Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-12-17

have prospered and played their parts
In the Old World. Proper land laws
should be enacted: and the survey of the
public lands Immediately begun. Coal
land laws should be provided whereby
The coal-land entryman may make his
location and secure patent under meth
DDS kindred to those now prescribed for
homestead and mineral entrymen. Sal
mon hatcheries, exclusively under Gov
ernmeht control, should be established.
The cable should be extended from Sltka
westward. Wagon roads and trails
should be built, and the building OF rail-
roads promoted In all legitimate ways.
Lighthouses should be built along the
coast. Attention should be paid to the
needs Of the Alaska Indians; provision
should be made for an officer, with depu-
ties, 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 1903, the con-
dition and needs Of the Alaskan salmon
fisheries has finished its work in the
field, and is preparing a. detailed report
thereon. A preliminary report reclting
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.
Hawaii.
I recommend that an appropriation be
made for building lighthouses in Hawaii,
and taking possession of those already
built. The Territory should be reim-
bursed for whatever amounts II has al
ready expended for lighthouses The
governor should be empowered to sus-
pend or re move any official appointed by
him, without submitting the matter to
the legislature.
The Philippines and Porto 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
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 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. 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 govern
mental. intellectual, and moral advance
has kept pace with their material ad-
vance. No one people ever benefited an
other people more than we have bene-
fitted the Fillpinos by taking possession
Of the islands.
Receipts Of General Land Office.
The cash receipts of the General Land
Office for the last fiscal year were $1l,-
0A.743.65, an increase of A,762, S16.47 over
the preceding year. or this sum, approx
imately sS46i,493 will go to the credit
of the fund for the reclamation of arid
land, making the total of this fund, up
to the Both Of June. 1903, approximately.
s16,191, 1886.
A gratifying disposition has been
evlnced 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. This work will
be vigorously prosecuted until all unlaw-
full Enclosures have been removed.
Experience has shown that in the west
ern states themselves, as well as In the
rest OF the country, there Is widespread
conviction that certain of the publlc-and
laws and the resulting administrative
practice no longer meet the present
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 In
creasing rate of disposal OF the public
lands Is not followed by a corresponding
increase in the home building There is
tendency to mass in large holdings pub
lie lands especially timber and grazing
lands, and thereby to retard settlement
/ renew and emphasize my Recommended
tion 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 rriga-
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
stone law, the desert-land law, and the
Communication clause of the homestead
law, which In their operation have in
many respects conhlcted with wise pub
llC-ldnu pOllcy. Inc DISCUSSIONS IN the
Congress and elsewhere have made II
evident that there Is a wide divergence
OF opinions between those holding oppo-
site views on these subjects; and that
the opposing sides have strong and con-
WINGED representatives Of weight both
within and without the Congress-; the
differences being 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 appointed a commission composed
OF w. A. Richards, Commissioner OF the
General Land Office Clifford Pnchot
Chief OF the Bureau OF Forestry OF the
Department OF Agriculture, and +. II.
Newell, Chief photographer OF the Geo.
logical Survey, to report at the earliest
practicable moment 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 will report especially what
changes in organization. laws, regula-
lions, and practice affecting the public
lands are needed to effect the largest
practicable disposition OF the public lands
to actual settlers who will build per-
manent homes upon them, and TO secure
In permanence the fullest and most eff
fective use Of the resources OF the pub |
lie lands; and 1t will make such other re-
ports and recommendations as its study
of these questions may suggest. The |
commission is to report Immediately up
on those points concerning which its
AWRa ANN L. aNa