Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-12-14

foreign governments. | urge t1al inc
congress carefully consider whether
the power of the bureau of corpora
tions can not constitutionally be ex
tended to cover interstate transactions
in insurance.
Rebates.
Above all else. we must strive to
keep the highways of commerce open
10 all on equal terms; and to do this
i is necessary TO put a complete stop
% all rebates. Whether the shipper
or the railroad is TO blame makes no
difference; the rebate must be stop
ped, the abuses of the private car and
the private terminal track and side
track systems must be stopped, and
the legislation of the Fifty-eighth con-
gress which declares 1t to be unlaw-
full for any corporation TO offer.
grant, give, solicit, accept or receive
any rebate. concession or discriInina
tion in respect of the transportation
Of any property in interstate or for
eign commerce whereby such property
shall by any device whatever be trans
ported at a less rate than that named
in the tariffs published by the carrier
must be enforced.
Agriculture.
The department of agriculture has
grown into an educational institution
with faculty of 1000 specialists
making research into all the sciences
OF production. The congress appro-
PIRATES, directly and indirectly, &c.
100000 annually to carry on this
work. II reaches every state and
territory in the Union and the islands
of the sea lately come under our flag.
Cooperation is had with the state ex-
pertinent stations, and with many
other institutions and individuals. The
world is carefully searched for new
varieties Of grains. fruits, grasses,
vegetables. trees and shrubs suitable
to various localities in our country;
and marked benefit to our producers
has resulted.
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 ex-
aminations 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 important
oil the irrigation works, and plans are
being completed for works which will
utilize the funds now available. The
operations are being carried on by
the reclamation service, a corps OF
engineers selected through competi-
tive civil service examinations. This
corps includes experienced consulting
engineers as well as various experts
in mechanical and legal matters. and
is composed largely of men who have
spent most of their lives in practical
affairs connected with irrigation. The
larger problems have been solved and
ii now remains to execute with care,
economy and thoroughness the work
which has been laid out. All import
ant details are being considered By
boards of consulting engineers, Sc
iected for their thorough knowledge
and practical experience. Each pro-
ject is taken up on the ground by COM
petent men and viewed from the
standpoint of the creation of prosper
Gus homes and of promptly refuding
TO the treasury the cost of the con
struction. The reclamation act has
been found to be remarkably complete
and effective, and so broad in its pro-
visions that a wide range of undcI-
takings has been possible under it.
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
forest reserve policy OF this admin
;stratOn that the reserves are for use
Whatever interferes with their resour'
ces is TO be avoided by every possible
means. But these resources must be
used i'm such a way as to make them
permanent.
The forest policy of the government
is just now the subject of vital in
terest throughout the west and 10 the
people of the United States In gener
al. The forest reserves themselves
are of extreme value TO the present
as well as to the future welfare ol
all the western public land states
| They powerfully effect the use and
disposal of the public lands. They
are of special importance because
they preserve the water supply anf
the supply of timber for domestic pur
poses, 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
Forest reserves are created for two
principal purposes. The first Is lt
preserve the water supply. This II
their most important use. The prin
Cipal users of the water thus preserv
| ed are irrigation ranchers and set
tiers, cities and towns TO whom theil
| municipal water supplies are OF tht
| very first Importance, users and fur
nishers of water power, and the user
of water for domestic, manufactnr
ing. mining and other purposes. AL
these are directly dependent upon tins
| forest reserves.
The second reason for which fores
reserves are created is to preserve
the timber supply for various classes
of wood users. Among the more I'm
portant of these are settlers unde
the reclamation act and other acts
for whom a cheap and accessible sup
ply of timber for domestic uses Is ab
solutely necessary; miners and pros
pectors. who are in serious danger o
losing their timber supply by fire o
through export by lumber companie
when timber lands adjacent TO thei
mines pass into private ownership
lumbermen, transportation companies
builders and commercial interests II
general.
| Currency.
| The attention OF the congress shoull