The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-12-10


settlers of limited means.
Thanks TO our own recklessness
in the use OF our splendid forests.
we have already crossed the verge OF
timber famine in this country. and no
measures that we now take can. at least
for many years, undo the mischief that
has already been DONE But we can pre-
vent further mischief being done; and It
would be in the highest degree reprehen-
sible TO let any consideration OF tenn
porary convenience or temporary cost
interfere with such action, especially as
regards the national forests which the
nation can now, at this very moment
control.
The lesson OF deforestation in China
Is a lesson which mankind should have
learned many times already from what
has occurred in other places. 'Denuda-
tion leaves naked soil; then outlying
cuts down to the bare rock; and mean
while the rock waste buries the bottom
lands. When the soil is gone. men
must go; and the process does not take
long.
Plea for Inland Waterways.
Action should be begun forthwith. dur
ing the present session of the congress.
for the improvement. OF our inland water
ways-action which will result in giving
us not only navigable but navigated
rivers
Until the work OF river improvement is
undertaken in a modern way 1t can not
have results that will meet the needs Of
this modern nation. The plan
which promises the best and quick
est results is that of per-
manent commission authorized to co-or-
dinate the work of all the government
departments relating to waterways, and
to frame and supervise the execution OF
a comprehensive plan. Under such
commission the actual work of construC-
ton might be entrusted to the reclama-
ton service; or to the military engineers
acting with a sufficient number OF ctvili-
ans to continue the work in time of war;
or 1t might be divided between the rec
lamation service and the corps of en-
gineers Funds should be provided from
current revenues II II Is deemed wise
otherwise from the sale of bonds. The
essential thing Is that the work should
| go forward under the best possible plan,
! and with the least possible delay. The
time for playing with our waterways Is
past. The country demands results.
The president urges that national
parks adjacent to national forests be
placed under the control of the forest
service of the agricultural depart
ment; he also points out the benefits
derived from pure food legislation.
The message continues:
Needs of the Secret Service.
Last year an amendment was incor-
| porated in the measure providing for the
| secret service, which provided that there
| should be no detail from the secret serv-
| ice and no transfer therefrom. The
| amendment in question was of benefit to
no one excepting to criminals, and
| it seriously hampers the government in
the detection of crime and the securing
of justice. The chief argument in
favor of the provision was that
the congressman did not them
selves wish to be investigated by the
| secret service men, Very little of such
investigation has been done in the past;
| but 1t is true that the work of the secret
service agents was partly responsible for
the indictment and conviction of SEN
ator and a congressman for land frauds
in Oregon. l do not believe that it is
in the public interest to protect criminals
in any branch of the public service, and
exactly as we have again and again dur
| ing the past seven years prosecuted and
convicted such criminals who were In
the executive branch of the government
so in my belief we should be given ample
means to prosecute them If found in the
legislative branch. But IL this is no
considered desirable u special exception
could be made in the law prohibiting the
use of the secret service force in inves
tIgating members of the congress-
Postal Savings Banks.
| again renew my recommendation
for postal savings banks. for deposit
ing savings with the security of tn
government behind them. The objec
Is to encourage thrift and economy Il
the wage-earner and person of mod
crate means. 1t Is believed that in tn
aggregate vast sums of money would b
brought into circulation through the In
strumentality of the postal saving
banks.
Parcel Post.
In my last annual message l com
mended the postmaster-gen
recommendation for an extension of tn
parcel post on the rural routes. TIL
establishment of a local parcel post OF
rural routes would be to the mutua
benefit of the farmer and the countr
| storekeepcr and 1t is desirable that tn
| routes, serving more than 100000
people, should be utilized to the fulles
practicable extent.
Education.
With the limited means hitherto pro
vided, the bureau of ducation ha
rendered efficient service. but the con
gress has neglected to adequately sup
ply the bureau with means to meet tn
educational growth of the country
/ earnestly recommend that this ur
! fortunate state of affairs as regard
the national educational Office be RENE
died by adequate appropriations. Thi
recommendation is urged by the repre-
sentatiVes of our common schools an
great state universities and the leadin
educators, who all unite in requestin
favorable consideration and action b
the congress upon this subject.
> The president points out the necei
sity Of better organization Of the var
Gus bureaus responsible for the publ
health, and urges the placing Of a
soldiers homes under the jurisdictio
of the war department.
Statehood.
On the question Of statehood tn
{ president says:
! l advocate the immediate admission
New Mexico and Arizona as states. Th
l should be done at the present session
r the congress. The people of the two te
9 ritories have made 1t evident by the
votes that they will not come In as OF
state. The only alternative is to adm
them as two, and trust that this will
done without delay.
Interstate Fisheries.
: call the attention of the congress
y the Importance Of the problem of Il
. fisheries in the interstate waters. On Il
D Great Lakes we are now, under the vel
: wise treaty Of April II of this year, e.
, deavoring to come to an information
n agreement for the preservation and sa
6 isfactory use of the fisheries of these W
r ters which can not otherwise be achieve
= Lake Erie, for example, has the richie
q fresh water fisheries in the world; hut
: Is now controlled by the statutes of tv
o nations, four states, and one PROVING
y and this province by two different orc
a nances in different counties. All the
Il political divisions work at cross pu
@ poses, and in no case can they ACHE
, protection to the fisheries, on the o.
!, hand and justice to the localities and i