Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-08

mltted TO the secretary of commerce
and labor for his attention and for the
needed action.
l recommend that an appropriation
be made for building lighthouses in
Hawaii and taking possession of those
already built. The territory should be
reimbursed for whatever amounts it
mas already expended for lighthouses.
| The governor should be empowered to
suspend or remove any official appoint
ed by him without submitting the mat
, ter to the legislature.
The Philippines and Porto Rico.
Of our insular possessions the Phil
ippines and Porto Rico it is gratifying
to say that their steady progress has
been such as to make it unnecessary to
| spend much time in discussing them,
| yet the congress should ever keep in
| mind that a peculiar obligation rests
| upon US to further in every way the
| welfare Of these communities. The
| Philippines should be knit closer to us
! by tariff arrangements. 1t would or
| course be impossible suddenly to raise
the people of the islands to the high
pitch Of industrial prosperity and OF
| governmental efficiency to which they
will in the end by degrees attain, and
the caution and moderation shown in
developing them have been among the
main reasons why this development
has hitherto gon. on so smoothly. Scru-
pulous care has been taken in the
choice of governmental agents and the
entire elimination Of partisan politics
| from the public service. The condition
of the islanders is in material things
| far better than ever before, while their
| governmental, intellectual and moral
| advance has kept pace with their ma
terial advance No one people ever
| benefited another people more than we
have benefited the Filipinos by taking
| possession of the islands.
The cash receipts Of the general land
Office for the last fiscal year were SILL
| O24, 1896, an increase Of $4,7G2.S16:47
over the preceding year. OF this sum
approximately $S.461. 49S will go 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, ap-
| proximately SIG, 191, S36.
A gratifying disposition has been
evinced by those having unlawful in
| closures of public land to remove their
fences. Nearly 100000 acres so in
closed have been thrown open on de-
mand. In but comparatively few cases
hoe hco, pryy fn int
| to accomplish this purpose. This work
will be vigorously prosecuted until all
unlawful Enclosures have been removed
Public Land Laws Revision Necessary.
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
differ 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
| a corresponding increase in home build
ing. There is 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 its broadcast sense
and to whatever extent they may be
reclaimed under the national irriga-
ton law the remaining public lands
should be held rigidly for the home
builder The attention of the congress
! is especially directed to the timber ant-
stone law, the desert land law and
| the Communication clause of the home
stead law. which in their operation have
in many respects conf1icted with wise
public land policy.
The discussions in the congress and
elsewhere have made it evident that
| there is wide divergence of opinions
between those holding opposite views
| on these subjects and that the op-
posing sides have strong and convinced
! representatives Of weight both within
and without the congress, the differ
ences being not only as to matters of
| opinion but as to matters of fact. In
order that definite information may be
available for the use of the congress !
have appointed commission composed
of w. A. Richards, commissioner of the
| general land office; Clifford Pinchot.
chief of the bureau of forestry of the
department of agriculture. and f. H.
| Newell, chief photographer of the geo.
logical survey, to report at the earliest
practicable moment upon the condi-
ton, operation and effect of the pres
ent land laws and on the use, condition,
disposal and settlement of the public
lands.
The commission will report especially
what changes in organization, laws,
regulations and practice affecting the
public lands are needed to effect the
largest practicable disposition of the
public lands to actual settlers who will
build permanent homes upon them
and to secure in permanence the fullest
| and most effective use of the resources