Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-08

operation than any similar system
| abroad Arrangements have been per
fected so that savings banks will be
opened in some cities and towns on
| the 1st Of January, and there will be a
gradual extension of the benefits Of
the plan to the rest Of the country"
1T is gratifying" says the president,
that the reduction in the postal
deficit has been accomplished without
any curtailment of postal facilities.
On the contrary, the service has been
greatly extended during the year in
all its branches
Second-CIass Mail.
TN my last annual message l in
vited the attention of congress to the
inadequacy Of the postal rate imposed
upon second-class mail matter in so
far as that includes magazines, and
showed by figures prepared by experts
of the postofice department that the
government was rendering a service
to the magazines, costing many mil
lions in excess Of the compensation
paid. An answer was attempted to
this by the representatives OF the
| this answer by the postoff1ce depart
ment. The utter inadequacy of the
answer, considered in the light of the
| reply Of the postof1ce department, I
think must must appeal to any fair
minded person. Whether the answer
was all that could be said in behalf of
the magazines is another question.
agree that the question is one of fact;
but | insist that if the fact is as the
| experts of the postofice department
show, that we are furnishing to the
owners of magazines a service worth
millions more than they pay for it.
then justice requires that the rate
| should be increased. The increase in
the receipts of the department result
ing from this change may be devoted
| to increasing the usefulness of the de-
partment in establishing a parcels
! post and in reducing the cost of first
! class postage to one cent 1t has been
said 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-
| not circulated at a profit, and would
not shut them out from the use of the
mails by prohibitory rate.
with respect to the parcels post, I
! respectfully recommend its 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 100000 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
navy yard, and has studied the uses
Of the navy yards with reference to
the necessities Of our fleet. With a
| fleet 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, after inves-
| tigation the secretary of the navy be-
! lieves to be entirely useless for naval
| purposes. He asks authority to aban-
don certain of thea 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. 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
rinction 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 public 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 we'll The
enlarged homestead law has encour-
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.
| 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
fully eliminating such lands from for
| 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, 62,250,000
acres of land largely non-timbered,
have been excluded from forest 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 non-timbered land amounting to
2,750,000 acres
Coal Lands.
| ssTho poyt subject and ono most i'm,