Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-12-07

agricultural schools aided by the feds
ernl government and following the
general curriculum urged by the head
and bureau chiefs OF the department.
The activities of the department
have been greatly Increased by the
enactment OF recent legislation by the
pure food act. the meat inspection act
The cattle transportation net, ana the
act concerning the Interstate shipment
~ game This department is one of
those the scope of whose action rs
constantly widening. and therefore IL
!. impossible under existing legislation
10 reduce the cost and their estimates
below those OF preceding years.
An interesting review OF the results
Or an examination made by the dc-
pavtmcnt into statistics and prices,
shows that on the average since 1881
farm products have increased In value
az per cent while the things which
the farmer buys for use have increas-
ed but 1 2 per cent, an indication that
present conditions are favorable 70
the farming community.
Forest Service.
have already referred 10 the. for
csts Of the United States and their
extent, aud have urged, rs l DO again,
the removal Of the limitation upon the
power OF the executive 20 reserve 9TH
er tracts OF land In six western states
In which withdrawal for this purpose
js now forbidden. The secretary or
agriculture gives very fun descrip-
tion OF the disastrous fires that Occur-
red during the last summer In the
national forests. A drought more In
fenHe than any recorded In the his
tory Of the WEE. Rad introduced o con-
ditiun into the forests which made
fircs almost inevitable. and locomo-
live sparks, negligent campers, ana IN
some cases incendaries furnished the
needed immediate cause. Al one time
the fires were 80 extended that they
covered a range of a hundred miles.
and the secretary estimates that
standing timber or the value OF 20
millione OF dollars was destroyed. Sew
enty-slx persons In the employ OF the
forest service were Killed and many
more injured, and 1 regret to say that
there " no provision In the law by
which the expenses for their hospital
treatment or OF their inierment
could be met out ~ public funds. The
RED Cross contributed q thousand
dollars. and the remainder OF the nccH
eaHary expenses was made up by pri-
force OF the forest service and ita OF
flcIaIs. / recommend that suitable
legislation be adopted TO enable the
secretary OF agriculture To meet the
moral obligations OF the government
IN this respect.
The specific fund for fighting fires
was unir about $685. 900, but there eN-
listed discretion M the secretary IN
case Of an emergency to apply other
funds in his control to this purpose. |
And he did 20 10 the extent OF nearly |
II million ~ dollars. which VIII IN
NnlVe the presentation Of a deficiency |
estinnte for the current fiscal year |
OF over $500. 600. The damage done I
Aas not therefore due 60 the lack OF |
an appropriation BY congress avail.
able ta meet tho cmcrReucN but the
dlfficmtp uf fEhtinp Il lnS in the rec
mote pninta where the Tires began |
And where il was impossible with the
roads and truile az they now cNist
promptly O. reach them, Proper pro-
lection neeesRitatcs, az the secretary
n0ints ont the expenditure OF "A goou
anai more money in the Development
~ roads ana trails IN the forests, the
uf lookout stations ana |
telephone connection between them
aud places whore assistance can DE
The amount OF rcforestntinn shouf
In the report OF the forest service
oniy about IL, 900 acres as compared
with thu ibD millions of acres pf nar
tinnai fOrests---seomR small and ! am
giad 20 note that in this regard the
secretary OF agriculture and the chief
OF the forest service are looking ior-
ward 20 far greater activity In the use
OF available government land Tor this
purpose
Progress has been made in learning |
hy experiment the best methods oi
rcforestihs Congress is appealed 90
now by the secretary of agriculture 10
make the appropriations needed for |
cnlarging The usefulness of the forest
service IN this regard. | hope that
congress win approve aud adopt the
estimate OF the secretary for this pur- |
pose.
plsts tfvxsIs<T nls COMMERCE. |