The Tupelo journal., 1904-12-09

and the users OF water for domestic,
manufacturing, mining II other pur-
poses. All these are directly dependent
upon the forest reserves.
The second reason for which forest re-
serves are created Is to preserve the tim
Der supply for various classes of wood
users. Among the more important of
these are settlers under the reclamation
act and other acts, for whom a cheap
and accessible supply of timber for do
nestle uses is absolutely necessary; min
ers and prospectors, who are in serious
danger of losing their timber supply by
fire or through export by lumber COM
panies when timber lands adjacent to
their mines pass into private ownership;
lumbermen, transportation companies,
| builders and commercial interests in gen.
eral.
Although the wisdom of creating for
| est reserves is nearly everywhere heart
lily recognized, yet in a few localities
there has been misunderstanding and
complaint. The following statement is
therefore desirable:
The forest-reserve policy can be sue
cessful only when it has the full support
of the people of the west. 1t cannot
safely, and should not in any case, be
imposed upon them against their 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, it is everywhere and always
the interest of the permanent settler and
the permanent business man. the man
with a stake in the country, which must
be considered and which must decide.
1 have repeatedly called attention to
the confusion which exists in govern
ment forest matters because the work Is
scattered among three Independent or
CARNATIONS. The United States is the
only one otthe great nations in which
the forest work of the government is not
concentrated under one department, in
consonance with the PLANES dictates of
good administration and common sense.
The present arrangement is bad from
every point of view. Merely to mention
1t is to prove that it should be terminal
ed at once. AS | have repeatedly recon-
mended, all the forest work of the gov
eminent 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 first-hand knowledge of
the problems of the reserves acquired
on the ground, where all problems relat-
ing to growth from the soil are already
gathered, and where all the sciences
auxiliary to forestry are at hand for
prompt and effective cooperation.
Pensions.
The veterans of the civil war nave a
claim upon the nation such az no other
body of our citizens possess. The pen
sion bureau has never in its history been
managed in a more satisfactory manner
thar is now the case.
The Postal Service.
In the post office 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, 1858, Isl. 10, or SO per cent,
the total receipts amounting to $143, 3S2,-
624.34. The expenditures were $152, 1862, 49,
an increase of about nine per cent. over the
previous year, being thus s. 1919, 1872. SO in ex-
cess Of the current revenue. Included in
these expenditures was a total ap%propria-
ton Of $12, 956, 6SI. So for the continuation and
extension of the rural free delivery service,
which was an increase of 81, 902, 23I. 80 over
the amount expended for this purpose in
the preceding fiscal year. Large as this
expenditure has been, the bereficent results
attained in extending the free distribution
of mails to the residents of rural districts
have justified the wisdom of the outlay.
Statistics brought down to the LIST of Octo-
Der, 1904, show hat on that date there were
q, 1888 rural routes established, serving APP
proXimately II, 600, 900 of people in rural dis
lTlClS remote from post OllceS, anu that
there were pending at that time 1853 petit
tions for the establishment of new rural
routes. Unquestionably some part of the
general increase in receipts is due to the
increased 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 increase in
the volume of mail matter for the period
beginning with 1902 and ending June. 1905
Chat portion for 1905 being estimated), is
40.47 per cent, as compared with %, 46 per
cent. for the period Immediately preced-
ing, and 1892 for the four-year period i'm
mediately preceding that.
National Quarantine Law.
1t is desirable to enact a proper national
quarantine law. 1t is most undesirable
that a state should on it's own initiative
enforce quarantine regulations which are
in effect a restriction upon interstate and
international commerce. The question
should properly be assumed by the govern
ment alone. The surgeon general of the
national public health and marine hospital
service has repeatedly and convincingly
set forth the need for such legislation.
Currency.
The attention of the congress should be
especially given to the currency question,
and that the standing committees on the
matter in the two houses charged with the
duty, take up the matter of our currency
and see whether it is not possible to secure
an agreement in the business world for
lettering the system; the committees
shout consider the question of the retire
ment of the greenbackS and the problem
of securing in our currency such elasticity
as Is consistent with safety. Every silver
dollar should be made by law redeemable
In 1pJ1 OF tho nntipn Of tho hnIdor
Merchant Marine.
1 especially commend to your immediate
attention the encouragement of our mer-
chant marine by appropriate legislation.
Tariff.
On the tariff 1 shall communicate with
you later.
immigration and Naturalization.
There is no danger of having TOO many
immigrants of the right kind. 1t make no
difference from what country they come.
If they are sound in body and in mind. and,
above all, if they are of good character, so
that we can rest assured that their chill
dren and grandchildren will be worthy fell
low citizens of our children and grand
children, then we should welcome them
with cordial hospitality.
But the citizenship of this country should
not be deEased. 1t is vital that we should
keep high the standard of well being
among OR wage workers, and therefore
we should not admit masses Of men whose
standards of living and whose personal GUS
toms ana habits are such that they tend to
lower the level of the American wage work
err; and above all, we should not admit any
man Of an unworthy type, any man con-
corning whom we can say that he will him
self be a bad citizen, or that his children
and grandchildren will detract from in
stead of adding to the sum Of the good
nitizenshin of the country Similarly we