The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-12-16

conservative investigation and refusal
to issue incomplete and inaccurate re-
ports. The bureau offers the means of
getting at the cost of production of
staples of commerce. Congress viii
nave all facts except such as would
give to another corporation Informal
ton which would injure the business of
& competitor.
The bureau has examined legal condi-
tons in various states, judicial de-
clslons. and systems of taxation.
Railroad Rebates Must Stop.
1t is necessary TO stop railroad re-
bates. Whether the shipper or the
railroad is to blame makes no differ
ence: the rebate must be stopped. the
abuses of the private car and private
terminal track and sidetrack systems
must be stopped, and the legislation
which declares it unla wful to offer.
give or receive any rebate must be en-
forced. For some time it was a mooted
question whether the Interstate COM
merce commission had power. after 1t
had found a rate unreasonable. to de-
clare what should be the reasonable
rate. The supreme court resolved that
question i'll the negative. SO that the
commission possess the bare power to
denounce a particular rate as un'ea-
sonable. While l am of the opinion
that at present it would be undesirable.
ii not impracticable. to clothe the COM
mission with general authority to fix
rates, believe the commission should
be vested with power, where a given
rate has been challenged to decide,
subject to judicial review a reasonable
rate to take its place; the ruling to
take effect Immediately. and to obtain
unless reversed by the court. The gov
eminent must In increasing degree reg
ulate the railways as the only alterna-
/ tive to an Increase of evils or still
more radical policy. In my Judgment
the most important legislative act now
needed is to confer on the interstate
commission the power to revise rates
and regulations. the revised rate to at
once go into effect. and to stay in eff
feet unless the court reverses it.
The Department Of Agriculture.
The department of agriculture has
grown into an educational institution
with a faculty of 1000 specialists. Con-
gress appropriates S6,OO0,O0O annually
to this work. Cooperation is had with
state experiment stations. and many
other institutions. The world is
searched for new varieties of grains.
fruits. grasses, vegeta bleS. trees ANA
shrubs. suitable to our country Near
~ half of the p.ople grow things from
the soil. Until a recent date little has
been done to prepare these for their
work. The farmer had no opportu-
nifty for special training. But now
over 5000 students are at state agricul-
tura colleges.
The department is Investigating the
insect friends and enemies of the
farmer: the boil weevil and the Guate-
malan ant; the San Jose scale; is help
ing establish great rice industry in
this c1untry; has established macarOni
wheat as a successful crop in regions
which mr. 3aI hl c
brought an insect from Africa to kill
the insect pest of the orange and lemon
groves of California; is developing the
silk worm industry, and in multiplied
other ways is helping add to the value
of our agricultural output and the GER
talnty Of the crops.
Irrigation Progress.
During the two and a half years that
have elapsed since the passage Of the
reclamation act rapid progress has
been made in the thirteen states and
three territories of the arid west Con-
struction has already begun on the
largest and most important of the IT.
| rigation works. and plans \are being
completed for works which will utilize
the funds now available The opera
tons are being carried on by the re-
clamation service, a corps OF engineers
selected through competitive civil ser
vice examinations. This corps includes
experienced consulting and construct
| ing engineers as we'll as various eX-
| perts i'll mechanical and legal matters
and is composed largely of men who
| have spent most Of their lives in prac-
| teal affairs connected with irrigation
| The larger problems have been solved
and it now remains to execute Will
! care, economy and thorOughness the
work which has been laid out. All i'm
! portant details are being carefully con.
! sidered by boards of consulting engi-
! ne"rs, selected for their thorough
! knowledge and practical experience
| Each project is taken up on the grounC
| by competent men and viewed from the
standpoint of the creation of prosper.
| Gus homes, and of promptly refundins
| to the treasury the cost OF construc.
| ton. Tie reciama lion act has beer
found to be remarkably complete anc
| effective, and so broad in its provision.
that wide range of undertakings ha:
been possible under it. At the sam,
time economy is guaranteed by tn.
| fact that the funds must ultimatel,
be returned to be used over again.
Forests.
1t is the cardinal principle of tn
forest reserve policy of this admins
tration that the reserves are for use
But they must be used in such a wa,
as to make them permanent "'Th
~
public interest. The reserves power
fully affect the use and disposal of tn
| public lands. They are of special i'm
portance because they preserve the wa
ter supply and the timbe"
Forest reserves are created to pre-
serve the water supply and the timbe
| supply Although the wisdom. of Great
ing reserves is nearly everywhere rec
ognlZed, there has been some inisunder
standing The policy can be success
full only when Il has full support of til
people. 1t can not, should not, be i'm
posed against their will. But neithe
can we accept the views of those who's
only interest iii the forest is to rea
what they have not sown and the
move away, leaving desolation behin
them.
The Forest Reserves.
The making of forest reserves With
railroad and wagon road land gran
limits will hereafter, as for the pas
three years be so managed as to pre-
vent the issue, under the act of June .
1897, Of base for exchange or lieu selec
ton Casually called scrip. In case
where forest reserves within area
covered by land grants appear to b
essential, the government lands will, a
IN the recent past, be withdrawn fror
sale or entry pending the completion c
negotiations with the owners of tn
land grants.
Confusion exists because the work
scattered among three independent OF
CARNATIONS. The United States is til
only nation in which the forest wor
is not concentrated under one depart
ment. All the forest work should b
concentrated in the department Of agri
culture, where trained foresters al
employed where there is comp:ehensi,
knowledge of the problems. The crea
| ton OF a forest service IN tho dom, p,
ment of agriculture will result in be1
ter handling of all forest work an
: within short time the reserves wi
become self supporting
Game Preserves.
l call attention again to the repo
: or the commission on the public lane
forwarded to the second session of II