The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-12-09

to the magazines. costing many mil
lions In excess Of the compensation
paid. An answer was attempted to
this by the representatives OF the
magazines, and q reply was filed to
this answer by the postofice depart
ment. The utter ~inadequacy of the
answer, considered in the light of the
rerly OF the %postoffice department, l
THINK must must appeal to any fair
minded person. Whether the answer
was all that could be said in be half of
he magazines is another question. l
'gree that the question Is one of fact;
but insist that if the fact is as the
oxnerts of the p%ostofice department
show, that we are furnishing to the
owners OF magazines a service worth
millions more than they pay for II,
then Justice requires that the rate
@hould be increased. The increase in
the receipts of the department result
'rg from this change may be devoted
% increasing the usefulness of the de-
rartnent in establishing a parcels
lost and in reducing the cost of first
class postage to n cent. 1t has been
aid bv 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 at a profit, and would
not shut them out from the use of the
mails by a prohibitory rate.
With respect to the parcels post, I
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 IS, 1000, 900 less than the ap-
preparations for the same purpose last
year, and included in this is the build
ing program of the same amount 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. l earnestly hope that this pro-
gram will be adopted.
The secretary of the navy has
given personal examination to every
nouy ward onI ha. gf,Jtol tho ,,,n.
of the navy yards with reference to
the necessities Of our feet. With a
feet considerably less than 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, alter inves-
tigation the secretary of the navy be-
lieves to be entirely useless for naval
purposes. He asks authority to aban-
don certain of them and to move their
machinery to other places, where it
a be made of use."
The complete success of our coun-
try in arctic exploration should not re-
main unnoticed. The 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 of the 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 disposing of
what are really agricultural lands. The
present laws have worked well. The
enlarged homestead Law has epcour-
aged the successful farming of lands
in the 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.
I'm 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
Iully eliminating such lands from Tor
est reserves 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 2o0, 900
acres of land largely n~on-timbered,
have been excluded from fol ent re-
serves, and 100000 acres of land
principally valued for forest purposes
have been included in forest reserves,
making a reduction in forest reserves
of n~on-timbered land amounting to
| $780, 900 acres"