, will form another great source
of wealth. Portions of Alaska are
fitted for farming and stock raising.
to the peculiar conditions of the coun
try. Alaska is situated in the far
North: but so are Norway and Sweden
and Finland and Alaska can prosner
and play it's part in the New World
just as those nations have prospered
and played their parts in the Old
World. Proper land laws should he
enacted; and the survey of the public
lands Immediately begun. Coal land
laws should be provided whereby the
coal land entryman may make his To-
cation and secure patent under methods
kindred to those now prescribed for
homestead and mineral entrymen. SAL
mon hatcheries. exclusively under gov
eminent control, should be established.
The cable should be extended from
Sitka westward. Wagon roads and
trails should be built, and the building
of railroads promoted IN all legitimate
ways. Lighthouses should e built
along the coast. Attention should be
paid to the needs Of the Alaskan In
dians provision should be made for
an officer, with deputies, to study their
needs, relieve their immediate wants
and help them adapt themselves to
the new conditions.
The commission appointed to nvesti-
gate, during the season of 1903, the
condition and needs of the Alaskan
salmon fisheries, has finished it's work
in the field, and is preparing detailed
report thereon. A preliminary report
recitng the measures Immediately re-
quired for the protection and preserva-
ton of the salmon industry has already
been sumbitted to the secretary of
commerce and labor for his attention
and for the needed action.
Revision of Public Land Laws.
Experience has shown that in the
Western States themselves, as we'll as
in the rest of the country, there Is
widespread conviction that certain OF
the public land laws and the resulting
administrative practice no longer meet
the present needs. The character and
uses of the remaining public lands diff
fer widely from those of the public
lands which Congress had especially in
view when these laws were passed.
The rapidly increasing rate of disposal
of the public lands is not followed by
corresponding increase in home build
ing. There Is a tendency to mass In
large holdings public lands, especially
timber and grazing lands, and thereby
to retard settlement. l renew and en-
phasize my recommendation OF last
year that so far as they are available
for agriculture in it's broadcast sense,
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 attention of the Congress is es-
pecially directed to the timber ana
stone law, the desert land law, and the
Communication clause of the homestead
law, which in their operation have IN
many respects 2confiicted with Wise
public land policy. The discussions In
the Congress and elsewhere have mace
it evident that there is a wide diveIg-
ence of opinions between those holding
opposite views on these subjects; ana
that the opposing sides have strong
and convinced representatives oI
weight both within and without the
Congress-; the differences being not
only as to matters of opinion but as 70
matters of fact. In order that dehnite
information may be available for the
use of the Congress, l have appointed
a commission composed of w. A. Ricn,
ards, Commissioner of the General
Land ONCE; Clifford Pinchot, CHER OIL
the Bureau of Forestry of the Depart,
ment of Agriculture, and F. II. NeWeli;
Chief photographer of the Geological
Survey. to report at the earliest p rar
ticable moment upon the condltiohs
operation and effect of the present iano
laws and on the use, condition, dis-
posal and settlement of the pubic