Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-12-11

In the Philippines and Porto Rico.
1t 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
ONCE for the last fiscal year were 3ii.-
0st.It365. an increase c. H.1d2.sld.T over
the preceding year. OF this sum. approx
imately. S.t6i t93 will 20 to the credit
of the fund for the recia amation of arid
land. making the total of this fund. up
to the 3oth OF June. isoa. approximately.
SIC. .l3l. .s3i.
A gratifying disposition has been
evinced 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
to accomplish this purpose. This work will
be vigorously prosecuted until all uniaw-
full Enclosures have been removed.
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 ti.0 Reclamation
Service. which Is conducting the surveys
and examinations. has been thoroughly
organized, especial pains being taken TO
secure under the eiyil-seryice rules "a
body OF skilled. experienced. and efficient
men. Surveys and examinations are
progressing throughout the arid states
and territories. plans for reclnimins works
being prepared and passed upon by
boards OF engineers before approval by
the Secretary OF the Interior. In Arizona
and Nevada. In localities where such
work IL pre-eminentiy 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
ments or understanding as regards rights
OF way or acquisition % real estate. Most
of the works contemplated for construc-
tion arc II national importance. inyoiv-
Ing Interstate questions or tho securing
of stable. sclf-supportlnK communities In
the midst OF vast tracts of vacant land.
The Nation as a Who'll. il of cours. the
sniner by tho creation OF these homes.
addin. as they do To the wealth and sta
biiity CT the country. and furnishing
home market for the products OF the East
ana South. The reclamation law. while
perhaps not Ideal. appears at present To
answer the larger needs for which u Is
designed. Further legislation is not rec
commended until the neeessitics OF change
arc moro apIifcuk-
Preservation Of Forests.
Tho President points out the ncccs.
sity OF taking steps for tho prcscrva.
ton Of our forests. especially ut the
hcadwatcrs OF streams. or the cotton.
wccvii he says:
The cotton. growing States have re-
Gently been invaded by a wccvii that has
done much damage and threatens the
entire cotton Industry. ! suEE-st to the
Consrrss the prompt enactment OF such
remedial legislation "a iis judgment may
approve.
The Philippines and Porto Rico.
or our inhuiaf possessions the Philip.
pines and Porto Rico II Is gratifying to
say that their steady progress has been
such as To make u unnecessary TO spend
| much limo 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. The Philippines should be
knit closer TO Us by taItr arrangements.
u would. OF course. be Impossible sud.
denly To raise the p-opi. OF the islands To
| tho hish pitch OF Industrial prosperity
| and OF governmental efficiency 10 which
they Will in the end by degrees attain.
and the caution and moderation shown
l In developing them have been among
tho main reasons why this development
has hitherto gone en- go smoothly. scru.
puioGs care has irscn taken In the choice
OF governmental agents. and the entire
| elimination OF partisan politics from the
| public service. The condition OF tho
| islanders = In material thinxs far better
than ever before. while their govern.
mental. Intellectual. and moral advance
has kept pace with their material ad.
vance. No ono people ever benefited an.
other people more than Nc have bcnc.
ntcd the fiiipines sy taking possession
OF the islands.
isthmian Canal.
The causes leading up to the cs,ab.
iishmcnt OF the new republic Of Pan.
anna. and it's recognition by the
United States arc given In much dc.
tail. as follows:
By the act Of June =. i'c:. the Con.
| gross authorized the President to enter
into treaty with Colombia for the build.
| Ing OF the canal across th. lsihmus Of
| Panama: II being provided that In the
| event OF failure to secure such treaty
/ after the lapse OF a reasonable time. re.
/ course should b. had 10 building a canal
/ through Nicaragua. u has not been
necessary to consider this alternative. as
/ I am enabled to lay before tho Senate
| a treaty providing for the building of the
/ canal across the lsihmus Of Panama.
| This was the route which commended
| Itself to the deliberate judgment OF the
,enEress, and We can now acquire by
/ treaty tho right To construct the canal
/ over this route. The question now. there
i fore Ia not by which route the isthmia n
| canal shall bc built. for that question
| has been definitely ard irrcvocably dc.
/ cidci. The question IL simply whether or
/ not NC shall have an isthmian canal
| when the Congress directed that VIC
should take the Panama route under
treaty with Colombia. the essence OF the
| condition. OF course. referred not to the
| Government which controlled that route,
| but to the route itself: to the territory
| across which the route lay. not to the
| name wTich for the moment the territory
| bore on the map. The purpose of the law
was to authorize the President TO max.
a treaty with the power In actual control
| OF the 1sthmus Of Panama. This purpose
has been fulhlisd.
In tho year 1876 this Government on.
tered Into a treaty with New Granada.
the predecessor upon the isthmus of
the Republic of Colombia and Of the
| present Republic Of Panama. by which
treaty IL was provided that the Govern.
| msnt and citizens OF the United states
should always have free and open right
| OF way or transit across the isthmus ot
| Panama b. any modes OF communica iior
that might be constructed. while in re.
turn our Government guaranteed the
perfect neutrality OF the aforementioned ed
isthmus with the view that the free tran.
sit from the one TO the other sea might
not he 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