Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-12-08


nations and in one colony are the.
under the department Of the interior
This is the result OF long and varied
experience and IL agrees fully witt
the requirements of good administers
tion in our own case.
The creation of forest service II
the department of agriculture viii
have for its important results:
First. A better handling of all for
est work. because 1t will be under g
single head, and because the vast and
Indispensable experience OF the de
partment in all matters pertaining
to the forest reserves, to forestry in
general. and to ether forms of pro
duction from the soil, will be easily
and rapidly accessible.
Second The reserves themselves
being handled from the point of view
of the man In the field instead OF the
man in the office, will be more easily
and more widely useful to the people
of the West than has hitherto been
the case.
Third Within comparatively
short time the reserves will become
self-supporting This is important,
because continually and rapidly in
creasing appropriations will be nee
essary for the proper care Of this ex-
ceeding important interest of the ma
tion. and they can and should be Of
set by returns from the national for
ests. Under similar circumstances
the forest possessions of other great
nations form an important source of
revenue TO their governments.
Public Lands.
call the attention of the congress
again to the report and recommends
ton of the commission on the public
lands forwarded by me TO the second
session of the present congress. The
commission has prosecuted its inves-
legations actively during the past
season, and a second report is now in
an advanced stage of preparation.
Game Preserves.
In connection with the work OF the
forest reserves | desire to again urge
upon the congress the Importance of
authorizing the president to set aside
certain portions of these reserves or
other public lands as game refugees
for the preservation of the bison, the
wapiti and other large beasts once so
abundant in our woods and mount
aims and on cur great plains, and now
tending toward extinction. Every
support should be given TO the au-
thorities of Yellowstone park in their
successful efforts at preserving the
large creatures therein; and at very
little expense portions of the public
domain in other regions which are
wholly unsuited to agricultural set
tlement could be similarly utilized
We owe II to future generations to
keep alive the noble and beautiful
creatures which by their presence add
such distinctive character to the
American wilderness. The limits of
the Yellowstone park should be ex-
tended southwards. The Canyon of
the Colorado should be made ma
tional park and the national park
system should include the Yosemite
and as many as possible of the groves
of giant trees in California
Pensions.
iHe NeNtidnS Vi lHt tlNI wal
have a claim upon the nation such as
no other body of our citizens possess
The pension bureau has never in it's
history been managed in more sat
isfactory manner than is now the
case.
Currency.
1.-THE attention of the congress should
Message EIGHT
be especially given to the currency
question, and that the standing COM
mittees on the matter in the two
two houses charged with the duty.
take up the matter of our currency
and see whether it is not possible to
secure an agreement in the business
world for bettering the system; the
. committees should consider the ques-
tion of the retirement of the green
backs and the problem of securing
in our currency such elasticity as Is
consistent with safety. Every silver
dollar should be made redeemable in
gold at the option of the holder.
Merchant Marine.
especially commend to your i'm
of our merchant marine by appropri
ate legislation
Tariff.
On the tariff ! shall communicate
with you later.
In treating of our foreign policy
and of the attitude that this great Ma
ton should assume in the world at
large, it is absolutely necessary to
consider the Army and Navy. and the
Congress through which the thought
of the Nation finds its expression.
should keep ever vividly in mind the
fundamental fact that it is impossi-
BILE to treat our foreign policy, wheth-
er this policy takes shape in the eff
fort TO secure justice for others or
justice for ourselves. save as condi-
TONED upon the attitude We are will
ing to take toward our Army. and es-
pecially toward our Navy 1t is not
merely unwise it is contemplate. for
nation, as for an individual, 10 use
high sounding language to proclaim
Its purposes. or to take positions
which are ridiculous If unsupported