Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-12-11

| the year under consideration the excess
| of expenditures over receipts on account
| of the consular service amounted to $685.
| 1852. as against $96.972.5O for the year
ending June 30. 1902. and Sl4I,0i0.16 for the
| year ending June go 1891. This Is the
| best showing in this respect for TIE con-
| sular service for the past fourteen years,
| and the reduction in the cost Of the serv-
Ice to the Government has been made In
| spite of the fact that the expenditures for
| the year in question were more than
SO. 900 greater than for the previous year
Rural Free-Delivery Service.
The rural free-delivery service has been
| steadily extended The attention of the
| Congress Is asked to the question of the
| compensation of the letter carriers and
clerks engaged in the postal service, es-
| pecially on the new rural free-delivery
| routes More routes have been installed
| since the first of July last than In any
| like period in the departments history.
| While due regard to economy must be
| kept in mind in the establishment of new
| routes, yet the extension of the rural
| free delivery system must be continued,
| for reasons of sound public policy. NO
| governmental movement of recent years
| has resulted In greater immediate benefit
| to the people of the country districts.
| Rural free delivery, taken In connection
with the telephone, the bicycle, and the
| trolley, accomplishes much toward les
SEEMING the isolation Of farm life and MAX
| ing 1t brighter and more attractive. In
the immediate past the lack OF just such
facilities as these has driven many of the
more active and restless young men and
| women from the farms to the cities; for
they rebelled at loneliness and lack OF
| mental companionship. 1t is unhealthy
| and undesirable for the cities to grow at
the expense of the country; and rural
free delivery Is not only good thing
In itself. but is good because 1t Is one
| of the causes which check this unwhole-
some tendency towards the urban con-
centration of our population at the eX-
pense of the country districts. 1t is Tor
the same reason that we sympathize with
and approve of the policy OF building
good roads The movement for good
roads Is one fraught with the greatest
benefit to the country districts.
In the. Philippines and Porto Rico,
it is declared, steady progress is being
made and the condition of the island
ers already has been materially adj
vanced.
Receipts of General Land Office.
On the subject of the public lands
Of the country the message says:
The cash receipts of the General Land
Office for the last fiscal year were VII
O24743.65. an increase of s4,762Sl6.41 over
| the preceding year or this sum, approx
imately, sS.46l 493 will go to the credit
of the fund for the reclamation of arid
land, making the total OF this fund up
to the 3Oth of June, 1908, approximately
$l619l 1886.
A gratifying disposition has been
evinced by those having unlawful in
closures of public land to remove their
fences. Nearly two million acres so in
closed have been thrown open on de-
mand. In but comparatively few cases
has it been necessary to go into court
to accomplish this purpose. This work Will
be vigorously prosecuted until all unlaw-
full Enclosures have been removed.
Irrigation.
Tie work of reclamation Of the arid
lands of the West is progressing steadily
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 Reclamation
Service. which Is conducting the surveys
and examinations, has been thoroughly
organized, especial pains being taken to
secure under the civil-service rules a
body of skilled. experienced. and efficient
men. Surveys and examinations are
| Pi 80 =,
anu ha;n ae'', nuonare 6'" and nassed unon NV
boards of engineers before approval by
the Secretary OF the Interior IN Arizona
and Nevada III iocal.ies where such
work Is pre-emihently heeueu' cohstruc-
ton mas ALREADY Deeh oesuh III otner
parts or the ara west various proJects
are well advanced toward ,he drawing
up Oh con'ract eneae ~
part by necessities Oh reacnlns asree-
~ ,,av ar aconisition Of real estate Most
of the works contemplated for construc-
ton are Of national Importance ihVoiv-
ing in.erstate Ies or,n % nomm,nities i5
the midst of vast tracts of vacant land.
| The Nation as a whole is of course the
gamer by the creation of these homes,
adding as they do to the wealth and sta
bility CT the country. and furnishing a
home market for the products OF the East
ana South. The reclamation law, whlie
perhaps not ideal, appears at present 10
answer the larger needs for which II Is
designed. Further legislation is not rec
commended until the necessities OF change
are more apparent.
Preservation of Forests.
1:.. IT,. so. ~ nooos.
ihe iiooi"oh' poi"'' wv Wv
Sity OF taking steps TOT the preserVa-
tion of our forests. especially at the
baodwo.ers of streams OF the cotton