Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1903-12-10

the year under consideration the excess
/ OF expenditures over receipts on account
OF the consular service amounted to s26.-
/ 125i2 as against fa6.a7250 for the year
ending June 90 1909. and Si45. Oi0l6 for tho
! year ending June 20. 1901. This 10 the
| best showing IN this respect for the con-
/ sular service for the past fourteen years,
and the reduction IN tho cost OF the Herv-
Ice 70 the Government has been made in
| spite OF the fact that the expenditures for
the year I'm question we're more than
| $4,000 greater than for the previous year.
Rural Free-DellVery Service.
The rural free-delivery service has been
/ steadily extended The attention OF the
/ Congress Is asked to the question OF the
| compensation Of the letter carriers and
clerks engaged in the postal service. es-
peclally on the new rural free-deilvery
routes More rNutes have been installed
| since the FIRST Of July last than In any
like period In the departments history.
While q due regard TO economy must be
kept IN mind In the establishment OF new
/ routes, yet the extension OF the rural
| free-dcllvery system must be continued.
| for reasons OF sound public policy. No
| governmental movement OF recent years
has resulted In greater immediate beneflt
TO the people OF the country districts.
Rural free delivery. taken In connection
| with the telephone. the bicycle and the
| trolley. accompllshes much toward les
SEEMING the isolation OF farm life and max
| INK " nFlknNNF NnN more hANFNENlNe III
| the immediate past the lack OF Just such
| facilities as these has driven many OF the
! more active and restless young men and
women from the farms to Jhe cities; for
| they rebelled at loneliness and lack OF
mental companIonship. 1t is unhealthy
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 Il Ia one
of the causes which check this unwhole-
some tendency towards the urban con-
centration Of our population at the ex-
pense of the country districts. 1t is for
the same reason that we sympathlEe 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 adj
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 Sil,-
Ozi.743.65. an increase OF S4.T62. sea- over
the preceding year. OF this sum, approx
imately SS4si 4S3 will so to the credit
Of the fund for the reclamation Of arid
land. making the total of this fund. up
to the SOth OF June, 1903, approximately,
Sl6.l9i .S36.
A gratifying disposition has been
evinced by those having unlawful in
closures of public land 20 remove their
fences. Nearly TWO million acres 80 in
closed have been thrown open on de-
mand. In but comparatively few cases
has II been necessary to go into court
to accomplish this purpose This work will
be vigorously prosecuted until all unlaw-
full Enclosures have been removed.
irrigation.
Tie 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
tine disposal Of public lands. The corps of
engineers known as the Reclamation
Service. which is conducting the surveys
and examinations. has been thoroughly
organized especial pains being taken to
secure under the civll-servlce rules a
body of skilled. experienced. and efficient
men. Surveys and examinations are
progressing throughout the arid states
and territories. plans for retaining works
being prepared and passed upon by
boards OF engineers before approval by
the Secretary OF the Interior. In Arizona
and Nevada. I'm localities where such
work IS pre-emincntly needed. construc-
tion has already been begun. In other
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 OF real estate Most
of the works contemplated for construc-
tion are 0f national importance, involv-
ing interstate questions or the securing
Of stable, self-supporting communities in
the midst Of vast tracts of vacant land.
The Nation as whole is OF course the
gamer by the creation Of these homes,
adding as they do TO the wealth and sta
billty CT the country, and furnishing a
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 1t is
! 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-
tion 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 weevil that has
| done much damage and threatens the
entire cotton industry. l suggest TO the
Congress the prompt enactment OF such
remedial legislation as its Judgment may
approve.
lsthmian Canal.
The causes leading up to the estab-
lishment of the new republic of Pan
anna, and it's recognition by the
United States are given in much de-
tail, as follows:
BY the act OF June 2s. 1902, the Con-
| gress authorised the President to enter
into treaty with Colombia for the build
ing of the canal across the Isthmus OF
| Panama; II being provided that I'm the
| event OF failure to secure such treaty
after the lapse OF a reasonable time. re-
/ course should be had to building a canal
through Nicaragua. IT has not been
! necessary to consider this alternative as
/ am enabled TO lay before the Senate
a treaty providing for the building OF the
canal across the Isthmus of Panama.
1 This was the route which commended
itself TO the deliberate Judgment OF the
congress. and we can now acquire by
| treaty the right Ia construct the canal