The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-10

affected Dy the IOreSt TeSeTVcS, SuSn %
the National Live Stock Association
the American Mining Congress. the
National Irrigation Congress. and the
National Board Of Trade, have uni
formly, emphatically, and most of them
expressed themselves IN
favor Of placing all government forest
work in the department of agriculture
because of the peculiar adaptation OF
that department for 1t. 1t Is true. also,
that the forest services of nearly all
the great nations of the world are
under the respective departments Of
agriculture, while in but two Of the
smaller nations and in one colony are
they under the department Of the in
terror This Is the result of long and
varied experience and 1t agrees fully
with the requirements Of good admin
istration in our own case.
Brings Important Results.
THE creation of a forest service in
the department of agriculture will have
for its important results:
First. A better handling of all
forest work. because 1t will be under a
single head. and because the vast and
indispensable experience of the depart
ment in all matters pertaining to the
forest reserves, to forestry In general.
and to other forms of production from
the soil. will be easily and rapidly &C.
cessible.
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 been the case
hitherto.
Third. Within a comparative short
time the reserves will become SELF
supporting. This is important, because
continually and rapidly increasing ap-
preparations will be necessary for the
proper care of this exceedingly impor-
tant interest of the nation and they
can and should be Offset by returns
from the national forests. Under
similar circumstances the forest pos
sessions of other great nations form
an important source Of revenue to their
governments.
Every administrative officer con-
cerned is convinced Of the necessity
for the proposed consolidation of forest
work in the department of agriculture
and I myself have urged it more than
once in former messages. Again
commend it to the early and favorable
cOnsidera ton of the congress. The
interests of the nation at large and Of
the West in particular have suffered
greatly because of the delay.
Il call attention Of the congress
again to the report and recommended
ton Of the commission on the public
lands forwarded by me to the second
session Of the present congress. The
commission has prosecuted it's investi-
cations actively during the past sea-
son, and second report is now in an
advanced stage Of preparation.
Urge Game Preserves.
Tn, ,it 30 = bn
forest reserves I desire again to 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 tn bison, the
wapiti, and other large beats once so
abundant in our woods and mountains
and on our great plains, and now tend
ing toward extinction. Every support
should be given to the authorities Of
the Yellowstone Park in their success
full efforts at preserving the large
creatures therein; and at very little
expenses portions of the public do
main in other regions which are wholly
unSuited to agricultural settlement
could be similarly utilized. We owe 1t
to future generations to keep alive the
noble and beautiful creatures which by
their presence add such distinctive
CIidIdClcE W Tic AMERICAN WllueTIlcSS.
The limits Of the Yellowstone Park
should be extended southwark. The
Canyon of the Colorado should be made
national park; and the national park
system should include the Yosemite
and as many as possible of the groves
of giant trees in California.
THE veterans of the civil war 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 a more satisfactory
manner than Is now the case.
THE progress of the Indians toward
civilization, though not rapid, is per-
haps all that could be hoped for In
view of the circumstances. Within the
past year many tribes have shown in a
degree greater than ever before, an ap-.
probation of the necessity of work.
This changed attitude is in part due to
the policy recently, pursued of reduc-
ing the amount Of subsistence to the
Indians, and thus forcing them,
through sheer necessity, to work for a
livelihood. The policy, though severe,
Is useful one. but it is to be exercised
only with judgment and with a full
understanding of the conditions which
exist in each community for which it is
intended. On or near the Indian reser-
vations there is usually very little de-
mana LOT ldOOr. ana II the Indians are
to earn their living outside (Which is
always preferable) then it must be
furnished by the government Prac-
teal instructions of this kind would in
few years result in the forming of
habits Of regular industry, which
would render the Indian a producer
and would effect a great reduction in
the cost Of his maintenance.
Tariff Message Coming.
On tariff. he says he will communi-
cate with congress later.
After urging assistance in establish
ing oriental markets, the president
discusses naturalization and immi-
grafton. He bemoans the increase of
naturalization frauds, and suggests
government action looking to uniform
regulations for naturalization in the
several states.
In one short paragraph he COM
mends the work of the pension de-
partment, and in discussing the In
dian affairs, he suggests higher sal
aries for Indian agents in order to get
better class Of men to look after the
needs and wants Of the red men, and
urges the appointment of field assist
ant to the commissioner of Indian