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Show OFFICIALDOM'S EESTBICTIONS. tt appears to be the plcasuro and in the power of tho Washington authorities authori-ties to throw as much restriction around tho operation of any law that is onact-ed onact-ed fjor tho peoplo's benefit as possible. The homostead law was administered so harshly against tho homesteader that under tho leadership of Sonntor Borah of Idaho, the bonds were loosened by now legislation; but still, tho restrictions restric-tions continued, so that other legislation legisla-tion is absolutely nccossary to carry out the intent of Congress to help homesteaders home-steaders who try to open and establish now homos. Tho luws in relation to prospecting on the domain-nrc liberal and fair, but under un-der the restrictions imposed by tho Forestry For-estry Service, backed by tlio General Land Oflico and tho- Interior Department, Depart-ment, prospectors find it vey difficult to maintain themselves in their rights to prospoct on forest reserves and on other reservations mado partly without law and partly under tho law. For generations gen-erations it wao hold that all that a prospector pros-pector had to do was to find mineral iij place, mark plainly the placo of the find, measure tho lines and establish the cornors of his claim, do the necessary development work, and thon ho was entitled en-titled to a-patent on his land. Now, however, under precisely tho samo law, it ia held, that a prospector must not only do all this, but that he must pursue pur-sue the exploration of the deposit or lodgo until ho develops it into a producing pro-ducing commercial proposition. Clearly that is a mere bureaucratic interpretation, interpreta-tion, but it is effective practically to kill the prospecting for new mines. For under tho rulings as now mndo, tho prospector, if ho should bo able to over come tho opposition of tho forestry people peo-ple to his proFpccting upon the reserves, would simply load himself up with yearly year-ly assessment expenso by finding and locating a claim. Nothing that the average av-erage prospector could do would suffice suf-fice to clear him from this obligation, excopt to forfoit his claim. When the farmers succooded in getting get-ting denatured alcohol freed from tho internal revenue tax, it was supposed that groat benefits -would ensue to them therefrom. It was expoctqd that the1 could make alcohol from damaged fruit, from potatoes, aud. other articlos that often go to waste on the farm. This alcohol would provido them light and fuel. But the farmers who tried to make their own alcohol this way found themselves headed off by government regulations which practically sot asido the act of Congress. New legislation is now sought, from which great benefits arc again expected, but it is not in the least likely that these benefits will be realized any more than before. For, no doubt, the bureaucratic officialdom in Washington will find means to nullify whatever denatured alcohol legislation is passed. Again, Secrotary McAdoo recently announced an-nounced that ho would distribute a'mong the banks of tho South and. West, money mon-ey amounting to $50,000,000, or moro if needed, "to move the crops." But it has been fairly demonstrated that the banks arc practically shut off from getting get-ting this money by reason of tho processes pro-cesses through which ther are required to pass. .To begin with, they find it hard to get the right kind of paper; then, thoy find it a waste of time and money to go through the many routine operations required to get their paper passed upon by tho government authorities. author-ities. Then thero is tho matter of approving ap-proving of -larious forms, tho payment of all charges by the banks, as well as the government 2 per cent tax. All this made tho banks look into the matter mat-ter with, a good deal more seriousness than thoy considered necessary in the first joyous announcement that they would get this monoy for use at a small rate of interest. But when they looked into the routine, noting what they had to undergo, they saw that they were being be-ing treated as looters of the treasury, who must be under suspicion all the time, and must furnish security and bond at every step; very much as a criminal is required to do when arrested arrest-ed and under examination. And so the banks are not complying with these regulations reg-ulations to anything liko the extent or with anything liko tho eagerness which was expected. Accordingly, tho amount of monoy which will bo, furnished by the treasury on this account is practically practi-cally negligible. It is tho New York banks, after all, that aro not only "returning "re-turning tho money placed with, them by rural depositors, but are drawing on their own reserves to- meet demands. Not only this, but tho shortage in tho corn crop is going to make a good deal of difference in tho amount of money required. There will bo less money urgently ur-gently needed, and it will probably be found that when the Secretary of the Treasury makes his report of monoy thus furnished, tho amount will be found to bo so' small that the announcement of the loan was hardly worth while. Still, it must bo admitted as a matter of candor, that tho announcement of this loan had a quieting effoct upon tho financial markets. Without it tho Now York banks would have been making great complaints about the money that they havo to put into this crop moving, service; but since thoy voluntarily put it in as a mattor of business, they arc estopped from making any complaint or wail about it; for theoretically tho treasury Is there ready to supply tho money, oven though, as a -matter of fact tho treasury does not supply it. These aro but a fow instances of tho bureaucratic assumptions of power and restriction which nullify the law and deaden the general order. Wo submit, therefore, that it is time that the government gov-ernment in its actual dealings with tho pooplo got back to first principles, aud dealt with tho public honestly, candidly aud in good faith under tho law. |
