Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-12-07


lishment on a tonnage tax on oil
shipping to and in the territory
and the building up with the fund
thus raised of regular and reason
able service upon equitable rates
and schedules" He advocated also
government appropriations for the
construction OF a scheme of high
ways to serve as feeder wagon
roads to the government owned rail
lines.
Mail Is Very Slow.
The question OF communication
also is one in which little progress
has been made and Governor Riggs
informed Mr.. Payne it was seri-
ously handicapping development.
Mail is slow, being shipped as
freight or express and arriving fre=
quently in badly damaged condi-
ton. The governor, however. be-
lieves this is offset in measure
by the army cable and naval ra-
dio service which he said was be-
ing used disproportionately with
the mails.
The governor declares the intoX-
icating liquor Is finding its way into
Alaska from British Columbia in
large quantities and bookkeeping
seems to be exhausted as private
stocks of liquor are exhausted.
The governor reported that dis
tillation processes were becoming
well known" adding to the menace
which he said existed. He urged,
however, that provisions of the
- tn tho
use of whiskey for medicinal pur'
poses be extended to Alaska, claim
ing that many lives could have
been saved had whiskey been
available" during the emergency
of the pneumonia and influenza ep-
idemics in the territory.
OF internal problems in the
United States, Secretary Payne
mentions as one of greatest impor-
lance the question on domestic re-
construction as related TO farming.
The secretary cited census figures
showing that the rate of increase
of population on farms was only
one-fifth as great as that of the
nation as whole. He believed
nation as whole. He believed
condition IN the iuture.
Don't Like 10 Live Alone.
1.-The difficulty he continued,
lis that people do not like to live
alone, but prefer to live in towns
and villages and enjoy the conven-
fences and comforts of modern
life which are beyond the reach or
scattered population living on
large farms. Can this be remedied
by the ownership and the forma-
ton of neighborhood associations?
Small farms bringing the people
nearer together and intensive cui-
walton of these farms may be the
answer"
Secretary Payne advocated pas
sage of the Smoot rural homes
bill" which he said would give the
interior department an opportunity
to do much important work in
farming development and to take
steps to aid the restoration OF
farming population through IN
creased land ownership by those
who work the land.
Along with the farm question,
the secretary took up the activities
OI lIlt bNi Wv NA '''N
department. The interest in oppor-
tunities on the land, ne said, has
greatly increased with the demo-
of the fighting forces,
The department, although handi-
capped by lack Of funds, has been
assembling "a large amount of val
liable farm information, which VIII
be of use to the country in the III
ture.
The government had spent to.
June 80 a total of $125, 100000 on
projects, the secretary
and approximately 2, l50,-
900 acres of land have been made.
arabic through tho reclamation
efforts of the government.
The secretary declared that the
should come forward
with comprehensive scheme of
reclamation development to meet
the earnest desire of thousands OF
landless men and women who have
become a part of the movement Tor
ward to the farm -
Discussing the Indian question,
Mr.. Payne urged that citizenship
be extended to all Indians and
said their children should, where
possible, be educated with the
white children and encouraged in
every way to become a part and
parcel of our national citizenship"
The policy of issuing fee patents
10 the Indians for their lands was
strenuously opposed by the secre-
tary who declared that TO continue
thus placing them in n position
10 sell is, in my judgment, fraught
with the gravest dangers and VIII
pauperize thousands.
Mr.. Payne believes that until the
Indians are educated and have be-
come accustomed through long ex-
perience to dealing with the white
people. they should not be permit
ed to deal with them on even
.erms."