Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-08
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Continued from Page Eighty

shall have legislative powers Sufflclent
| to enable 1t % give to the Territory To-
! eel laws adapted to IT'S present growth.
| ] strongly deprecate legislation looking
| to the election of Territorial leSlsla-
| ture in that vast district. The lack OF
permanence of residence of large
part of the present population and the
small number of the people who either
permanently or temporarily reside in
the district as compared with it's vast
expanse ana the variety of the inter-
csts that have to be suhserved, make
it altogether uniting in my judgment
to provide for a popular election Of q
legislative body. The present system
S not adequate and does not furnish
he character Of local control that
ought to be there. The only compro
mise it seems to me which may give
needed local legislation and secure
conservative government is the one I
propose.
CONSERVATION OF NATIONAL
RESOURCES.
In several Departments there is pre-"
scented the necessity for legislation
looking to the further conservation of
our national resources, and the SUBJ
ioct is ore of such Importance as to re-
qllire a more detailed and extended
discussion than can be entered upon In
this communication. For that reason
| shall take an early opportunity to
send a special message to Congress on
the subject Of the improvement of our
waterways, upon the reclamation ard
irrigation of arid, semiarid, and swamp
lands: upon the preservation of our
forests and the reforesting of suitable
areas; upon the Redistribution OF the
public domain with view of separat-
ing from agricultural settlement MIN
eral, coal, and phosphate lands ono
sites belonging to the Government hor-
dering or streams suitable for the utG-
| iZation of water power.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
| commend to your careful consider
alton the report of the Secretary of
Agriculture as showing the immense
sphere of usefulness which that De-
partment now fills and the wonderful
addition to the wealth of the nation
made by the farmers of this country
in the crops of the current year.
AND LABOR.
The Light Board.
The Lighthouse Board now dis
charges its duties under the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor. For
upwards of forty years this Board has
been constituted of military and naval
officers and two or three men of SCI
ence, with such an absence of a duly
constituted executive head that it is
marvellous what work has been accom-
plished. In the period of construction
the energy and enthusiasm Of all the
members prevented the inherent de-
fects of the system from interfering
greatly with the beneficial work of the
Board but now that the work is chief
ly confined to maintenance and repair,
for which purpose the country is divid-
ed into sixteen districts. to which are
assigned an engineer OFFICER OF the
Army and an inspector OF the Navy,
each with a lighthouse tender and the
needed plant for his work. it mas be-
come apparent by the frequent friction
that arises, due to the absence or any
central independent authority. that
there must be complete r"organlza-
ton Of the Board. I concede the ad-
vantage of keeping in the system the
rigdity of discipline that the presence
of naval and military officers IN
charge insures, but unless the
presence of such officers In the
Board can be made consistent with a
responsible executive head that shall
have proper authority. I recommend
the transfer of control over the light
houses to a suitable civilian bureau.
This is in accordance with the judg-
ment of competent persons who are ia
miliar with the workings of the pres
ent system. I am confident that a re-
organization can be effected which