Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-12-10
RESIDENTS ANNUAL
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
ongratuIates the Country on Substantial, Ach,.,,.
ncnts OF Past Year-CapitaI and Labor-postal
and Land Frauds-The Panama Canal.

speclai appropriation for ths h..t.-
stanle q the antitrust law as n rny
ttnn - De expended under the d,rsc.
inriv VI Ine encouragement. Accord
49, oonssess appropriated five hnndraa
thousand dollars 10 be exn.ndad nu.su
sahpioyment OF special counsel ana .n..
70 conduct proceedings and nrosacs{Gans
o o -, saiu laws In the courts as a mattar
the ext.nsinn Importance and urgency,
nronrfatinnsaion OF the purposes OF this an.
sIoPrLatlen, so that II may be avaiIahpa
,uI me que enforcement Of ,hs Ia u,s 70
einp onited states In general and esne.
iaIing % .ns eivll and criminal laws re-
.suhg 70 postal crimes and offenses "a
1ne SUBJECT OF naturalization. Recent IN
sesusatlons have shown a denInreb H.
STATE OF a1airs In these three matters %
ssotai concern. BY various frauds and by
IclBerles 8nd perjuries thousands ~
acres OF the public domain hava heen
easnonestly acquired. II Is hardly neces.
ssIE 70 urge the Importance OF recoverinv
tthh e nlshonest acquisitions. stolen from
punispIoss aha o. promptly and duly
ouchlng the subject OF the postat
ltauus tofgertes and perjuriea and Inv
shameless brtberies, the laws relating 70
- - p,oper conduct OF the public service
Ns general and TO the due administration
or the postofice department have haen
hoIorlously violated, and the consequent
IIoSeCuuohs are in course Of hearing or
On tne eve thereof. For the reasons
ruas inaicated, and so that the govern
,heht may De prepared TO enforce PROMPT
!! ana with greatest effect the due penal
YES Tor such violations OF law. urge
10y nscesslty or making such appre-
pt.auon available for Immediate use.''
steps have been taken by the state de-
rartment looking TO the making OF
bribery an extraditabie offense with for
elsn powers. The need OF more effective
treaties covering tbs crime Is manifest.
GU should te the policy Of the United
States - "a VQ tha ppaofdark go tx..n -
place on earth when a corrupt man fee
ing from this country can hnd rest. There
can De no crime more serious than
bribery, Other o~ffenses violate one law
%nlie corruption strikes at the founda-
The president deals at some length with
the history OF the Alaskan boundary dis
pute and calls attention TO the recent sue
cesstul termination OF that dispute by the
decision or the convention In London, a
decision which Ia satisfactory in every
way.
Speaking OF the claims OF foreign
powers against Venezuela ard the SUBJ
mission OF those claims. through the
friendly Offices of the United States, 10
the permanent court of arbitration at The
Hague the president says: This
triumph OF the principle Of International
arbitration Is q subject OF warm con-
graduation and offers a happy augury
for the peace OF the world"
Regarding our relations with China the
president says: The signing OF a new
commercial treaty with China, which
took place at Shanghai on the Sth OF
October. Is A cause OF satisfaction. This
act, the result OF long discussion and ne
collation.. places our commercial relations
with the great Oriental empire on a more
satisfactory footing than even before"
The rural free delivery service has been
steadily extended. The attention of con-
gress Is asked 10 the question OF the COM
pensatlon OF the letter carriers and clerks
engaged In the postal service, especially
on the new rural free delivery routes.
More routes have been installed since the
FIRST of July last than in any ike period
in the departments history. Which a
due regard to economy says the presi-
dent. must be kept In mind In the es-
tabllshment of new routes, yet the extern
sion OF the rural free delivery system
must be continued. for reasons OF sound
public policy" In this connection the
president also urges the inportance OF
the movement for good roads.
The Louisiana Purchase exposition and
the Lewis and Clark exposition are rec
ommeEded to the favorable attention OF
congress.
The president calls the special attention
OF congress to the Territory OF Alaska.
The country is developing rapidly, and II
has an assured future. Proper land
laws should be enacted says the presi-
dent. "and the survey OF the public lands
Immediately begun. Wagon roads and
trails should be built. and the building Of
railroads promoted IN all legitimate
ways." .
An appropriations FOR the building Of
lighthouses IN Hawaii Is recommended
possessions the Philippines and Porto
Rlco Il Is gratifying to say that their
steady progress has been such as To make
il unnecessary TO spend much time IN lis
cussing then. Yet congress should ever
keep In mind that a peculiar obligation
rests upon us to further In every way the
welfare of these communities Inc
philippines should be knit closer by
heneated another people more thar we
have benefited the F'lipinos by taking
possession OF the Islands. !.
THE cash receipts OF the general land
office for the last fiscal year Wee S1l'uz4.-
the preceding year. or this sum. APP
nroximateiy. s .4G1 .4a3 viii go TO the cred
II ~ the fund for the recla nation OF arid
land making the total OF his fund. up TO
the goth of June, 1903, approximately.
I'm polnting out the necessity for revi-
sion Of the public land laws the president
saws. .'There is q tendency to mass In
large holdings public lands, especlalig
tirSber and grazing lands, and thereby to
retard settlement ! renew and emphasize
my recommendation OF last year that SO
FAR as they are available for agriculture
,tent thew may be reclaimed under the
nstfonai Irrigation law. the remaining
oubiic lands should be held rigidly for
tbs home builder. The attention OF con-
arsss ~ especially directed TO the timber
sn6 stone law. the desert land law, and
.he communication clause or the home
stead {aw which In their operation nave
IN many respects conflicted with wise
public land policy,
The work OF reclamation OF the arid
Ia nds az the West Is progressing steadily
I'D satisfactorily under the terms or the
law setting aside the proceeds from the
sisnnsaI Of public lands. The study OF
,ha opnortunities OF reclamation or the
vsst exteni OF arid lands shows that
whether this reclamation Is done by IN
dividuals. corporations or the state, the
sources OF water supply must be effec-
tively protect ed and the reservoirs
guarded by the preservation OF the for
SETS AZ the headwaters OF the streams.
rbe necessity for pe~petrnting our forest
reso,irces whether in public or private
ham IS recognized now as never before.
srhe damard for forest reserves has be-
come inslstrnt In the West. because the
west must use water. wood. and summer
range which only such reserves can sup
ply. ~. rr.s,.
dent should not be dependent TOT their
commitment or teuure Of office upon con-
sideratinns OF partisan politics the prac-
lice OF appointing. when possibie,. ex-
army officers or bonded su~perintenoents
To- the vacancies that occur - working
VII .,h.ct NJ ,,rusions the president