Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1904-12-15


had with the state experiment stations.
| and with many other institutions and In
dividuais The world Is carefully search
ed for new varieties Of grains, fruits,
grasses. vegetables. trees. and shrubs,
! suitable TO various localities in our coun-
| try: and marked benefit to our producers
has resulted.
Irrigation.
During the two and half years that
have elapsed since the passage OF the
| reclamation act rapid progress has been
| made in the surveys and examinations OF
| the opportunities for reclamation in the
thirteen states and three territories Of
| the arid West. Construction has already
| been begun on the largest and most i'm
| portant OF the irrigation works, and plans
are being completed for works which will
| utilize the funds now available. The
| reclamation act has been found TO be re-
| markedly complete and effective, and so
| broad in its provisions that wide range
| Of undertakings has been possible under
| Il. At the same time, economy Is guar
anteed by the fact that the funds must
ultimately be returned to be used over
| again.
Forests.
II is the cardinal principle OF the for
| est-reserve policy OF this Administration
| that the reserves are for use. What
| ever interferes with the use Of their re-
means. But these resources must be used
| In such a way as to make them perma-
| nent.
| Although tho wisdom Of creating for
| est reserves Is nearly everywhere heart
| lily recognized. yet in a few localities
| there has been misunderstanding and
! complaint The following statement is
| therefore desirable:
| Tho fOrest-Icscrve policy can be sue
| Cessful only when it has the full support
| OF the people Of the West. II can not
safely. and should not in any case be i'm
| posed upon them against their will. But
| neither can We accept the views OF those
| whose only interest In the forest is tenn
| porory: who are anxious to reap what
| they have not sOwn and then move away.
| leaving desolation behind them.
The making OF forest reserves within
| railroad and wagon road Immigrant Inn
/ its will hereafter. as for the past three
| years. be so managed as TO prevent the
issue under the act OF June 4, 1897, OF
base for exchange or lieu selection (usu-
| ally called scrip. In all cases where
| forest reserves within areas covered by
| land grants appear to be essential to
| the prosperity OF settlers. miners. or 9TH
| ers. the government lands within such
| proposed forest reserves will as in the
| recent past. be withdrawn from sale or
| entry pending the completion Of such
negotiations with the owners OF the land
| grants as will prevent the creation Of So
| called scrip
Establishment of game reserves
wherein may be preserved specimens
of our wild animals which are now
rapidly tending toward extinction is
urged.
| The veterans Of the civil war have a
! claim upon the nation such as no other
| body Of our citizens possess. The pen
| sion bureau has never in its history been
managed i'm a more satisfactory manner
| than is now the case.
Indians.
| The progress OF the Indians toward civ
! ilization, though not rapid, is perhaps all
| that could be hoped for in view Of the
| circumstances. 1t is commonly declared
that the slow advance of the Indians is
| due TO the unsatisfactory character Of
| the men appointed to take immediate
| charge OF them. and to some extent this
| Is true. While the standard OF the en-
plOyes I'm the Indian service shows great
! improvement over that Of bygone years,
| and while actual corruption or fragrant
| dishonesty Is now the rare exception, Ii
| Is nevertheless the fact that the salaries
! paid Indian agents are not large enough
| to attract the best men to that field OF
| work. To achieve satisfactory results
|
| should possess the high qualifications
| which are required in the manager Of
| large business. but only in exceptional
| cases is IL possible to secure men of such
a type for these positions.
Postal Service.
| In the PostOfice Department the serv-
| I've has increased in efficiency, and con-
| ditlons as to revenue and expenditure
| continue satisfactory. The increase Of
] Inc 10 NO 1
| or 60 per cent, the total receipts amount
| ing 70 S1i3.3S2 .62I34. The expenditures
were Sl52 1862, 1870. an increase Of about
! per cent over the previous year, being
thus $S,979.492.36 in excess OF the cur
rent revenue. Included in these expendi-
| lures was a total appropriation Of S12,-
| 56,63I35 for the continuation and extern
sion Of the rural free delivery service
| which was an increase Of 1902, 237. 35
| over the amount expended for this pur-
| pose in the preceding fiscal year. Large
! as this expenditure has been the benefi-
cent results attained in extending the
free distribution of mails to the residents
OF rural districts have justified the wis
dom Of the outlay. Statistics brought
down to the LIST of October, 1904 show
that on that date there were %, 1873 rural
routes established serving approximately
10000, 900 Of people in rural districts re-
mote from postotfices, and that there
were pending at that time $500 petitions
for the establishment of new rural routes.
Unquestionably some part of the general
increase in receipts Is due to the in
creased postal facilities which the rural
service has afforded. The revenues have
also been aided greatly by amendments
in the classification OF mail matter, and
the curtailment OF abuses OF the second
class mailing privilege. The average in
crease in the volume Of mail matter for
the period beginning with 1909 and end
ing June, 1905 (that portion for 1905 be-
ing estimated), is 4O.47 per cent, as com
pared with 25.46 per cent for the period
Immediately preceding, and 1882 for the
four-year period Immediately preceding
| that.
The message here points out the
need for improvement in our consular
system, advises the creation of a ma
tional art gallery and suggests the