Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-08

needs OF the Alaska Indians. Provision
should be made for an officer, with dep
titles, to study their needs, relieve their
Immediate wants and help them adapt
themselves to the new conditions.
The commission appointed to investi-
gate during the season of 1908 the con-
| dition and needs Of the Alaskan salmon
fisheries has finished it's work In the
field and Is preparing detailed report
thereon. A preliminary report reciting
the measures Immediately required for
the protection and preservation of the
salmon industry has already been sub
mitted to the secretary of commerce
and labor for his attention and for the
needed action
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
has 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 1t is gratifying
to say that their steady progress has
been such as to make 1t 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 of
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 gone 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 2Filipinos by taking
possession of the islands
! The cash receipts of the general land
/ office for the last fiscal year were SILL
| O24, 1885. an increase of S4.T62,S16.47
| over the preceding iyearN OF this sum
pproximatelyt $S,461, 493 will go to the
credit of the fund for the reclamation
l,of arid land, making sthe total of this
fund up to the Both of June, 1908, iap-
Ilproximately Sic. 191,s36 49, SCI
| 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
| has 1t been necessary to 80 into court
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 well as
! in the rest of the country, there is
/ widespread conviction that certain Of
4 the public, land laws and the resulting
administrative practice mo longer meet
! the present needs. The character and
1 uses of .Athe remaining public lands
differ widely from those of the public
LANDS which congress had especially
4 in view when these laws were passed
4 The rapidly, increasing rate OF disposal
of the public lands is not followed, by
a corresponding, increase in home build
ing. There is a tendency TO mass in
large holdings public lands. especially
1 timber and grazing lands. and thereby
to retard settlement. 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 and
4 stone law. the desert land law and
! the communication clause of the home.
stead law, which in their operation have
/ in many respects conficted 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
OH these subjects and that the OPP
posing sides have strong and convinced
/ representatives of weight both within
and without the congress. the differ
I ences being not only as to matters OF
j opinion, but as TO matters of fact. In
| order that definite Information may be
1 available for the use of the congress
I have appointed II commission composed
! of w. A. Richards, commissioner of the
| general land office; Clifford Pinchot,
chief Of the bureau of foScstry of the
department of agriculture, and r. 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,