Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-09-09


into the channels of trade and
a large volume OF money which otherwise
would id be hnarded- by specific provision
in government bonds OF small denomina.
tons, for which the bill provides. Like
the tariff bin and the railroad bill, this
was put through each house of congress
by a republican majority, and was signed
by a republican president.
The legislation of congress in respect tc
the navy department Is a full compliance
form. In spite Of a proper desire to keep
down appropriations, congress saw the
necessity for q continuance of our pres
emit naval policy and regulate strengthen
ing OF the navy by the addition of two
more battleships. More than this, II has
enabled the secretary of the navy to car
ry out a reform in the business manage
ment of the department and a r~eorganiZa.
ton OF the bureaus and staff Of the navy
so as to contribute materially to its
effectiveness as one Of the military arms
cratic national platform apparently IA
vored the increase in the navy, a large
majority of the democrats both I'm the
House and the Senate opposed the policy
when presented in the form OF concrete
legislation.
Labor Legislation.
The republican party at the last session
Of ongress again exhibited its deep and
sincere interest in the general welfare of
the working men and women OF the coun-
try by adding important enactments to its
already long record of legislation on this
subject. Practically all classes of en-
ployes, especially those engaged In occu-
pations more or less hazardous, are the
beneiciaries of laws which should operate
to tighten the burdens which naturally
fall upon the shoulders Of man. The re-
publican party recognized the necessity
Of reducing the dangers under which hun
dreds Of thousands of miners work by Gre
ating the bureau Of mines. This bill was
passed for the purpose of establishing an
efficient government instrument for in
vestigatton, examination and report to the
world OF the kind of safety appliances that
will prevent the awful losses of life In the
operation of mines. and especially of coal
mines. A second purpose of the bureau
the great industry of mining that the de-
partment of agriculture performs in re-
spect to the farming interests of the
country; that is, by experiment and inves-
tigation to determine the most effective
methods of mining and the best means Of
avoiding the deplorable waste that now
Obtains in the present mining methods.
No more important legislation In the in
terest OF human life has ever been enacted
by congress than the laws of the recent
session giving to the Interstate Commerce
commission ample powers TO define the
needed safety appliances for the preven-
ton of accidents to employees and passen-
gers, and after a hearing, to require their
adoption by Interstate railways. Other
legislation, with respect to the inspection
Of locomotive boilers and the removal of
dangerous overhead distractions awaits
the consideration of the next session of
this congress, and I hope that it may
biiity act was perfected by needed amend
ment so as to enable injured employees
more easily to recover just damages.
But in one sense the most forward step
taken in the interest of the worker was
the creation Of a congressional commits
sion to report a practical bill for the fix
ing Of workmen's compensation for In
juries received In the employment OF in
t~erstate m railways, as risks in
the business, to be fixed by speedy arbi-
tration and to be graduated according to
capacity OF the injured person. This is
important, not only as affecting interstate
commerce railways, but II adopted. as
furnishing a mode to the country for a
beneficial ciiaiise in the legal relation be-
tween employee and employer. This re-
form would put an end to the vexatious
and costly litigation through which an In
tured employe must go in order to recover
damages-litigation which on account of
the poverty of the employee frequently
serves to defeat the ends Of justice, and
In other instances leads to exorbitant and
unjust verdicts.
Conservation.
One of the great questions which has
been made a national issue and aroused
public interest through the assistance of
President Roosevelt is that Of conserva-
ton of our national resources. From the
federal standpoint, this concerns the
preservation Of forests, the reclamation OF
arid lands of the government and the
proper treatment and disposition Of our
government coal lands, phosphate lands,
oil and gas lands, and of the lands known
as water power sites at the points on the
streams where the water power must be
converted in order to be useful. During
Mr.. Roosevelt's administration millions Of
acres of lands included within the classes
described were withdrawn in the United
States proper and In Alaska, In order to
await proper legislation. Doubt arose as
tn the pXprIItEVn mower IN mnka fhnGn
Withdrawals, and therefore as to their
legality, should they be contested In court.
The present administration continued the
executive Withdrawals, but suggested, as
a matter of wise precaution, securing from
congress express power to make them. BY
republican majorities in both houses a
withdrawal bill for this purpose was
enacted, and now over 100000 Of acres
nave been re-withdrawn Of lands included
within the classes described. Much Of the
land reserved as coal land is valuable for
agriculture, and therefore congress adopt
ed an entirely feasible and useful plan by
which the homestead laws were applied
10 the surface of the land, while the coal
In the ground Is still reserved as the
property of the government. This is a
new departure in our land laws, and is
highly to be commended. In addition to
this, 1t was deemed necessary, in order
that certain reclamation projects OF the
government should be completed within a
reasonable time, that an issue Of $40, 600, 900
bonds should be authorized with which to
secure water lOT Tie SETTLERS upon gov
eminent lands within the promise of the
project, the bonds to be redeemed by the
water rents for the service rendered. In
this way hundreds of settlers who have
been patiently waiting for the completion
of the projects and suffering great priva-
ton will be rehabilitated. At the same
time, the law authorizing the bond issue
prevents the expenditure of any OF the
proceeds of the bonds in any OF the pro-
jects until a board of army engineers shall
report the same as worthy and feasible.
Moreover, additional provision has been
made In the appropriation laws for money
with which to carry on surveys of unSur-
veyed public lands, a crying need in GER
tain states and in Alaska. Thus II is not
too much to say that most important steps
nave been taken toward the proper con-
servation OF our resources in the legisla-
ton of the present congress. There re-
mains to be considered and settled the
question OF the method OF disposing of
these lands SO that the government may
retain sufficient control to prevent a
monopoly In their use and to secure the
public against extortion for coal. oil. gas.
phosphate and water power on the one
hand. and yet nay give to private cap
ital sufficient inducement to bring about
a normal development OF the wealth con-
tained in these lands to aid In the bu.ld
ing up of the country. Neither the demo-
Gratis of the House nor the democrats of
-