Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-11-29


passed into large holdings, and tim
ber landlordism in Oregon was eX
tended to alien ownership Of million
of acres. He shows that 6,657 ,00l
acres of railroad lands are unsur
veyed and entirely escape local ant
state taxation.
: Ballinger favors allowing privat,
ownership in lands containing wateI
powers by limited easement of no
over four years, when, If the watel
power is not developed, it must gc
back to the government. This appli.
cation of common-sense business
2 principles and true conservation. He
also shows 40,000,000 acres of with
drawn lands restored to the national
domain and open to entry.
Revenues net from public land
administration for past year were
$9,494,925. OF 1897 entries on
public lands examined, 530S were re-
jected and 7087 were reported favor
ably. The department has done a
great deal of work the past year to
ascertain the extent of available
water supplies to get at values Of
water power sites.
The allotment of money for recla-
nation projects during the year 1909
were $5,528,950, OF which a purely
Oregon project got $25,000-the
Umatilla. $293,000 was allotted to
the klamath project, but that is
considered as much California as an
Oregon undertaking.
oregon has been allotted but a con
temptible small amount out of the
reclamation funds to which over ST.
900, 900 has been contributed by
sales of public lands in this state. BY
1912 there is to be an adjustment OF
the funds, so that the major portion
of the money raised from each state
shall have been spent in such state
by that time. Ballinger recommends
issuing $30,000,000 bonds to COM
plete projects that have been begun
by the year 1912. A summary of
reclamation work done from June
30, 1908, to June 80, 1909, shows |
424,549 acres of land actually irri- |
gated at cost of $103 per acre.
Indian affairs will undergo reor-
ganization by Ballinger.
He thinks reservations should be |
in charge of a skilled business man
ager, and supervisors of such reserva
tions should be skilled agriculturists.
He thinks that certain Indian schools
that do not come up to standards of
efficiency as industrial and agricul-
tural schools should be abolished.
The schools should train the Indian
to support himself by trades and
farming operations. The boys should
Darn the simpler trades, and domes-
tic training in keeping with her sta
tion In life should be the education
Of the Indian girl Secretary Bal
linger would find these disiderati
worked out to practical perfection at
the Salpm Indian Training school, at
Chemawa. He would add similar
training to Indian day schools.
At present II costs $40 a day for
many inspectors to inspect purchases
IF Indian supplies, and he cites an ex-
pense of $4,000 in buying 100000
worth of supplies that is useless.
The IT, s, PATENT Office shows re-
'eipts of about million dollars, all
Ised up but $SS,00o. The writer
links the patent Office could be made
o pay the government millions of
'evenue, Securing of patents at
present is very expensive. and the ;
government gets very little revenue
rom them. MIR. Billinger would
eliminate part OF the many appeals
hat can now be taken, and which
atten an army of patent Office law
'ers, who rob the unfortunate and
90 often visionary inventor {
Dealing with pensions has become 6
cold business proposition and all
sentiment seems To have vanished :
rom the discussion. Pensions IN
'reased from $15,450.00O to S16I,- Ii
l73, 900 In 1909, this being the /
argest sum ever distributed in one
ear The last soldier and the last {
widow OF the Revolutionary war are I
lead several years, but one daughter I
II soldier of that war survives. The \
asst veteran of the war OF, 1912 died
n 1905, but S95 widows of 1912 soil
liers live.
During the second session of the
iXtieth congress 3021 special pen- {
ion bills passed costing S454,72g
more than the same uersons would {
ave received under general laws.
here were 946,194 pensioners June
10, 1903, net decrease of 549S. +
While the number OF pensioners Is .
the amounts paid for
tensions Is growing. u
Fifty states and territories receive d
10000 each per annum for support
u college sof agriculture and the
mechanic arts.
The white population of Alaska Is .,
eported at $4,000 natives 96. 900 | 4,
ne United States sent S171SS.445
u merchandise Go Alaska the past
ear and Alaska sent us $S4,S36,4S5.
iold produced in 1908 was S19,990,-
SIS, Copper S6O5.a97. "A
Hawaii has a population OF l76.. n
100 OF which $4,000 are Asiatles. So, =
'uv haWalans, $4,000 Americans. !,
md the rest Europeans Exnorts q
o us We're Sf0,500. GOO, and im- v
lorts S2l000,O00, both lncreasine. d
me report concludes with a review Il
n the national parks. from which h
ppears that Uncle Sam owns the Ar 8
,ansas Hot springs, the great nation- q
u resort for soaking the bad whlskey
ffA fnNnnrsa a...f...rtfrt.r A. |