The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-08

national control. win be business as as any other, and of the ut mos. iTpOrsanss sS sss PsOPls , ss, The other great source of wealth. Portions Of Alaska are fltted for farming and stock raising. although the methods must be adapted to the peculiar conaltions vf the country. Alaska is s.Iuatea m l the den and Finland; ana Alaska can p1os- per. and play It's part in the New World just as those nations have prospered and played their parts in the Old Word. Prop survey af the public lands lnmsdias ely begun. Coal-iand laws should be provided whereby the coaI-lRrd entrypnan may make his Iocations and secure patent under for homestead and, mineral entrymen, Salmon hatcheries exclusively under Gov ernment control should. be established. The cable should be extended from sSlt- ka westward. Wagon roads and trails should be built. and the puiiding of rail- Light-houses should be built along the coast. Attention should be paid to the needs of the Alaska Indians; provision should Do made for an officer. with depu- immediate wants, and help them adapt themselves to the new conditions.
 Alaslkan salmon Eishe5ies.
 The commission appointed to investi- gate, during the season of ie09 the n- dition and needs of the AIaskan salmon fisheries. has finished it's work in me field, and is preparing a detailed report thereon. A preliminary report reciting the measures immediately required for the protection and preservation Of ths salmon industry has already been submit, Labor for his attention and for the need { I recommend that an appropriation be made for buildingsl ght- houses in Hawai-, built. The Territory should be reimburs- ca for whatever amounts it has already expended for light houses The Governor should be empowered to suspend or re- move any ofilcial appointed by him, with ture.
 The Philippines and Ps-to Rico.
 Of our insular possessions the Philip pines 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 q peculiar obligation rests upon us to further In every way the welfare Of these communities.s The Philippines should be It would. of course, be impossible sud denly 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. Scrupuious care has been taken in the choice of gov ernmental agents, and the entire eltmia- afion- of partisan politics from the pub iic service. The condition of the island- CTS is in material things far better, than ever before, while their governmental. intellectual and moral advance has kept pace with their material advance No one people ever benefited another people more than we have benefited the Fillpinos oy taking possession of the islands.
 Receipts of zeneral Land 0fice.
 The cash receipts of the General Land sss SSs sGf an sns sss sca o wsrs Che preceding year; or this sum, apprcxi. mately. S, .49s will go to the credit of the fund tSr the reclamation of arid lands making the total of this fund up tss to ,a, the .,s goth of June isos approximately Removal of Fences About Unlawful
 Enclosures, of ,uhlic Lands,
 A gratifying disposition has been evinc- ed by those having unlawful tnc1osures or public land to remove their fences Near ly two million acres so inclosed have II comparatively few nases has 1t been ncc- essary to so Into court to accomplish thIs purpose. This work will be vigorously prosecuted until all unlawful incIosures have been removed ,S s
 Necessity for Revision of Public
 Land Laws
 Experience has shown that in the West ern States themselves. as well as In the rest of the country. there IS wfdespread eonvic ton that certain of the ps1bitc- land laws and the resulting adminisfra- 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 corresponding increase in home building, There Is a tendency to mass in large holdings public lands, es. pecially timber. and grazing lands. and thereby to retard settlement. renew an emphasize my recommendation of last year that so far as they are avail able for agriculture in it's strictest sense, and to whatever extent they may be re- claimed under the national irrigation law. the remaining public lands should be held rigidly for the home builder. The attention of the Congress Is espe- cially directed to the timber and stone law, the desert-land law, and the com mutation clause of the homestead law. which in their operation have in many respects conficted with wise pubiic-land policy. The discussions in the Congress and elsewhere have made 1t evident that there is wide divergence of opinions be- tween those holding opposite views on these subjects; and that the opposing sides have strong and convinced repre-. sentatives of weight both within and without the Congress-; the differences be- ing 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 ap- pointed commission composed of W. A. Richards, Commissioner of the General Land Ofiice: Clifford Pinchot. Chief Uf the Bureau of Forestry of the department of Agriculture, and F.. H. Newell, Chief Hydrographer of the Geological Survey. to report at the earliest practicable no- ment 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 win report especially what changes in or ganization, laws, regulations, and prac- tfee affecting the public lands aie 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 ipermanence the fullest and most effective use of the resources of the public lands; and 1t will make such other reports and recommendations as its study of these questions may suggest. The commission Is to report immediat tely upon those points concerning which it's Judgment Is clear; on any point upon which 1t has doubt 1t will take the time necessary to make investigation and reach a final Judgment.
 Irrigation.
 The 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 Reelamat on Service, which is conducting the surveys