The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-04-01
Preparing FOR WORK
COMMISSIONER
Outlining Policy for Inducing Settlers to
Locate in the state-ApproPriatIon Is
tee Small for Work That Is to be Ac-
oompllshed.

auu ne can De IOuuO IN MS ONCE any
day after s o'clock in the morning
until the close Of working hours and
sometimes we'll into the night getting
his affairs In shape to begin active
work in the field. He has a mass of
literature piled up in his Office which
he Is sending out in answer to re-
quests from all parts Of the country,
asking for information concerning
Idaho. When asked by a Capital
News reporter for some information
a. to what he was doing and what his
ideas were as to his future policy.
Mr. Miller said:
To be candid with you, we are
not doing anything except distribut-
ing the literature Of our predecessor.
The word doing implies perform
Rnce. Now, since you insist, will
tell you what We are trying to do:
1.-THE statute makes it the duty Of
the commissioner to collect and com
pile all reliable data and information
concerning the climate. soil and
various resources of the state. its
agricultural, horticultural, mineral,
timber and grazing lands and in
dustries, and the development there
Of, together with a host of other
things, the mere mention Of which
would ill whole sheet of the Even
ing Capital News.
'For example, take agriculture:
To fulfill the requirements of the
statute, for the year 1904 say, would
require the number Of acres in the
state planted to wheat that year, the
average production per acre, the cost
OF production, the cost Of marketing.
the gross profit and the net profit to
the farmer. The same routine is
prescribed for all the other cereals.
Hay and grasses are in the same
category, and every product Of the
soil, including all the fruits, root
and garden truck is expected TO be
treated in like manner. The livestock
OF the state is to be enumerated and
classified, their value to be stated.
how they are fed, handled and taken
care Of to be noted, their increase or
decrease from year to year, and the
profits aeeruing from the business
must have place; even the chicken
and the egg are to be taken into ac-
count.
1.-THE rivers and lakes of the state,
their locations and suitability for ir-
rigation and their power for manu-
featuring and other purposes are to
DO set forth.
THE irrigation canals already
constructed, their cost, their capa.
city, the acreage under them in actual
cultivation, and the acreage not
actually in cultivation, but capable
of being irrigated, the rental per acre
Of the water il they are water selling
bitches, If on the cooperative plan,
their first cost and cost of annual re-
pairs must be set forth.
Next We are expected to have a
list Of every manufacturing establish
ment in the state, the cost of the
plant, the various officers employed,
the salaries paid, the number Of
clerks, male and female and the
salaries paid to them, the value Of
material on hand, the number Of
workmea employed and the wages
paid, the value of the product and
the net profits Of the business during
the year
'tAnd last, but not least, the com
missioner il ordered by the statute to
collect information upon the subject
OF lab1r, its relation to capital. the
hours Of labor, the earnings Of labor
ing men and women, the number of
laboring men and mechanics in the
state. the number Of apprentices In
each trade, the nativity Of the labor
ers, the wages earned and the savings
from the same, the number married,
average number Of members in the
family Of the married, the number Of
married owning homes, number of
married renting homes, average rent
paid together with all cognate sub
isctz.
TO do all this work and compile
all these statistics, the office ID only
allowed the sum of 10000 a year. in
GLIDING aalary Of commissioner and
clerk. However, in addition to this,
the fourth section Of the act creating
the office, Fifth Session Laws, page
3595, clothes the commissioner with
power to call TO his aid every officer
Of the state and county, even iuclud-
ing the members Of the Legislature,
and If they are not called upon, one
and all, the failure will not be due
70 considerations OF modesty shall
also haye 10 hesitancy in calling
upon any aud all good citizens Of the
state to assist the office in the gather