Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-12-07

needs Of the Alaska Indians. Provision
should be made for an officer. with dep
uties, 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 Il detailed report
thereon. \ preliminary report reciting
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
l recommend that an appropriation
be made for building lighthouses in
Hawaii and taking possession Of those
already built. The territory should he
reimbursed for whatever amounts it
has already expended for lighthouses
The governor should be empowered to
suspend or remove any oil q appoint
ed 10y him without submit = lac mat
ter to the legislature.
The Philippines and Porto Rico.
or our inSuar possessions the Phil
ippines and Porto Rico it is gratifying
to say that their steady progress has
been such as to make ii 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 suddenly 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
governmental. intellectual and moral
advance has kept pace with their ma
terial advance. No one people ever
benefited annther people more than we
have benefited the Filipinos by taking
possession of the islands.
The cash receipts of the general land
office for the last fiscal year were Sill
O24. 1880. an increase of $4.1G2. .S16i7
over the preceding year. OF this sum
approximately SS.46l ,493 will 20 TO the
credit of the fund for the reclamation
of arid land. making the total of this
fund up to the 3Oth of June. 1903, ap-
proximately SIG, 191 $50
A gratifying disposition has been
evinced by those having unlawful in
closures of public land to remove their
fences. Nearly 100000 acres so in
closed have been thrown open on de-
mand. In but comparatively few cases
has it been necessary to go into court
to accomplish this purpose. This work
will be vigorously prosecuted until all
unlawful Enclosures have been removed.
Public Land Laws Revision Necessary.
Experience has shown that in the
western states themselves, as well as
in the rest of the country. there is
widespread conviction that certain OF
the public land 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 increasing rate of disposal
of the public lands is not followed by
a corresponding increase in home build
ing. There is a tendency to mass in
large holdings public lands, especially
timber and grazing lands. and thereby
to rctard settlement. | renew and en-
. phasiZe my recommendation of last
year that so far as they are available
for agriculture in its broadcast SenSt
and to whatever extent they may bt
reclaimed under the national irriga
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 home
stead law. which in their operation have
in many respects conficted with wise
public land policy.
, The discussions in the congress and
, elsewhere have made it evident that
there is a wide divergence of opinions
between those holding opposite views
. on these subjects and that the op-
posing sides have strong and convinced
representatives of weight both within
and without the congress. the differ
enccs 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 Pinchot
chief of the bureau of forestry of the
department of agriculture and f. III
Newell, chief photographer of the geo
logical survey. to report at the earlies,
practicable moment upon the condi
: .,