Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-12-12

them. Yet the congress should ever
keep In mind that peculiar obliga.
| ton rests upon us 10 further in every
way the welfare OF these communi.
tiee The Philippines should be knit
closer 10 us by tariff arrangements
II would. OF course. be impossible sud.
denly to raise the people OF the isl
| ands 20 the high pitch OF Industrial
prosperity and OF governmental efflc.
iency to which they will in the end
by degrees attain; and the caution
and moderation shown In developing
them nave been among the main rea.
sons why this development has hith-
erto gone on so smoothly. Scrupu.
Gus care has been taken In choice of
governmental agents, and the entire
elimination of partisan politics from
the public service. The condition OF
The islanders IL in material things far
better than ever before. while their
governmental, intellectual, and moral
advance has kept pace with their ma
torial advance. No one people ever
benefited another people more than
we have benefited the rilipinos by
taking secession OF the islands.
Receipts OF General Land Office.
The cash receipts OF the general
and office for the last fiscal year
were sll,024.143 65. an increase OF
81. 7s2 .S1647 over the preceding year.
OF this sum- approximately, ss,461,-
1873 will 60 to the credit OF the fund
for the reclamation of arid land,
making the total OF this fund, up to
the 30th OF June. 1903, approximately.
S1s.t9l. S36.
Removal OF Fences About Unlawful
Enclosures Of Public Lands.
a gratifying disposition ha3 been
evinced by those having unlawful
Enclosures OF public land TO remove
their fences Nearly two million acres
on demand, in comparatively few
on demand. In but comparatively few
cases has Il been necessary to go into
court TO accomplish this purpose.
This work will be vigorously prose
cuted until all unlawful Enclosures
have been removed.
Necessity for Revision Of Public
Land Laws.
Experience has shown that In the
western states themselves, as well
a. 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 usee Of the remaining public lands
differ widely from hose OF the public
lands which congress had especially
In view when these laws were passed.
The rapidly increasing rate OF dispos-
al Of the public lands Is no. followed
by a corresponding increase In home
building. There is a tendency to mass
In large holdings public lands. espec.
tally timber and grazing lands, and
thereby to retard settlement. l renew
and emphasize my recommendation OF
last year that so far as they are avail
able for agriculture In its broadcast
sense. and to whatever extent they
may be reclaimed under the national
irrigation law, the remaining pubic
lands should be held rigidly for the
home builder. The attention OF the
congress IL especially directed to
the timber and stone law, the desert
land law, and the commutatioa
clause OF the homestead law which In
their operation have In many respects
conflicted with wise public land poll
cy The discussions in the congress
that there Is wide divergence OF
opinions between those holding OPP
posite views on these subjects; AMI
that the opposing sides have strong
and convinced representatives OF
weight both within and without the
congress; the differences being not
only az 10 matters Of opinion but as
to matters OF fact In order that def
mite information may be available for
the use OF the congress, | have ap-
pointed commission composed OF w.
A. Richards, commissioner OF the gen
eral land Office; clifford Pinchot, chief
OF the bureau of forestry of the de-
partment OF agriculture. and f. IL.
Newell. chief photographer OF the
geological survey, To report at the
earliest practicable moment upon
the condition, operation and effect OF
the present land laws and on the use
condition. disposal. and settlement OF
the public lands. The commission Will
report especially what changes in or
ganizatlon laws, regulations, and
practice affecting the public lands are
needed to effect the largest practical
BILE disposition OF the public lands to
actual settlers who will build perma-
nent homes upon them, and to secure
In permanence the fullest and most
effective use OF the resources Of the
public lands, and 1t Will make such
ether reports and recommendations
as its study OF these questions may
suggest The commission is to report
Immediately upon those points CON
corning which its judgment Is clear;
on any point upon which II has doubt
n viii take the time necessary to
make investigation and reach final
Judgment.
Irrigation
The WORK OF reclamation OF the arid
lands Of the west Is progressing stead
lily and satisfactorily under the terms
OF the law setting aside the proceeds
from the disposal OF public lands The
corps OF engineers known as the re-
clamation service, which Is conducting
tae surveys and examinations, has
been thoroughly organized. especial
pains being taken to secure under the