The Holly chieftain., 1903-12-11

and undesirable for the cities To grow at
the expense Of the country: and rural
free delivery is not only a good thing
in Itself, but is good because II i one
OF the causes which check this unvhoic-
some tendency towards the urban con-
cen;ration OF our population az tns eH-
pense of the country districts. 1t Is for
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 ad-
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 s11.-
o2i7is.65, an increase of si762, S6T over
the preceding year. OF this sum. approx
imately. ss.i6l ig3 will go to the credit
of the fund for the reclamation o! arid
land. making the total of this fund, up
to the Both of June, 1903, approximately,
SIG. l9l $50.
A gratifying disposition has been
eviaced 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 1t been necessary to go into court
TO accomplish this purpose. Tnis work will
be vigorously prosecuted until all unlaw-
full Enclosures have been removed.
Irrigation.
Tie work of reclamation Of t.e arid
lands of the West is progressing ,eadIly
and satisfactorily under the terms of
the law setting aside the proceeds from
the disposal of pubic lands. The corUs of
engineers known as the Reclamation
Service. which is conducting the SURVEYS
and examinations has been thoroughly
organized, especial pains being taken 10
secure under the ctvil-scrvicc rules a
body Of skilled, experienced and efficient
men Surveys and examinations are
progressing throughout the arid states
and territories. plans for rcClnirIin- works
being prepared ana passed upon Iy
boards of engineers before approval hy
the Secretary of the Interior. In Arizona
and Nevada in localities whore such
work is pre-cminently needed Construc-
tion has already been begun. In other
parts OF the arid. West various projects
are well advanced toward the drawing
up of contracts. these being delayed in
| part by necessities Of reaching agree
meuts or understanding q regards rights
0f way or acquisition of real estate. Most
of the works contemplated for construn-
tion are of national Importance. i.volv-
ing interstate questions or the securing
of stable sclt-surporting communities in
the midst of vast tracts uf vacant land
The Nation as "hOl. is Of course the
gamer by the creation OF thos= homes,
adding as they do to the wealth and STA
| bility CT the country. and furnishing a
home market for the products OF tEe East
ana South. The reclamation law. while
| perhaps not ideal, appears at present to
flr &c
| designed. Further legislation Is not rec
| commended until the necessities Of change
| are more apparent.
Preservation of Forests.
| The President points out the neces-
sity of taking steps for the preserva-
ton Of our forests, especially at the
headwaters of streams. OF the cotton
weevil he says:
The cotton growing States have re-
Gently been invaded by a wcevl that has
done much damage and threatens the
| entire cotton industry. | suggest to the
Congress the prompt enactment of such
remedial legislation as its 3uGgmen, may
| approve.
Isthmian Canal.
The causes leading up to the estab-
lishment of the new republic of Pan
ANA, and its recognition by the
United States are given in much de
tail. as follows:
By the act of June 2S. 1902 the Con-
gress authorized the President to enter
into treaty with Colombia for the build
Ing of the canal across the Isthmus of
Panama; it being provided that In the
event Of failure to secure such treaty
after the lapse of reasonable time. re-
course should be had to building n canal
through Nicaragua. IT has not been
necessary to consider this alternative as
l am enabled to lay before the Senate
treaty providing for the building of the
canal across the Isthmus of Panama.
This was the route which commended
itself to the deliberate Judgment of the
congress, and we now acquire by
treaty the right to construct the canal
over this route. The question now, there
fore, is not by which route the isthmian
canal shall be built. for that question
has been definitely ard irrevocably de-
cided. The question is simply whether or
not we shall have isthmian canal
In the year 1916 this Government on
tered into a treaty with New Granada,
the predecessor upon the 1sthmus of
the Republic of Colombia and Of the
present Republic Of Panama. by which
treaty it was provided that the Govern
ment and citizens of the United States
should always have free and open right
of way or transit across the Isthmus of
Panama by any modes of communication
that might be constructed. while in re-
turn our Government guaranteed the
perfect neutrality of the aforementioned
isthmus with the view that the free tran
sit from the one to the other sea might
not be interrupted or embarrassed The
treaty vested in the United States a
substantial property right carved out of
the rights of sovereignty and property
which New Granada then had and pos