ecured in the
past year than in any previous year. I can not too strongly indorse the
recommendation of the commission and of the Secretary of the Interior
for the necessity of providing for the education of the 30,000 white
children resident in the Indian Territory.

The Department of Agriculture has been active in the past year.
Explorers have been sent to many of the countries of the Eastern and
Western hemispheres for seeds and plants that may be useful to the
United States, and with the further view of opening up markets for our
surplus products. The Forestry Division of the Department is giving
special attention to the treeless regions of our country and is
introducing species specially adapted to semiarid regions. Forest fires,
which seriously interfere with production, especially in irrigated
regions, are being studied, that losses from this cause may be avoided.
The Department is inquiring into the use and abuse of water in many
States of the West, and collating information regarding the laws of the
States, the decisions of the courts, and the customs of the people in
this regard, so that uniformity may be secured. Experiment stations are
becoming more effective every year. The annual appropriation of $720,000
by Congress is supplemented by $400,000 from the States. Nation-wide
experiments have been conducted to ascertain the suitableness as to soil
and climate and States for growing sugar beets. The number of sugar
factories has been doubled in the past two years, and the ability of the
United States to produce its own sugar from this source has been clearly
demonstrated.

The Weather Bureau forecast and observation stations have been extended
around the Caribbean Sea, to give early warning of the approach of
hurricanes from the south seas to our fleets and merchant marine.

In the year 1900 will occur the centennial anniversary of the founding
of the city of Washington for the permanent capital of the Government of
the United States by authority of an act of Congress approved July 16,
1790. In May, 1800, the archives and general offices of the Federal
Government were removed to this place. On the 17th of November, 1800,
the National Congress met here for the first time and assumed exclusive
control of the Federal district and city. This interesting event assumes
all the more significance when we recall the circumstances attending the
choosing of the site, the naming of the capital in honor of the Father
of