The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-06-17

stroy animal and vegetable life; de-
veloping the beet-sugar industry from
40 millions to $50 million tons, val
ued at 43 million dollars; enforced
the pure-food law, enhancing the val
ue of farm products, conserving the
health of all our people; distributed
during the year 1907 nearly II mil
lion bulletins; provided for over
1000 scientists to gather information
for the benefit of agriculture; pro-
tected our forest reserves from the
ravages of fire: converted the arid
lands and waste places into fertile
fields and blossoming gardens; ex-
tended our producing area for grains
westward into the dry regions. so
that nearly so million bushels year
are being grown in regions which
have heretofore been unproductive,
and in every way possible conserving
the natural resources of the country
for ourselves and the generations to
come after us.
The congress just closed re-enacted
the law passed by the Fifty-ninth
congress to conform to the opinion of
the supreme court, making common
carriers liable for accidents to their
employees engaged in interstate COM
merce. 1t has enacted law for the
further protection of the life of rail-
road employees in their hazardous
employment. 1t has provided COM
pensation for laborers and mechanics
who may be injured in the service of
the government, and making pro-
vision for their families in the event
OF their being killed in the course of
their employment. 1t has enacted a
model child-labor law for the District
of Columbia. 1t has directed thor
ough investigation into the working
conditions of the employees Of the
telegraph and telephone companies
doing interstate business; and. in re-
spouse to the urgent appeal from
both capital and labor, congress. be-
fore it's adjournment, appropriated
$15O,OOO for an investigation into
the cause of mine accidents, with g.
view of promoting the safety of work.
ers in our mines.
1t is within bounds to say that no
previous sessions Of congress have
displayed a more active or intelligent
interest in the needs of the wage
earners than the past three sessions,
nor has there heretofore in the same
length of time been as much impor-
tant and progressive legislation in
the interests of this class of our fell
low-citizeils.
The work of the department of the
interior has been prosecuted under
the present administration with intel
ligence and vigor. During the past
year over tvb Million acres of coal
lands have been restored to the pub
lie domain. During the last five
years fences unlawfully closing pub
lie lands have been removed from
3,519,533 acres, and steps are now
being taken to remove from such in
closures 3,750,O0O other acres.
During the past five years $780,
sol have been collected for timber
trespasses upon the public land. and
other judgments have been collected
on claims compromised. yielding
$51O,6S1.
During the last five years 7S2
fraudulent land entries have been
restoring to the public do
main 1,259,S40 acres. From July /,
1902, to May 1, 1908, deeds for 16O
acres each have been granted to 275,-
333 homestead settlers on the public
domain, covering 44,O53,2SO acres.
Since July I, 1906, 171,047 origi-
nal homestead and desert-land en-
tries have been made. embracing 2S,-
al. 400 acres. carrying out the
avowed policy of the president to pre-
vent the monopoly of our public
lands and place family on every
160 acres 1t is estimated by con-
engineers that the reclama-
ton act will bring into cultivation
and occupancy quarter million
acres of land now desert and unin-
to be fashioned into farms
for our people; and this vast area
will be brought into cultivation with
out entailing the loss of single dol
lar to the national treasury, as the
land reclaimed is assessed and the
owner must return to the treasury
the cost of reclamation.
Under this act the government has
1881 miles of canals, Sc
tunnels, and eli miles of wagon