The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-07


 interstate shipment of game. This de-
 partment is one of those the scope of
 whose action is constantly widening, and
 therefore it is impossible under existing
 legislation to reduce the cost and their
 estimates below those of preceding years.
 An interesting review of the results of
 an examination made by the department
 into statistics and prices shows that on
 the average since 1891, farm products
 have increased in value 72 per cent, while
 tho things which the farmer buys for
 use have increased but 12 per cent, an
 indication that present conditions are fa-
 vcrable to the farming community.
 Forest Service
 I have already referred to the forests
 of the United States and their extent,
 and have urged, as I do again, the re-
 noval of the limitation upon the power
 of the executive to reserve other tracts
 Of land in six western states in which
 withdrawal for their purpose is now for
 bidden The Secretary of Agriculture
 gives a very full description of the dis
 astrous fires that occurred during the
 last summer in the national forests A
 drought more intense than any recorded
 in the history of the west has intro
 duced a condition into the forests which
 made fires almost inevitable and loco
 motive sparks, negligent campers, and
 in some cases incendiaries furnished the
 needed immediate cause. At one time the fires were so extended that they cov- cred a range of a hundred miles, and the secretary estimates that standing timber of the value of szo,00O,o0o was destroyed Seventy-six persons in the employ of the forest service were killed and many
 more injured, and I regret to say that there is no provision in the law by which
 the expenses for their hospital treatment
 or of their interment could be met out of the public funds. The Red Cross contributed thousand dollars, and the remainder of the necessary expenses was made up by private contribution, chiefly from the force of the forest service and its officials. I recommend that suitable legislation be adopted to enable the Sec retary of Agriculture to meet the moral obligations of the government in this respect.
 only about $135,O GOO, but there existed dis cretion in the secretary in case of ali emergency to apply other funds in his control to this purpose, and he did so to the extent of nearly $1,000C coo, which will involve the presentation of a deficiency estimate for the current fiscal year of over SS00,000. The damage done was not there fore due to the lack of an appropriation by Congress available to meet the emer- gency but the difficulty of fighting it lay in the remote points where the fires began and where it was impossible with the roads and trails as they now exist to promptly reach them. Proper protection necessitates, as the secretary points out, the expenditure of good deal more money in the development of roads and trails in the forests, the establishment Of lookout stations and telephone connection between them and places where assist ance can be secured
 The amount of reforestation shown in the report of the forest service-only about 15,000 acres as compared with the 150, 900 900 acres of national forests-seems | small, and I am glad to note that in this regard the Secretary of Agriculture and the chief of the forest service are look ing forward to far greater activity in the use of available government land for this purpose.
 Progress has been made in learning by experiment the best methods of reforest- ing. Congress is appealed to now by the Secretary of Agriculture to make the ap- propriations needed for enlarging the use- fitness of the forest service in this re- gard. I hope that Congress will ap- prove and adopt the estimate of the secretary for this purpose.
 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR The Secretary of Commerce and Labor has had under his immediate supervision the application of the merit system of promotion to large number of employees, and his discussion of this method of pro- motions based on actual experience, I commend to the attention of Congress. The Census Bureau
 The taking of the census has proceeded with promptness and efficiency. The sec- retary believes and l concur that it will be more thorough and accurate than any census which has heretofore been taken, but it is not perfect. The motive that prompts men with a false civic pride to induce the padding of census returns in order to increase the population of a par ticular city has been strong enough to lead to fraud in respect to a few cities in this country, and I have directed the Attorney General to proceed with all the vigor possible against those who are re- sponsible for these frauds. They have been discovered and they will not inter- fere with the accuracy of the census, but it is of the highest importance that official inquiry of this sort should not be embarrassed by fraudulent conspiracies in some private or local interest.
 Bureau of Light Houses
 The reorganization of the lighthouse board has effected very considerable saying in the administration, and the est mates for that service for the present year are $428,000 less than for the preced- ing year. In addition, three tenders, for which appropriations were made, are not being built because they are not at pres ent needed for the service. The secretary is now asking for large sum for the addition of lights and other aids to the commerce of the seas including a number in Alaska. The trade along that coast Is becoming so important that I respect fully urge the necessity for following his recommendation.
 Bureau of Corporations
 The commissioner of corporations has just completed the first part of a report on the lumber industry in the United States. This part does not treat of .--s question of trust or combination in the manufacture of lumber subject to be dealt with later. The commissioner
 does find, however, a condition in the ownership of the standing timber of the United States, other than the government
 timber, that calls for serious attention.
 The direct investigation made by the com