Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-12-08


various localities In our country; and
marked beneft to our producers has re-
suited.
The activities OF our age In lines Of re-
search have reached the tillers OF the soil
and inspired them with ambition to know
more of the principles that govern the
forces of nature with which they have to
deal Nearly half Of the people Of this
country devote their energies to growing
things from the soil. Until recent date
little has been done to prepare these mil
lions for their life work, In most lines Of
human activity college trained men, are
the leaders, The farmer had no oppor-
tunity for special training until the con-
gress made provision for 1t 10 years ago
During these years progress has been made
ana teachers have been prepared. Over
5000 students are In attendance at our state
AGRICULTURAL colleges. The federal govern
ment expends $lO,00O0O0 annually toward
this education and for research In WASH
inEton and In the several states and terri
tories The department Of agriculture has
kiven facilities for postgraduate work to
100 young men during the last seven years,
preparing them for advanced lines Of work
In the department and In the state institu-
tions.
Irrigation.
During the two and a 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
l3 states and three territories Of the arid
west Construction has already been be-
gun on the largest and most important
OF the irrigation works, and plans are be-
ing completed for works which will util-
Ice the funds now available. The opera
tions are being carried on by the fecla-
nation service, a corps of engineers Sc
lected through competitive civil-service
examinations. This corps includes ex-
perienced consulting and constructing
| engineers as well as various experts In
| mechanical and legal matters. and is COM
posed largely Of men who have spent
most Of their lives In practical affairs
| connected with irrigation. The larger
problems have been solved and It now
| remains to execute with care, economy
| and thoroughness the work which has
| been laid out. All important details are
being carefully considered by boards OF
consulting engineers, selected for their
thorough knowledge and practical ex-
|. perionco. Each project 10 taken up on
| the ground by competent men and viewed
from the standpoint Of the creation OF
prosperous homes, and Of promptly re-
funding to the treasury the cost OF CON
struction. The reclamation act has Deen
found to be remarkably complete ana et-
| fective. and 30 broad In its provisions
that wide range Of undertakings has
been possible under II. At the same
time, economy Is guaranteed by the fact
| that the funds must ultimately be re-
turned to be used over again.
u Forests.
II 10 the cardinal principle Of the forest
reserve policy Of this, admiEiesr ton stnnt
| the resdrVeb are. Tor Wse. sAwhAtevef IN
terferes with the use Of their resources
is 10 be avoided by every possible means.
But these resources must be used In sucn
a way as to make them permanent.
The forest policy of the government Is
just now subject Of vivid public inter-
| est throughout the west and to the peo-
| pie OF the United States In general. The
forest reserves themselves are Of ex-
-treme value to the present as well AZ to
the future welfare OF all the western
public-land states. They powerfully az
| feet the use and disposal Of the public
lands. They are of special Importance
because they preserve the water supply
and the supply of timber for domestic
purposes, and so promote settlement un-
der the reclamation act. Indeed. they are
essential TO the welfare Of every one of
| the great interests OF the west.
1 Although the wisdom Of creating for-
est reserves is nearly everywhere heart
| lily recognized, yet In q few localities
.se.ual mere mas peTn s roHoWins statement ID
therefore desirable:
The forest-reserve policy can be sue
cessful only when It has the full 81 port
| OF the people OF the west 1t cannot
safely and should not In any case, be
/ aUaiuaf fhaiF Will.
But neither can we accept the views OF
those whose only interest in the forest Is
temporary; who are anxious to reap what
they have not sown and then move away,
leaving desolation behind them. On the
| contrary, 1t is everywhere and always
| the interest OF the permanent settler and
| the permanent business man. the man
with stake In the country, which must
be considered and which must decide:
| have repeatedly called attention to
the confusion which exists In govern
ment forest matters because the work Is
scattered among three independent or
ganlzatlons. The United States Is the
| ony one OF the great nations in which
the forest work OF the government Is not
concentrated under one department, In
consonance with the plainest dictates OF
good administration and common sense.
| The present arrangement Is bad from
L every point OF view. Merely 10 mentlon
It Is to prove that # should be terminat-
ed at once. As have repeatedly recon-
mended, all the forest work OF the gov
ernment should be concentrated In the
department OF agriculture. where the
larger part OF that work Is already done,
where practically all Of the trained for
esters Of the government are employed,
where chiefly in Washington there Is
comprehensive nrst-hand knowledge OF
the problems OF the reserves acquired
on the ground. where all problems relat-
ling TO growth from the soil are already
gathered, and where all the sciences
auxiliary to forestry are at hand for
prompt and effective cooperation.
The Postal Service.
In the post once department the service
has increased in efficiency, and conditions
a. TO revenue and expenditure continue sat
lsfactory. The Increase OF revenue during
the year was 81, sl.iO. or 60 per cent,
the total receipts amounting TO ug,ss2
e2LSL The expenditures were SIS, ,ts2 lie. 70,
an Increase OF about nine per cent. over the
previous year, being thus ts.s7s. $3.50 IN ex-
cess Of the current revenue. Included In
these expenditures was q total appropria-
/ nraa 80 IL. sh tan safla sA