The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-12-06
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
(From page Five.)
A. NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART

A NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART.
There should be a national gallery
0f art established in the capital city
Of this country. This is important
mot merely to the artistic but to the
material welfare of the country; and
the people are to be congratulated
On the fact that the movement to
establish such gallery is taking def
finite form under the guidance of
the Smithsonian Institution. So far
from there being a tariff on works
OF art brought into the country,
their importation should be encour-
aged in every way. There have been
NO sufficient collections of objects OF
art by the government, and what
collections have been acquired are
scattered and are generally placed in
unsuitable and imperfectly lighted
galleries.
THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY.
The Biological Survey is quietly
working for the good of our agricul-
tHral interests, and is an excellent
example of government bureau
which conducts original scientific re-
search the findings of which are of
much practical utility. For more
than twenty years it has studied the
food habits of birds and mammals
that are injurious or beneficial to
agriculture, horticulture, and forest
ry; has distributed illustrated Dulle-
tins on the subject, and has labored
to secure legislative protection for
the beneficial species. The cotton
boIl-weevil, which has recently over
spread the cotton belt of Texas and
lis steadily extending it's range, is said
to cause an annual loss of about
$3,OO0,0O0 The Biological Survey
has ascertained and given wide pub
Iicity to the fact that at least 43
kinds of birds prey upon this destruc-
tive insect. 1t has discovered that
81 species of birds feed upon scale
fnsects-dreaded enemies of the fruit
grower. 1t has shown that wOodpeck-
ers as class, by destroying the lar
vac of wood-bOring insects, are so
essential to tree life that it is doubt
full If our forests could exist without
them. 1t has shown that cuckoos
and orioles are the natural enemies
of the leaf-eating caterpillars that
destroy our shade and fruit trees;
that our quails and sparrows con-
sumo annually hundreds of tons of
seeds of nnxious weeds; that hawks
and owls al class Excepting the
few that kill poultry and game birds)
are markedly beneficial, spending
their lives in catching grasshoppers,
mice. and other pests that prey upon
the products of -husbandry. 1t has
conducted field experiments for the
purpose of devising and perfecting
simple methods for holding in check
the hordes of destructive rodents
rats mice, rabbits, gophers, prairie
dogs, and ground squirrels-which
nnually destroy crops worth many
millions of dollars; and it has pub
Ilshed practical directions for the
destruction of wolves and coyotes on
the stock ranges of the west, result
ing during the past year in an esti-
mated saving of cattle and sheep val
ned at upwards of million dollars
1t has inaugurated a system of in
spect1on at the principal ports of en-
try on both Atlantic and Pacific
coasts by means of which the intro
duction of noxious mammals and
birds is prevented, thus keeping out
the mOngoose and certain birds
which are as much to be dreaded as
the previously introduced English
sparrow and the house rats and
mice.
I'm the interest of game protection
ft has cooperated with local officials
I'm every state in the Union, has striv-
I'm OF promote uniform legislation in
the several states. has rendered i'm
portant service in enforcing the fed
eraI law regulating interstate traffic
in game, and has shown how game
protection may be made to yield
large revenue to the state-a reve-
nue. amounting in the case of Illinois
to $12S,000 in a single year.
ed the faunas and foras of America
with reference to the distribution of
animals and plants; it has defined
and mapped the natural life areas
areas in which, by reason of pre-
vailing climatic conditions, certain
kinds of animals and plants occur
and has pointed out the adaptability
of these areas to the cultivation of
particular crops. The results of
these Investigations are not only of
high educational value but are worth
each year to the progressive farm
-GrS of the country many times the
cost of maintaining the Survey,
which, it may be added, is exceed
fngly small. I recommend to con-
gress that this bureau, whose use
fulnass is seriously handicapped by
lack of funds, be granted an appro-
priation in some degree cOmmenSu-
rate with the Importance Of the work
it is doing.
OCEAN MAIL SERVICE.
I cali your especial attention to
the unsatisfactory condition Of our
foreign mail service, which, because
orf the lack of American steamship
lines is now largely done through
foreign lines, and which, particularly
so far as South and Central America
are concerned, is done in manner
which constitutes serious barrier to
The extension of our commerce.
The time has come, in my judg-
n1ent, to set to work seriously to
make our ocean mail service cor
TesI,ond more closely with out re-