The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-06
MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
 TO THE FIFTY NINTH CONGRESS-

and responsibility of preserving unharmed Niagara Falls: Just 1t should gladly as sume q similar burden and responsibility for the Yosemite National Park. and it has already assumed them for the Yellowstone National Park Adequate provision should be made by the Congress for the proper care and supervision of all these National Parks. The boundaries of the Yellowstone National east to take in such portions of the abutting forest reservation will enable the Govern ment to protect the elk on their winter range.
 The most characteristic animal of the Western plains was the great shaggy-maned wild OK. the bison. commonly known sas the buffalo. Small fragments of herds exist in a domesticated state here and there. a few of them in the Yellowstone Park. Such a herd as that on the Flathead reservation should not be allowed to go out of existence. Either on some reservation or on some forest reserve like the Wichita reserve and game refuge provision should be made for the preservation nf such herd believe that the scheme would be of economic ad-i vantage, for the robe of the buffalo is Of hish market valne. and the. same is true of the robs of the crossbred animals.
 Life-Saving Service.
 I call your especial attention to the de- sirability of giving to the members of the Life-saving Service pensions such as are given to firemen and policemen in all our great cities The men in the Life-Saving Service continually and in the most matter of fact way do deeds such as make Ameri- cans proud of their country. They have no political influence: and they live in such remote places that the really heroic services they continually render receive the scantiast recognition from the public. It is unjust for great nation like this to permit these men to become totally disabled or to meet death in the performance of their hazardous duty and yet give them no sort of reward. If one of them serves thirty years of his life in such e position he should surely be enti- tied to retire on half pay. as a fireman or policeman does. snd if he becomes totally ineapacitated through accident or sickness or loses his health In the discharge of his duty he or his family should receive "a peh- sion just as any soldiax should. call your attention with especial earnestness to this matter because 1t appeals not only to onr Judgment but to our sympathy: for the people on whose behalf ask 1t are compar- ativeiy few in number. render incafculable service of a particularly dangerous kind. and have no one to speak for them.
 Indians.
 During the year just past, the phase of the Indian question which has haen most sharply brought to public attention is the larger legal significance of the Indians in duction into citizenship This has made Itself manifest not only in a great access of litigation in which the citizen Indian figures a party defendant and in more widespread disposition to levy local taxation upon nfS personality put III H. ueClSloH uh the United States Supreme Court which struck away the main prop on which has hitherto rested the Governments benevolent effort to protect him against the evils or intemperance. The Court holds. in effect. that when an Indian becomes. by virtue Of an allotment of land to him, a citizen of the State in which his land is situated he pass es from under Federal control in such mai ters as this. and tho acts of the Congress prohibiting the sale or gift to him or m .~ta tel l~ {nan It is gratifying to note that the States and municipalities of the West which have most at stake in the welfare of the Indians are taking up this subject and are trying TO supply in C measure at least. the abdicatfon of it's trusteeship ferced upon the Federal Government Nevertheless, I would UT gently press upon the attention or the con gress the question whether some amend ment of the internal revenue laws might not be of aid in prosecuting those malefaetors, known in the Indian country as "bootleg- gers' who are engaged at once in defraud- ing the United States Treasury~af taxes anu, what is far more important, in debauehing the Indians by carrying liquors illicitiy into territory completely under Federal juris- diction.
 Among the crying present needs of the Indians are more day schools situated m the midst of their settlements. mora effect, i've instruction in the industries pursued on their own farms. end a more liberal exten- sion of the field-matron service. whieh means the education of the indian women m the arts of home making. Until the moth CTS are well started in the right direction we cannot reasonably expect much from the children who are soon to form an integral mart of our American citizenship. MoreoVer' the excuse continually advanced by male adult Indians for refusing offers or remu- nerative employment at a distance rom their homes is that they dare not leave their families too long out of their sight one effectual remedy for this state of things Is to employ the minds and strengthen the moral fibre of the Indian women-the end to which the work of the field matron is especially directed. trust that the Con gress will make its appropriation for Indian day schools and field matrons as generous as may consist with the other pressing de- Ynands upon it's providence
 The Philippines.
 During the last year the Philippine Isiands have been slowly recovering rom the series of disasters. which. since American oeeupa-i tion. have greatly reduced the amount ol as rioultural products below what was produced ir, Spanish times. The war, the rinderpest' the locusts. the drought and the cholera have been united as causes 10 prevent re turn of the prosperity much needed in the islands, The most serious ts the destruc- tion by the rinderpest of more than f5 per cent of the draft cattle. because it Will take several years of breeding to restore the necassary number of these indispensaDie alos to aRriaulture. The Commission attempted to snnDiv by purchase from adjoining coun- tries the needed cattle. but the experiments made were unsuccessful. Most of the cat tie imported were unable to withstand the change of climate and the rigors of the voy- aoa and died from other diseases than rim dsrpest.
 The income from the Philippine govern ment has necessarily been reduced by reason or the business and agricultural depression in the islands, and the government has been obliged to exercise great economy to cut down it's expenses. to reduce salaries, and in every way to avoid deficit. It has adopted an internal revenue law. imposing taxes on cigars. cigarettes and distilled liquors. and abolIshing the old Spanish in dustriai taxes. The law has not operated as smoothly as was hoped. and although its principle is undoubtedly correct, 1t may need the people to it's provisions. The income derived from it has partly made up for the reduction fin customs revenue.
 There has been a marked increase in the number Of Filipinos employed in the civil service. and a corresponding dacrease in the number of Americans. The government in every one of it's departments has been rem dered more efficient by elianination of un- desirable material and the promotion of deserving public servantS
 Improvements Of harbors. roads and bridges continue, although the cutting down oT the revenue foTbids the expenditure of any great amount from current income TOT these purposes. Steps are being taken. by advertisement for competitive bids. to secure the construction and maintenance of 1000 miles of railway by private corporations un- der the recent enabling legislation of the Congress The transfer of the friar lands,