The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-12-09

to tho magazines. costing many mil.
hons IN excess Of the compensation
paid. An answer was attempted to
this by the representatives of the
magazines, and a reply was filed to
ms answer by the p~ostoffice depart
menI The utter inadequacy of the
answer, considered in the light of the
reply or the postoffice department., !
think must must appeal to any fair
minded person. Whether the answer
was ell that could be said in behalf of
he magazines is another question. !
gree that the question Is one of fact:
but | insist that If the fact is as the
cXrerts OF the r~ostofice department
show. that we are furnishing to the
owners of magazines a service worth
millions more than they pay for 1t.
then justice requires that the rate
should be Increased. The increase in
the r%eceiDts OF the department result
ing from this change may be devoted
70 increasing the usefulness Of the de
partment IN establishing a parcels
rost and in reducing the cost Of first
-i''1 f>'~sS ~ IL Sht ~ 10 WV
eaid BY the postmaster general that a
fair adjustment might be made under
which the advertising part Of the
magazine should be charged for at a
different and higher rate from that OF
the reading matter. This would re
lieve many useful magazines that are
not circulated al a profit, and would
nNf chnt thnrD nIf from tho ,co ~ tho
mails by a prohibitory rate.
With respect to the parcels post, !
respectfully recommend It's adoption
on all rural delivery routes, and that
II pounds-the international limit-be
made the limit of carriage In such
post"
Abolish Navy Yards.
The president calls attention to Ger
tain reforms urged by the secretary of
the navy which he recommends for
adoption, and continues:
The estimates of the navy depart
ment are s., 000, 900 less than the ap-
preparations for the same purpose last
year, and included In this is the build
ing program Of the same moun as
that submitted for your consideration
last year. 1t is merely carrying out
the plan OF building two battleships a
year. with a few needed auxiliary YES
sells. ! earnestly hope that this pro
gram will be adopted.
The secretary OF the navy has
given personal examination to every
navy yard, and has studied the uses
of the navy yards with reference to
the necessities of our feet. With a
feet considerably less han half the
size of that of the British navy, We
have ~shipyards more than double the
number, and there are several of these
shipyards extensively equipped with
modern machinery, which, after inves-
tigation the secretary of the navy be
lieves to be entirely useless for napai
purposes. He asks authority TO aban-
don certain Of them and to move their
machinery to other places, where it
can be made of use"
The complete success of our coun-
Try In arctic exploration should not re-
main unnoticed. Tbs unparalleled
achievement Of Peary in reaching the
north pole, April 6. 1909, approved by
critical examination of the most ex-
pert scientists, has added to the dis
tinCtion of our navy, to which he be-
longs, and reflects credit upon his
country. recommend fitting recogni-
ton by congress of the great achieve
ment Of Robert Edwin Peary."
Conservation.
The subject pf tho conservation of
The pubic domain has commanded the
attention of the people within the last
two or three years.
There is no need for radical re-
form in the methods of d~isposing of
what are really agricultural lands. The
present laws have worked well. The
enlarged homestead law has encour-
aged the successful farming of Lnds
in he semi-arid regions.
Nothing can be more important in
the matter of conservation than the
treatment of our forest lands. 1t was
probably the ruthless destruction of
forests in the older states that first
called attention to the necessity for a
halt in the waste of our resources.
in the present forest reserves there
are lands which are not properly for
est, and which ought to be subject to
homestead entry. This has caused
some local irritation. We are care
lully eliminating such lands from for
est serve or where their elimina-
ton Is not practical listing them for
entry under the forest homestead act.
Congress ought to trust the execu
tive to use the power of reservation
only with respect to land most valu-
able for forest purposes. During the
present administration, 62 .250, 900
acres Of land largely non-timbered,
ave been excluded from forest re-
serves. and $780, 900 acres of land
principally valued for forest purposes
ave been included In forest reserves,
making q reduction in forest reserves
Of non-timbered land amounting to