Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-12-07


thc mind. though I am glad to say that
abe proportion OF men engaged in this
F1nd OF work IL diminishing. But In any
community with the solid, healthy quail
,ies which make up a really great nation
shc bulk of the people should do work
which calls for the exercise of both body
hhd tnind. Progress cannot permanently
rN ST IN the abandonment OF physical la
tor. hut In the development OF physical
iahmr. so that IL shall represent more and
suurr the work of the trained mind In the
ueiued body Our school system is
Rfavely defective I'm so far as II puts a
premium upon mere literary training and
tsnds therefore TO train the body away
from the farm and the workshop. Moth
ing * more needed than the best type
oi Industrial school, the school for me-
chanicai industries In the city the school
for practically teaching agriculture In the
country. The calling of the skilled tiler
OF the soil. the calling OF the skilled me-
fessions. Just as emphatically as the call
ings of lawyer doctor, merchant or
clerk The schools should recognize this
in popular opinion The young man who
has the farsightedness and courage to
ttecognize II and to get over the idea that
II makes a difference whether what he
eaCns is called salary or wages and who
refuses 10 enter the crowded field OF the
so-called professions, and takes to con-
Structive industry instead. is reasonably
sure of an ample reward in earnings, in
health. in opportunity to marry early.
and to establish a home with "A fair
esnount OF freedom from worry. 1t should
be one OF our prime objects to put both
fhe farmer and the mechanic on a higher
plane OF efficiency and reward so as 10
increase their effectiveness I'm the
economic world. aud therefore the digni-
", the remuneration. and the power of
their positions In the social world
The conservation OF our natural
sources and their proper use constitute
the fundamental problem which under
lies almost every
Inland Waterways. other problem of our
national life. We
must maintain for our civilization the
adequate material basis without which
that civilization cannot exist We must
show foresight we must look ahead. As
nation we not only enjoy a wonderful
measure of present prosperity but If this
prosperity is used Alright IT Is an earnest
of future success such as no other nation
will have. The reward of foresight for
this nation Is great and easily foretod
But there must be the look ahead. there
must be realization of the fact that
to waste, to destroy, our natural re-
sources, TO skin and exhaust the land
instead of using il to increase its
iSefuIness. viii result I'm undermining in
the days OF our children the very pros
perity which we ought by right TO hand
down to them amplided and developed.
For the last few years, through several
agencies. the government has been en-
deavoring TO get our people to look ahead
md Go substitute . planned and orderly
development of our resources in place OF
haphaZard striving for immediate
profit Our great river systems should
ways: the Mississippi, with it's tribu-
taries, standing first in Importance. and
the Columbia second. although there are
many others OF Importance on the IA
cihc. the Atlantic and the Gulf slopes.
The national government should under
take this work. aud | hope beginning
will be made in the present congress
aud the greatest OF all our rivers, the
Mississippi, should receive especial at
tention. From the Great Lakes TO the
mouth of the Mississippi there should De
a waterway. UeeD
leading from IL to the East and the
West Such waterway would prac.
ticalig mean the extension OF our coast
line into the very heart of our country
It would he OF incalculable beneht to our
people, II begun at once it can be car
ried through ia time appreclably TO re-
SIeye the congestion OF our great freight
carrying lines of railroads. The work
should be systematically and conttnu-
ousiy carried forward In accordance with
some well-conceived plan. The man
streams should be improved to the hlgh-
ost point OF efficiency before the improve,
ment of the branches Is attempted ana
the work should be kept free from every
tslnt of recklessness or tobbery. Inc
Inland waterways which lie Just BACK
OF the whole eastern and southern coasts
should likewise be developed Moreover,
the development OF our waterways IN
wolves manv other important water prob
lems. all OF which should be considered
as part OF The same general scheme. The
government dams should be used to pro-
duce hundreds OF thousands OF morse
cation: for tne annual value OF the IN
used water power OF the United states
perhaps exceeds the annual value OF the
products of all our mines. AS an lnci-
fept 20 creating the deep waterway down
the Mississippi, the government should
butld along its whole lower length leNees
which taken together with the control
Of the headwaters, will at once ana Tor
ever pu' oompete stop 10 all threat
OF floods "a. the immensely fertile delta
region. Tne territory lying adjacent TO
the Mississippi along fits lower course
will Thereby become one OF the most
prosperous and populous as IT ALREADY Is
one OF the most fertile, farming regions
In all the world. I have appointed an
finland waterways commission to study
and outline a comprehensive scheihe VI
development along all the lines indicated
congress
The effort of the government to deal
with the public land has been based upon
the same principle as that of the rec
iAl1ation nv c e.
Public Lands. The land law sys-
TEN which was de-
signed to nee he needs of the fertile
and well wateren regions of the Middle
West has llrgciy broken down when ap-
piled the dryer regions of the great
piains. the ountains and much OF the
Pacific sio,,c where farm of 100 acres
is inadequate for self-support In these
regions the system lent itself to fraud
and much land passed out OF the hands
of the government without passing into
Ihe hands II tie homemaker. The de-
nent of justice joined in prosecuting the
Offenders against the law. and thew have
accomplished much while where the ad-
ministraton of the law has been dcfec-
tive a has been changed. But the laws
themselves are defective. Three years
ago a public lands commission was ap-
pointcd to Scrutinize the law, and de-
fccts and recommend remedy. Their
examination specifically showed the ex-
istence of great fraud upon the public
domain and their recommendations for
changes in the law were made with the
design of conserving the natural resources
OF every part of the public lands by put
ting Il to its best use Especial attention
was called TO the prevention Of settle
tnent by the passage of great areas or
public land into the hands of a few men.
and to the enormous waste caused bv I'M
restricted grazing upon the open range.
THE recommendations of the public lands
commission are sound. for they are es-
peciaiy in the interest OF the actual
hOmemaker: and where the small home
maker can not at present utilize the land
they provide that the government shall
keep control OF Il so that II NAV not b6
monopolized by a few men. The con-
gress has not yet acted upon these rec
concentrations: but they are so Just and
proper, so essential to our national well
will take time to consider them. that
they viii ultimately be adopted.
Some such legislation AS that proposed
is essential in order to preserve the great
&tretches OF public grazing land which
are unfit for cultivation under present
methods and are valuable only for forage
which they supply. As the West settles
the range becomes more and more over
Rrazed. Much of Il can not be used to