The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-12-07

Recommendation for changes in the pub
| lie land laws are made and in this connec-
| tion the president SAYS
The reation of small irrigated
farms under the recla ma tion act is \
powerful Offset to the tendency Of Ger.
tain other laws to foster or permit
| monopoly of the land Under that act
he construction of great irrigation
works has been proceeding rapidly and
successfully. the lands reclaimed are
eagerly taken up. and the prospect
that the policy Of national irrigation
will accomplish all that was expected
Of 1t is bright The act should he ex
| tended to include the state OF Texas
| The recln nation act derives much
OF its value from the fact that II tends
to secure the grentest possible mum
ber of homes on the land. and to ere.
ate communities OF freeholders. in part
by settlement on public land. In part
by forcing the subdivision of large
private holdings before they can get
water from government irrigation
works. The law requires that no right
to the use OF water for land in private
ownership shall bo sold for tract
| exceeding 100 acres tn any ono land
owner. This provision has excited ac.
tive and powerful hostility. but the
success of the law itself depends on
the wise and Arm enforcement Of IL
We cannot afford 10 substitute tenants
for frceholders on the public domain
The groater part of the remaining
public lands cannot be irrigated. They
are at present and will probably al.
wavs be Of greatcr value for grazing
than for any other purpose. This fact
has led to the grazing homestead ot
$40 acres In Nebraska and to the pro.
posed extension of II TO other states
II is argued that n family cannot be
supported on l60 acres Of arid grazing
land. This rs obviously true: hut
neither can n family be supported on
Gao acres Of much of tho land to which
~ Us proposed To apply the grazing
homestead To establish universally
any such arbitrary limit would be IN
wise at the present time II would
probably result on the ono hand in
rnlnrgtng the holdings OF some of tho
great land owners. and on tho other
in needless suffering and failure on
the part OF very considerable pro.
portion Of tho bona fidc settlers who
give faith to tho implied assurance OF
the government that such an area ~
sufficient The best use Of the public
grazing lands requires tho careful cx.
animation and classification OF these
lnndss In order to give each settle,
land enough to support his family ana
no more. while this work is hcInc
lone. and until the lands are sottlrd
III" government should take control ~
the open range. under rrasonahl. reg
"lntiuuS suited to local needs follow
rHNful operation On the forest re
."rv"s u Is proh1blr that tho present
~rrzing value ot the open public range
is scarcely more than hnlt what u
once was or what II might easily be
again under careful regulation
The immigration Question.
Several recommendations looking to
changes In the present Immigration law.
are made. and he suggests that t'uu,i
| In fa. fF,Y..
grants before they leave their native shore,
FOR this country tie also reCumme nds su, n
changes IN the laws as would not worn "a
hardship on the educated Chinese rorrirs
INTO or visiting this country but wituoui
, | letting down the bars To the Chinese ,oolt.
. labor. and IN ihis connection he SAYS.
Rui IN the cffcrt 10 carry out the poiir,
OF excluding chinese laburcrs. ChtnC.,.
coolies. grave injustice aud wrong ha,,
been done hy this nation to the polp.r cf
CHINA. and therefore ultimately to this ma
ton itself chinese students. business an.
professional men Of all kInds-not ohN
merchants. but bankers. doctors. marura,
tufcrs. professors. travellers and the li,c-
| should ne encouraged to come here ami
treated on precisely the same footing tn.
~c treat students. business men. trayrlrr.
md the Ike OF other nations Our IaU.
lad treaties should be framed not so aa a.
| put these people In the cNcepted classs.
aut TO state that we will admit al - inpst
CNCCp, chinese Of the Cuuiiu class CnItts.
-kil)ed or unskiled iaDorers rhero wou,d
not be the least danger that any such pro
vision would result in any relaxation OF the
| law about laborcrs. These will under NJ.
conditions be kept out absolutely. But u
will be more easy to see that both justice
| and courtesy are shown. as they ought 90
be shown. TO other Chinese, II thc .aw o.
treaty Is framed as above suggested. TX.
, | arlinu.ions should be completed az the port
| q & q [.
there should be provited a more aGcqr. te
consular service IN China tta1 vr nov
have. The appropriations bo.h FOR o.,
Offices OF the consu.s and for tho office
forces in the corsulates, should be H.
creased
Insular Possessiolc.
He treats at considerable length Of conGi-
tions In the Philippines, ard reIomHc.ds
that the coastwise laws Il tho UI!t,-
States as applied TO the archipelago be sua-
pended until July l. 1909. lie recomm, n-s
the immediate fortihcation OF Hawan r.
order TO conserve the interests of this coua-
try In the Pacific. He also advocates ,Ee
adoption OF legislation that will eXp.iCi;S
confer American citizenship OF the ptoF.''
OF Porto Rico, and on the general sUt.t
OF insular anaiis says:
| wish also 10 call the attention c; tse
congress to ore question which a!IectE orr
in-ular possessions generally; namely, TIE
l
ment of the whole franchise question -
these Islands, In the proper desire 20 pre-
vent the islands being exploited by specu.C-
iuIs aud to have them develop In the H. err
est OF their own people an error has been
made In refusing 10 grant sufficiently liL-
eial terms to iuuuce the investment Of
American capital in the Philippine ~ in
| Porto Rico. Elsewhere in this mesSu,~ #.
have spoken strongly against the jeaious7
Of mere wealth, and especially OF cor
roratc wealth as such. But II is particular
,y regrctiable to allow any such jea ousy
to be developed when we are dealing either
with our insUiar or with foreign aTa-.s.
The big, corporation has achieved liz pros
ent position In the business world simply
because II IS the most effective iLEtru mont
in business competition. In forciCn tirs
we cannot afford to put our peoplc at "a dis
advantage with their comp6 t.toIs hy ~ gry
way 6iscriH. mating against the ChN'o~ a."
| ~ our business organizations, In trc SAFE f
way we cannot afford to allow our iDsC gr
possessions "a lag behind In iucUsti!a. doe
| ye1pWcnt from any twisted le0.ousy cr
business success. IL is. Of course a mere
| tru,sM 20 say that the bUSi1Css scres.9 .
tho islands Will only be developed 8. 8 .c-
come the nuanclni irteres, Of s.Wuhody 90
develop them. Yet this development g. orc
Of the thirgs most earnestly a. lc Hisr 4
for In the interest OF the Is ards themselves
We have been paying all possible heed 20
the political and educatioua. irt"rcAts OF
the Islands, but important Though q cso OBJ
ircts are, II IL not less important that We
should favor their Industrial develpm nt
The government can In certain va. b c.p
this directly ms by building good roads,
hut the fundamental and vital help W st
be given through the deVeiopmen, OF ne
Industries of the Islands, and a mcst eft
cient means TO this end is to encourgEc big