Gilpin observer., 1904-12-08

|
ly come under our flag. Coo operation is
| had with the state experiment stations,
| and with many other Institutions and in
| dividuals. 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 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
| thirteen states and three territories of
| the arid West. Construction has already
| been begun on the largest and most i'm
| Dortant of the irrigation works. and plans
are being completed for works which will
| utilize the funds now available.s The
| reclamation act has been found to be re-
markably complete and effective. and SO
| broad in its provisions that n wide range
| of undertakings has been possible under
| 1t. At the same time. economy Is guar
| anteed by the fact that the funds must
| ultimately be returned to be used over
| again.
1t 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-
sourcs is to be avoided by every possible
means. But these resources must be used
| in such a way as to make them perma-
nent.
Although the wisdom OF creating for
| est reserves is nearly everywhere heart
| lily recognized. yet in few localities
| there has been misunderstanding and
| complaint The following statement is
| therefore desirable
The forest-reserve policy can be sue
cessful only when 1t has the full support
| OF the people of the West. 1t 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
| porary: 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-ro road land-grant linn
Its Will hereafter, as for the past three
| years. be SO managed as to prevent the
| issue. under the act of June T. 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
| called scrip.
Establishment of game reserves
wherein may be preserved specimens
of our wild animals which are now
rapidly tending toward extinction is
urged.
| Pensions.
| 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 in 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 in 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
| the official in charge of an Indian tribe
| should possess the high qualifications
/
| large business, but only in exceptional
cases Is 1t possible to secure men OF such
a type for these positions.
| Postal Service.
| In the Postofice Department the sScv-
i've has increased in efficiency and con-
| ditions as to revenue and expenditure
continue satisfactory. The increase of
revenue during the year was $9.35s. .1s1.10.
| or 60 per cent. the total receipts amount
| ing to $143.SS2. .624.34. The expenditures
| were s152. 1862. .116.70. an increase OF about
Q per cent over the previous year. being
thus $S.979. 1926 in excess of the cur
rent revenue. Included in these expendi-
| tues was a total appropriation of s12.-
ats 631.35 for the continuation and exten-
sion OF the rural free delivery service.
| which was an increase Of 81, 902. .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 1st of October, 1904 show
| that on that date there were 27,13S rural
routes established. serving approximately
| 12.0p0. 900 Of people in rural districts re-
mote from postoffices. and that there
were pending at that time 1853 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 1902 and end
ing June. 1905 (that portion for 1906 be-
| ing estimated). is 4047 per cent. as COM
pared with 25.46 per cent for the period
ftv,vv v,,lf atalx, FAr
| four-year period Immediately preceding
that.
The message here points out the
heed for improvement in our consular
| system, advises the creation of a ma
fiQunl art rallnry md sunuacfa thu