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The Commoner
YOL. 1$, NO. 32
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Ify, tho candidate who passed highest from some
other district whoro there was no vacancy should
receiVo tho appointment.
The secretary refers to the attempt to stamp
out slavery in tho Philippines and declares that
if tho existing law is Inadequate it should bo
strengthened and if adequate it should ho en
forced. Of the turning over of the Philippine
commission to native control he says "tho stop
which has now been taken will bo carefully ob
served. Those host acquainted With conditions
in the islands anticipate no evil consequences."
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
of cases of all kinds, those concerning violations
of tho Sherman law and tho national banking
act averaging together more than fifty a month.
"Through the bureau of investigations and a
corps of local white slave officers, the, depart
ment, the attorney general says, has vigorously,
carried on the work of prosecution of offenders
and has helped suppress the traffic. Out of the.
$475,000 allotted for the detection and prosecu
tion of crime, $175,000 has been set aside for
that work and the attorney general concludes
'the department feels that very material pro
gress has been made, particularly during the'
past year, in suppressing the most vicious fea
tures of this traffic' "
stickers of any kind other than postage stamps
should not be placed on the address side of 3
matter as this renders such matter unmailable
Valuable pafcel post packages may be insured
against loss in an amount not exceeding $25 nn
a payment of a fee of five cents in addition to
the postage, and for a. fee of t,en .cents such pack
ages will .be" insured in any amount not exceed
ing $50. , .
, ... NAVY DEPARTMENT
Attorney General Mcltoynolds, ip. his first re-,
port as head of the law department submitted
to congress, made it clear that ho would oppose
court decrees in anti-trust suits whore tho com
bination was dissolved into parts under the con
tol of the same stockholders. Further informa
tion concerning the attorney general's report is
contained in the following press dispatches:
"Mr. Mclleynolds, in his report, asserted that
dissolution of tho Standard Oil company and the.
tobacco trust carried a 'fundamental, defect' in
that the same men were left, in control of the
separated Companies. t .',.,'.','
ELUCIDATES HIS POLICY. ,. ,V
"Mr. McReynolds draws a sharp distortion bej
tween tho decrees in tho Standard oil and' tobacco
trust cases, and the dissolution he insisted upon
for the Union Pacific-Southern Pacific merger.
In that case, by permitting the transferor stock
to non-competing linos and creating a trust of
other holdings, a complete disjoinder, hot only
of control but of stock ownership, was accom
plished. With regard to this Mr. McReynolds
says:
" 'The principle established has been adhered
to in similar suits instituted during, this admini
stration. Thus, in, tho suit against the Reading .
company and affiliated corporations the anthra-r
cite coal combination the petition asks that the
Reading company be reqired. to dispose of the.
stock of constituent companies, composing the.
combination to persons not its stockholders or
agents or otherwiso under its control. My fixed
purpose is to oppose any plan of dissolution
which would leave the separate parts.1 of the un
lawful combination under the Control of the '
same set of men.'
'SUPERANNUATED FEDERAL .JUDGES .. , .
''The attorney general offers a. novel solution.
0,1!, the problem of superannuated federal judges.
Such judges under the constitution hold, office
during good behavior, although", they may re
tire at the age of seventy after ten , ears' service.
"'I suggest,' says the attprny .general, 'an
act providing that when any judge, below the
supreme court fails to avail himself of the privi
lege of retiring now granted by laSv, that tho
president be required, with the" advice and con
sent of the senate, to appoint anotherjndgb, who
shall preside over the affairs of the"' court and
have precedence over the older one. This will
insure at all times the presence of a judge suffi
ciently active to discharge promptly and ade
quately tho duties of tho court.'
"Mr. McReynolds suggests that clerks of.
United States courts should be appointed for
speciflod terms and subject to removal by the
president for cause, and asks that provision be
made for a review by the supreme court of the
now final decisions of tho court of customs ap
peal, on application only by the government. He
approves the bill introduced by Representative
Clayton, giving tho supreme court power to pro
mulgate the rules for trials on the law side of
federal courts. He reminds congress also of
needs of changes in his office' and an increase in
the salaries paid. He terms the present salaries
'moderate for the character and (amount of work
to be performed.' . - -
EVENTS DURING HIS TERM
"Coming to a review of the events with which
his department has been concerned for the fiscal
- year, the attorney general shows that when he
took office fifty-two cases wore pending under
tho Sherman law, and that since March 4 eight
cases have been begun. Investigations of tito
plaints that the law has been violated pour into'
the department by the score each riionth, and
come from all parts of the country.
"'In many instances,' the report reads, 'the
investigation lias failed to disclose facts whicK,
would justify tho institution' of formal proceed
ings, but notice of the activity of the government
has impelled officers of large industrial corpora-
tlons to curtail dangerous tendencies. The bureau
of. investigations has looked' Into thousands
POSTOFPICE DEPARTMENT
' During December Uncle Sam's infant prodigy
the parcel post service-will be' called upon '
to perform a herculean task' in connection With
tho transportation and delivery 'of millions of'
Christmas gifts. Postmaster General Burleson;
who is responsible for' the conduct of this serv
ice, has made extraordinary preparations id pre
vent congestion in postoffices and irisuro prompt
delivery of these parcels. Several thousand ad-'
ditional employees will be added to the force
during the holiday season and the Collection arid
delivery equipment will be augmented 'wherever '
necessary. Every' possible efaort has' beeii made
to strengthen those parts of the postal organifca-'
tion which will be under' the' greatest strain and
Mr. Burleson stated t that . .with theso spe
cial arrangements he is confident pf thp.abiJLity
of .the serviqe to, handle successfully the ayar,.
laiiche pf parcels, that 'will be thrown upon it ,
du'rjng the rush period. ' ',
The postmaster general is . anxious, however,'
lest tho public fail to cooperate with him in
observing important condjtipns nepessary to le,n-( '.
able the postal authorities, to effect the, timely,
delivery of Christmas gifts,., In order, to secure
this cooperation he has cause.d to be printed; for.
distribution throughout the, country hundreds. of
r.ious'ands of circulars .a.pd placards containing.,
directions ifor th'e pi;pper preparation of Christ:-'
mas gifts for transmission, by mail- ., . '. ,?J ',,,,,
Christmas parcels' should be piaiteti early.
For .local delivery they .should be mailed rio.t.
later than ece.mber 23 and for out-of-town de
livery as early' as possible, but in any event, in,
time to reach the ofllce3 of destination at least'
two days prior to Christmas... "',
Christmas ' gifts sen,t ,by .mail should. ,.,1)6,
wrapped securely. ,lrpho containers or wrappers
should be sufficiently, strong to t v'ithstand 'tlie
necessary handling incidental to' transportation
and delivery.
- Glassware, crockery, Christmas toys easily
breakable, glass framed pictures, etc., Should'
bo carefully packed in boxes of metal, wotid
leather, or corrugated pasteboard With sufficient
excolsior, raw cotton, or sinlila'r matter to pre7
vent the contents from coming into contact with
any portion of the box. These parcels should
bo marked "fragile." Postmasters will refuse to.'
accept for mailing packages that are insecurely
prepared.
Parcels should be addressed plainly. The ad
dresses should be complete and plainly written,
in ink. The regulations require that parcel post1
packages shall beat the narnes a'hd addresses of
bpth the sender and the addressee. If a' tag, is
used the names' and addresses of tlie sender and
the addressee should also be' written on the
parcel itself.
Parcels sent in 'advance of Christmas 'may be
marked "Not to- be opened Until Christmas,'' or'
some' similar direction. Written or printed'
messages such as "Merry Christmas," "Best1
Wishes;" etc., may be incldsed 'in 'parcels but no
other written Or printed-communication should
bo placed therein, as this will subject- the parcel
to a higher rate of postage. Parcels 'should hot'
be sealed or otherwise closed' against inspection.
Sealed parcels are subject to the first-class rate'
of postage. . ,
Photographs, printed- books, and other printed
mar are not included in the parcel post but
are third-class matter on which the postage rate
Is one cent fpr each two ounces or fraction
thereof.
Parcels not exceeding four ounces in weight
may be mailed in street' boxes, when prepared
in conformity with the foregoing requirements
The postage on such packages is uniformly one1
cent for each ounce 'or fraction thereof. Parcels
weighing' more than four ounces are mailable
only at the raalnpostoffice or its stations. " '
Ordinary postage stamps'are valid for' postage
on parcel post matter. Christmas stamps or-
The following account o'f Secretary Uiniols'
first -annual' report was published in the Phi'ln
delph'fa" Public Ledger:
' '-Written 'in a' breezy, unconventional way
this first repPr't of the new naval' secretary lacks
anything that .suggests perfunctory preparation
and is 'no less interesting on account of its dic
tion -than the far-reaching importance of sev
eral of the recommendations it makes.
"Two dreadnoughts','eight destroyers and three
submarine's constitute Secretary Daniels' building-program
for next year. ' '
" 'This 'is Hot a large pogr'ahi, but it is a pro
gressive one," Mr. Daniels asserts.' 'it meets the
demand to -go' forward in thV continuation of an
adequate arid' well-proportioned 'nayy?
: ' " FAVQRS NAVAL OLJfDAY' .
''Secretary Danipls goes a. step.. further than
Winston Churchill in the latijers advocacy of a
'naval holiday,; , 'it 'Js not ,a va'ca.tion. we need,'
says Mr. Danielsl' .'but a permanent policy to
guard against, extravagant and, needless. . expan
sion's, ,1, venture. toti recommend that
the' wdr arid navy officials. and the, pj:her repre
sentatives ejC all' th'e natjons.be inyited to hold a
conference 'tp(.discuss whether, they cannot agree
upon , a plan.'for lessening the" cost of preparation
for War. , ,, .. , . 'v
'"The growing cost o.f '.dreadnoughts, of
powder and of ' everything that makes. an efficient
navy, gives 'reason 'for pause. This heavy ex
pense commands national ari.fr' ..international con
sideration. The naval appropriation has doubled
in thirteen yeas hhd yet' this country has not
joined' the expensive 'coiripetitibp, 'and race for
over-large navies to the same extent as have
some other great nations. Ten years ago our
largest battleship cost $5,32,000. The next
dreadnought will cost $14,044,000. When is
this accelerating, expenditure, to; be reduced?
" 'Naval programs announced by the nations
already having the largest navips and the en
trance intp the building of dreadnoughts by na
tions whicfy , .have not, hitherto burdened their
People with, the expense of, large. battleships, in
dicate that the' endis not yet. No single nation,
with large interests, can safely take a vacation
in .the, building pf battleships -That much to he
desired, vacation must come through concerted
action.' If it. is.'not hastened, by appeals for the
peaceful settlement of national differences, the
day , is not far,, distant when the growing burden
o$ taxation for excessive war and. naval expendi
tures will call a, halt .. ,. - . j
.'NEEDLESS EXPANSION1 OPPOSED
" 'The suggestion of a va'dation for ope year
in battleship building has' met with hearty ap
proval and 'I venture the earnest hope that this
will bear fruit in a well-considered- plan by navy
building nations not to let tlie'- unnecessary com
petition go to. further lengths. It 1s manifestly
not possible for the proposed 'cessation in battle
ship construction. to be declared at once. It is
not a vacation -we-need, but a permanent policy
to guard against-. extravagant arid needless ex
pansions Any' vacation proposed would of
course, take into account the conditions in gov
ernment navy yards and in private' establish
ments, where battleships are built under con
tract. The whole force is at present concen
trated, in building ships for which material has
been purchased. Time should be given for ship
builders to obtain commercial orders so as not
to ask shipbuilders to incur loss.
" 'It is .recognized that the desired end of com
petitive building carried on under whip ana
spur,. cannot be effective without an agreement
between the' great nations. It-ought not to ue
difficult to.isecure an agreement by which navies
will be adequate without being overgrown ana
without imposing over heavy taxation upon tne
industry of: a nation.
""I trust the tentative suggestion for a naval
holiday by the" strongest of tlie powers will oe
debated' and tlie 'matter spridusly' nsidereti y
an international conference looking to dl,y"
of the' ambitidus arid cPstly'ilas navy m
crease. I frufcl that this' country will1 take tne
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