Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-12-13


In pursuing the set plan to maks he city
Of Washington an example to other Amer
lean municipalities several points should be
Kept In mind by the legislators The Con-
gress mas the same power Of legislation for
the District Of Columbia which the State
legislatures have for the various States
The problems incident to orr highly com
pick modern industrial civilization. with its
Ienaniroid and perplexing tendencies both
Tor good and for evil GRE far IeSs harriv
aceentuated in the city of Washingfon
IMAM in most other cities. For this yery
reason 1t is easier to deal with the various
phases OF these problems in Washington,
ana the District of Columbia government
should be model for the other municipal
governments OF the Nation. in all such mat
ters rs supervision of the housing Of the
districts inhabited by the moor In laws
anectlng labor, in laws providing for the
taxing care of the children in truaut laws
ana IN providing schools. That the Ma
tons Capital should be made a model for
otner municipalities is an ideal which ap-
peals TO all patriotic citizens everywhere
The Department of Agriculture.
Inc department Of Agriculture has grown
INTO an educational institution with a fac
ulty OF two thousand specialists making re-
search into all the sciences of production
Inc Congress appropriates. directly and
indirectly, six millions of dollars annually
g. 81 tdrry on tHis work. 1t reaches every
state and Territory I'm the Union and the
ISLANDS OF the sea lately come under our
flag. Cooperation is had with the STATE
eAPsIlMeht stations and with many other
INSTITUTIONS and individuals. The world Is
carefully searched for new varieties of
grains, fruits, grasses, vegetables trees.
ana SHRUBS, suitable to various localities in
our country; and marked benefit to our
producers has resulted The activities az
our age In lines of research have reached
the tillers of the soil and inspired them
with ambition to know more of the prin-
ciples that govern the forces Of nature with
winch the5 have TO deal. Nearly half of
the people of this country devote their en-
ergles to growing things from the soil I'm
I'll a recent date little has been done TO
prepare these millions for their life work
In most lines of human activity colleg-
trained men are the leaders The farmer
had no opportunity for special training nm
I'll the Congress made provision for ii forty
years ago During these years progress has
been made and teachers have been nre-
pared over five thousand students are
In attendance at State Agricultural
Colleges. The Department of Agriculture
has given facilities for post graduate work
to i've hundred young men during the last
seven years preparing them for advanced
lines of work In the Department and In
the State institutions. The facts concern
Ing meteorology and its relations to plant
and animal life are being SYSTEMATICALLY
inquired into. The seasons of the cyclones
OF the Caribbean Sea and their paths are
being forecasted with increasing accuracy.
Inc colo winds that come from the north
are anticipated and their times and in
tensity told to farmers, gardeners and
fruiterers in all southern localities We
sell two hundred and fifty million dollars
worth OF animals and animal products to
foreign countries every year, in addition to
supplying our own people more cheaply and
abundantly than any other nation is able
to provide for its people. The Department
or agriculture, by careful inspection Of
meats, guards ti-c health OF our people and
gives clean bills of health to deserving ex-
ports; 1t Is prepared to deal promptly with
imported diseases of animals, and maintain
1OckS In
this respect. Strenuous efforts are being
made TO import from foreign countries such
grains as suitable 10 our varying To-
calities. Seven years ago we bought three
fourths OF rice; we helped the rice
growers on the Gulf coast and they now
supply home demand and export to the
islands, of the Caribbean Sea and to other
rice-grC wing countries. Wheat and other
grains lave been imported from lght-rain-
fall countries TO our lands in the West and
Southwest that have not grown crops be-
cause of light precipitation, resulting in an
extensive addition to our cropping area and
our hOme-maklng territory that can not be
irrigated. Ten million bushels of first-class
macaroni wheat were grown from these
experimental importations last year. Fruits
suitable to our soils and climates are being
imported from all the countries of the Old
World The soils of the country are get
ting attention from the farmers stand
point, and interesting results are following.
The reclamation Of alkali lands is progress
ing, to give object lessons to people
in methods by which worthless lands may
be made productive. The insect friends
and enemies of the farmer are getting at
tention. Careful preliminary work is being
done towards producing our own silk. The
corresponding system OF the Department
Of Agriculture is being brought closer to ac-
curacy every year.
Irrigation of Arid Lands.
During the two and a half years that
have elapsed since the passage of the re-
clamation act rapid progress has been made
in the surveys and examinations of the OPP
portunities for reclamation in the thirteen
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 being
completed for works which will utilize the
funds available. The larger problems
have been solved and it now remains to
execute with care economy, and thorough
ness the work which has been laid out.
Each project is taken mp on the ground by
competent men and viewed from the stand
point Of the creation of prosperous homes,
and of promptly refunding to the Treasury
the cost of construction.
Our Forest Reserves.
1t is the cardinal principle of the for
est-reserye policy Of this Administration
that the reserves are for use. Whatever
inteTferes with the use Of their resources
Is TO be avoided by every possible means.
But these resources must be used in such
n way TO make them permanent. The
forest policy Of the government is just now
a subject OF vivid public interest through
out the West and to the people Of the
United States In general. The forest re-
serves themselves are of extreme value to
the present well as 10 the future welfare
Of all the western pubic.land States. They
powerfully affect the and disposal Of
| the public lands. They are of special i'm
portance because they preserve the water
supply and the supply OF timber for do
| nestle purposes and so promote settlement
under the reclamation act. Indeed, they are
| essential TO the welfare of every one of the
great interests of the West
In connection with the work of the forest
reserves / 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 the bison,
| the wapiti. aud other large beasts once so
abundant I'm our woods and mountains and
on our great plains, and now tending toward
| extinction
The veterans Of the Civil War have
| claim upon the Nation suck no other
/ body OF our citizens possess, The Pension
| Bureau has never In Its history been man
/ aged in a more satisfactory manner than is
| now the case.
Progress of the Indians.
/ The progress OF the Indians toward civil
ixation. though not rapid, is perhaps all
| that could be hoped for In view OF the cir
| cumstances. Within the past year many
tribes have shown. in degree greater than
| sity Of work This Shanged attitude is in
part due 10 the policy Nrecently pursued OF
| reducing 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 II Is to be exercised only with judg
| ment and with fun understanding OF the
conditions which exist in each community
| for which II is intended.
The Postal Service.
/ In the Postoffice Department the service
/ has increased In efficiency, and conditions
| as TO revenue and expenditure continue sat
/ iSfactory. The increase OF revenue during
/ the year was 50. 35S Isl TO- or 60. per cent.
the total receipts amounting TO Sl43, 3S2. GA
| S4 The expenditures We're So, 90,
| an Increase Of about per cent over the
/ previous year. being thus $S.9f9, 40. SO In
/ excess OF the current revenue. Included In
4 these expenditures was n total appropr1a-
/ ton OF S12.95e. 6S1- s. for the continuation
/ and extension Of the rural free-deliyery
1 service which WAS an increase OF S4.s1,-
| 2S7 IS over the amount expended FOR this
/ as this expenditure has been the beneneent
i results attained In extending the free dis