The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-08

eFfSt%% irrigation Much progress in forestry has been made during the past year. The necessity for perpetuatius our forest re- sources. whether in public or private The demand for forest reserves has be- come insistent m the West, because the West must use the water, wood, and summer range. which only such reserves striving. through forestry, to give their business per1nanence. Other great b,si- sless interests are awakening to the need of forest preservation as business mat should receive from the Congress hearty support, and especially support adeq, 6 for the protection of the forest rest 6 s against fire. The f0rest-reserve pole, of the Government has passed beyond the condition where scientihc methods are essential to it's successful prosecution. ThA administrative features of forest re- serves are at present unsatisfactory. be- ing divided between three bu:eaus and 1 commended that aa matters pertaining to forest reserves. except those involving or pertaining to land titles, be consolida cd I.in the Bureau of Forestry of the De- partment of Agricuiture
 Cotton Weevil.
 The cotton-srowsng Sta .es have recently been invaded by weevil that has done much damage and threatens the entire cotton industry. l suggest to the Con- Ersss the prompt enac.ment of such teme- dial lesislation as its Judgment may ap-
 Patents to Foreigners.
 Tn granting patents to foreigners the proper course for this country to follow Is to z ye the sane advantages to foreign era here that the countries in which these foreigners dwell extend in return to our citizens; that is. to extend tie bene eftts of our patent laws on inventios s and the like where ii return the articleA would be patentabie in the foreign eoun- tries opncerned-where an American could got a corresponding patent in such countries.
 Indian Affairs.
 l The Indian agents should not be do- pendent for their appointment or tenure of offlce upon considerations of partis an possible. ex-army officers or bonded su pe:intendents to the vacancies that occur Is working well. Attention Is invited tu the widespread illiteracy due to lack or public schools In the Indian Territory. Prompt Need should be paid to the n ed of education for the children in this Ter ritory. as
 Safety Appliance Law.
 In my last annual rnessagc the attention of the Congress was called to the neces- slty of enlarging the safety-applianse law. and 1t Is gratifying to note that this law was amended In impor ant respects. With the increasing railway mileage of the country, the .greae CT number Of nen employed. and the use of larger and heavier eq1ipment. the urgency for re- newed effort to prevent the loss of I fe and limb upon the railroads of the coun. try, particularly to employees, is appa ent. For the inspection of water craft and the Life-saying Service upon the water, the Congress has built up an e,borate body of protective legislation and a thorough method of inspection and is annually spending large sums of money. IL is en- couraging to observe that the Congre 5 Is alive to the interests of those who are employed upon our wonderful arteries If c0mmerce-the railroadswho so sff lv transport millions of passengers and D l. lins of tons of freight. The Federal in- spection of safety appliances for which the Congress Is now making appropria- lions, is service analogous to that which the Government has, upheld for genera tons In regard to vesseis. and 1t Is be- lieved will prove Of great practical bene- fit, both to railroad employees and the travelling public. As the greater part of comme. .ce Is interstate anl exciusi 'elv un- der the control of the Congress. the need. by national legislation.
 t.-2 ys Per~sc~s.
 No other class of our citizens deserves so well of the nation as those to whom the natin owes It's very being. the vete- Is asked to the excellenT work of the Pension Bureau In, expediting. and dis posing of pension claims Uu ing the iia- cal year ending July |, 1908. the Bureau claims for each working dayo fthe year, The number of settlements since July I, 1908, has been in excess of last years average. aapproaching 1000 claims for each working day. and it is believed that the work of the bureau will be current at the close of the present fiscal year
 Extension of Civil Service Rules.
 During the year ended June 30 last 2e,b66 persons were appointed through service rules. This was 12.672 more than during the preceding year, and 40 per cent of those who passed the examina- tiors. The abnormal growth was largely occasioned by the extension of class ica- ton to the rural free-delivery service and the appointment last year of over g,Uy0 rural carr1ess A revision of the civ.l- service rules took effect on April 15 last, which has greatly Improved their opera tion. The completion of the reform of the civil service is recognized by good citl- zens everywhere as matter of the high est public Importance, and the success of the merit system largely depends upon the effectiveness of the rules and the A very gratifying spirit of friendly CO., operation exists in all the departments Of the Government In the enforcement and uniform observance of both the let
 
 Executive orders of July 3. 1902; March 26, 1903, and July 8, 1903, require that ap- pointments of all unclassified laborers, both in the departments at Washington and in the field service, shall be made with the assistance of the United States Civil Service Commission. under a sys- tenn of registration to test the relative fitness of applicants for appointment or employment. This system is compe itive, and Is open to all citizens of the United States qualified in respect to age. ph si- cal ability, moral character, industry, and adaptability for manual labor; except that in case of veterans of the Civil War tenn of appointment Is distinct from the classified service and does not class'f fy positions of mere labofer under the civi.- service act and rules. Regulations in a q thereof have been put in operation in several of the departments and are being gradually extended in other parts of the service The results have been very sat- isfactog ' as extravagance has been checked by decreasing the numee. of uti- necessary positions and by increasing the efficiency of the employ es remaining
 Reports of Board of Charities for Dis
 trict of Columbia.
 The Congress. as the result of a thor ough investigation of the charities and refOrnatory institutions in the District of Columbia. by joint select committee of the two Houses which made its report in March. 1898. created in the act approv- ed June G. 1900 a board of charities for the District of Columbia, to consist of i've residents of the District, appointed Dy the President of the United States. by Senate each for term Of three years, to serve without compensation. President Mckinley appointed five men who had U >en active and prominent III the pubic charities of Washington. all of wlom upon taking office July 1, 1900, resigned from the different charities with which