Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, December 07, 1910, Page 10, Image 10
TTn: BEE: OMAHA. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1910. Message of President Dealing With Domestic Matters of Greatest Importance 10 rcnitrurtlon of ti-e canal that It nee warily fell in th li'Vfrnmfnt to advance the money and petform ths work. My own Impression l tlint the lull ought Hot to exceed 1 per net ton. On January 1. 1911. the toils In the Suex canal are to be 7 francs and S centime fur one net ton by Hues ranal measurement, which la a modification of Danube measurement. A dollar a ton will secure under the figures above a gross Income from the Panama canal of nearly I7.000.nno. The ccst of main tenance anil operation Is estimated to Ex ceed I3.000.noo. Ultimately, of course. wtli the normal Increase in trade, the Income will approximate the Interest charges upon the Investment. On the whole I should recommend that within certain limit" the! president be authorised to fix the tods of j the canal and adjust Iheni to what seema to tie commercial necessity. 1 can not cloee thin ref-rrr.re to the i canal without suggesting ai a wise amend- ' nient to the Interstate commerce Ian- a provision prohibiting Interstate commorco ralln.ad from.owrilng or controlling ships j rngaged In the trade through the fanama I canal. I believe such a provlsloa may b ! needed to ave to the people of t'10 t'nlted j State the benefits of the competition In 1 trade between the eastern and western sea- board which thla canal was const! uctcd ' to secure, j Department of Justice. The duties of the Departntent of Justice have been greatly Increased by leg a.nt.on of congress enacted In the Interest of lnu geneial welture of the people and ex tending Its activities Into avenues plainly - within Its constitutional Jurisdiction, but which It has not been thought wise or necesssry for the general government here tofore to occupy. I am glad to say that underv the ap propriations made for the department, the attorney general has so Improved Its orga nisation that a vast amount of litigation of a civil and criminal character has been disposed of during the curnnt year, 'lhls will explain the necessity for s.ightly In creasing the estimates for the expires of the department. Ills report shows the recoveries made on behalf of the goveru irient, of duties fraudulently wtthneltl, publlo lands Improperly patented, flues ana penalties for trespass, prosecutions and convictions under the anti-trust law, and prosecutions under the Interstate commerce law. I Invite especial attention to the prosectulona under the federal law of tim so-called "bucket shops," and of those scheme to defraud In which the use of the mall Is an essential part of the fraud ulent conspiracy, prosecutions which have saved Ignorant and weak members of the public and are saving them hundreds of millions of dollars. The violations of the anti-trust law present perhaps the most important litigation before the department, and the number of cases filed shows tile activity of the government In enforcing that statute. National Incorporation. In a special message last year I brought to the attention of congress the propriety and wisdom of enacting a general law providing- for the incorporation of industrial and other companies engaged In Interstate commerce, and I renew my recommenda f lion In that behalf. Claims. In Invite the attention of congress to the great number of claims which at the in stance of congress, have been considered by the court of claims and decided to be valid claims against the government. The delay that occurs In the payment of the money due under the claims injures the reputation of the government as an honest debtor, and I earnestly recommend that those claims which come to congress with the Judgment and approval of the court of claims should be promptly paid. fnalolal Vroredur. One great crying need In the United States Is cheapening the cost of litigation by simplifying judicial procedure and ex pediting final judgment. Under present conditions the poor man is at a woeful disadvantage In a legal contest with a cor poration or a rich opponent The necessity for the reform exists both In United States cc art a and In all state courts. In order to bring It about, however, It naturally falls to the general government by Its example to furnish a model to all states. A legis lative commission appointed by Joint reso lution of congress to revise the procedure In the United States courts has as yet made no report. Under the law the supreme court of the United States has the power and Is given ths duty to frame the equity rules of pro cedure which are to obtain In the federal courts of first Instance. In view of the heavy burden of pressing litigation which that court has had to carry, with one or two of Its members Incepaclated through 111 health. It has not been able to take up problems of Improving the equity procedure, which has practically remained the same Bines ths organisation of the court In 17!. It 1 reasonable to expect that with all the vacancies upon the court filled. It will take up ths question of cheapening and simpli fying the procedure la equity In the courts of the United States. The equity business Is much tho more Important In the federal courts, and I may add .much the more ex peneive. I am strongly convinced that ths, best method of Improving Judicial proced ure at law Is to empower the supreme court to do it through the medium of the rules of the court, as In equity. This Is the way In which It has been done In. Eng land, and thoroughly dons. The simplicity aA expedition of procedure In the English courts today make a model for the reform of othr systems. Several of the lord chancellors of England and of ths chief Justice have left tlm'r lasting Impress upon the history of tlitu country by their construe, .a ab'lily in proposing and securing the passage o remedial legislation effec.r.g law reform! 1 can not conceive any higher duty that the supreme court could perfo.'.n than in lead ing the way to a simplification ofprocedui in the United Stales rour's. Relief from lKt.u,r Appeal. No man out at to have, is s me iter t.f right, a review of his rase by tl.a supreme court, lie should be satisfied by one hear ing bfffore a court of first Injtunee .nd one review by a court of auuoV.s. proper and chief usetulnes of the supreme court, and especially of the supreme court of the United States, is. In the cuses which Come before It. o to expound tie Uw, a ltd especially the fundamental law -.lid cor II lutlun as to furnish precedent t.r the In ferior courts in future litigation un.l f,.; the executive officers in tao ow, ruction of statute and the performance of ih.ir legal dutlo. Therefor, any pros.a.uns fur review of case by the supreme ourt that east upon lti.it court the duty 01 ,mamn on questions of evidence and the coustiu; t ton of particular form of iuit, uin.nta, like Indictments, or wills, or contracts, decision not of general application or Im portance, merely clog and burden the couit and render more difficult It higher func tion, which, makes It to Important a part Of the framework of our government. Tim supreme kOurt M now carrying n otinecer. vary burden of appeal of this Kind and I earnestly urge that It be rrmovcu. Injunction Dill. ( I wish to K iiear toy urgent re. ommenda Uun mad in my last annual message u favor of ti e passage of a law which shall regulate the Issuing of injunctions In1 equity without notice in accordance with( ths best practice now in vogue In thej pojrts of the United States. 1 regard this of especial Importance, first because It has been promised, and second because It will deprive those wrn now complain of certain olleged abuses In the In.rroper issuing of Injunction without notice of any real ground for further amendment and wl ttike away all semblance of support for the extremely radical legislation they propose, which will be most pernicious If adopted, will sap the foundations of Judicial power and legalise that cruel social Instrument, the secondary boycott. I further recommend to congress the pas sage of the bill now ponding for the In crease In the salaries of the federal Judges, by wlilrli the chief Justice of the supreme court shall rcrcltc S17..W and the associate J'tstlirs tlT.noO; the circuit Judges constitut ing the circuit cowrt of appeals ehall re ceive tlO.ono. mid the district Judges, O.000. Postal Ktlst Baska, At Its last sesclon congress made provi sion for the establishment of saving banks by the 1'on.office department of tills gov ernment, by which, under the general con trol of trustees, consisting of the postmas tr general, the secretary of the treasury and the attorney general, the system could be begun In a few cities and towns and en larged to cover within Its operations as many cities and towns and as large a part of the country as seemed wise. The Initia tion and establishment of such a system l.as required a great deal of study on the bait of the experts In the Postofrire and Treasury departments, but a system has now been devised which Is bellevel to be more economical and simpler In Its opera tion than any similar system abroad. Ar rangements have been perfected so that savings banks will be opened In some cities and town on January V, and there will be a gradual extension of the benefits of the plun to the rest of the country. Wiping ()at of I'stl Deficit. Kor many years there has been a deficit In the operations of ths Postoffice depart ment which has been met by appropriation from the treasury. The appropriation esti mated for last year from the treasury over and above the receipts of the department was 517.otv,ooo. I am glad to record the fact that of that 117,600.000 estimated for, 111. Wt), ow was saved and returned to the treasury'. The personal effort of the post master general secured the effective co operation of the thousands of postmaster and other postal officers throughout the country In carrying out his plans of reor ganization and retrenchment. The result Is that the postmaster general ho been able to make his estimate of expenses for the present year so low as to keep within the amount the postal service Is expected to earn. Kxteasion of Classified Service. Upon the recommendation of the poet-maater-genoral, I have Included In the classified service all assistant postmasters, and I believe that this giving a secure tenure to those who are the most import ant subordinates of postmasters will add much to the efficiency of their offices and sn economical administration. A large number of the fourth-class postmasters are now In the classified service. I think It would be wise to put In the classified ser vice, the first, second, and third-class poet matter. The Franking; Privilege. Thai unrestricted manner In which the franking privilege Is now being used by the several federal services and by congress has laid It open to serious abuses, a fact clearly established through investigations recently Instituted by the department. It is bellsved that many abuses of the franking system could be prevented, and conse quently a marked economy effected, by supplying through the agencies of ths pos tal service special official envelopes and stamps to be Issued on requisition to the various brsnches of the federal service re quiring them, and such records to be kept of all official stamp supplies as will en able the postofflce department to maintain a proper postage account covering the en tire volume of free government mall. Second-CUs MU Matter. In my last annual message I Invited the attention of congress to the Inadequacy of the postal rate imposed upon second-class mall matter In so far as that Includes maga slnes, and showed by figures prepared by experts of the Poetofflr d.nirtmt t. the government was rendering a Service to the magajines, costing many millions In excess of the compensation paid. An an swer was attempted to this by ths repre sentatives of the msgazlnes, and a reply was filed to this answer by the Poatoffloe department. The utter inadequacy of the answer, considered In the light of the reply of the Poitofflc department, I think must appeal to any fair-minded person. Whether the answer was all that could be said In behalf of the magazines la another ques tion. I agree that the question Is one of fact; but T'lnsist that if ths fact Is as the experts of the Postoffloe department show, that we ere furnishing to the owners of magaslnes a servlca worth millions mors than they pay for It. then justice requires that the rate should be Increased. The In crease in the receipts of the department resulting from this change may be devoted to merea1ng the usefulness of ths depart ment In ettabllshrlng a percels poet and In reducing the con of first-class postage to 1 cent. It has been said by ths postmaster general that a fair adjustment mig-ht be made under which the advertising part of the magasine should be charged for at a different and higher rate from that of the reading matter. This would relieve many useful magaslnea that are not circulated at a profit, and would not shut them out from the use of the malls by a prohibitory rata Parcels Post. Ith respect te the parcel post, I re spectfully recommend Its adoption on all rural delivery route, snd that eleven pout ds-the International limit be made the limit of carriage In such post, and this with a view to its general extension when the Income of the poatoffice will permit it and the postal savings banks shall have been fuily established. The same argument Is made against the parcels j poet that waa made against the postal .savings bank-that It is Introducing the government Into a buslner whic h ought to j be conducted by private persona, and Is J paternalism. The Postofftee department las a great plant and a great organisation, reaching Into the most remote hamlet of the United Slates, and with this machinery it Is able to do a great many things c nomlcally that If a new organisation were j rec:iary It would be Impossible to do without extravagant expenditure. That la the reaarn why the postal saving bank can b carried on at smell additional cost, and why Is It posoible to incorporate at a very Inconsiderable exjiensa a parcels pust In the rural delivery ksteiu. Abvlltloa of mrr Versa. , The aecretary of the navy has glten personal examination to vry navy yard snd has studied the uae of the navy yards Willi reference to the necessities of our fleet With a fleet conniderably less than half the six of tiat of th BrttlHh navy j we have hipard mors than double the number, and there are several of tbe-e j inviting competitive bids for terms not ex ahlpvards, expensively equipped with mod-i ceedlng fifty years, with a minimum rental ern machinery, which after lnvestlcatlon the secretary of the navy believes to be entirely useless for naval purposes. He '"" auinoniy 10 ansnuon certain oi tnem . wM ,ecurP proper mining and as to assinn and to move their machinery to iilhn ,. hih m ....... ,inns tn places, where it can be made of use. 1 In making these recommendations the secretary Is following dlnctly along pro gressive lines which have been adopted In our great commercial and manufacturing consolidations In this country; that Is. of dismantling unnecessary and Inadequate plants and discontinuing their existence where It has been demonstrated that It Is unprofitable to continue their maintenance at an expense not commensurate to their product. I he secretary points out that the most Important naval bane In tho West Indies Is Ciuantanamo, in the southeastern part of ' I'uha. Its geographical situation Is ad-: lo foreign countries of the product, mirably adopted to protect the commercial ! Fourth That the law should allow a pros Paths to the I'anama canal, and he shows ' Pf tor for oil or gas to have the right to that by the expenditure of less than half i prospect for two years over a certain tract a million dollars, with the machinery which or government land, the right to be evl he shall take from other navy yards, he ; denced by a license for which he shall pay can create a r.avul station at (Juantanamy ' a small sum; and that upon discovery a of sufficient size and equipment to fcerve j leap may be granted upon terms securing the purpose of an emergency naval base. I a minimum rental and proper royalties to ii eftrne,ly Joln the recommendation the government, and nlso the conduct of that ho be given the authority which he j the oil or gas well In accord with the best ?.ul . .m qU't'' W",, lhal "UCh aC"" niethod for husbanding the supply of o,l con e . H?:Zr l0?: 1 J" . P-lod of the leases .v uv siaiuiiiKtit; 1 1 1 ai lit i r" m s lating in the Interest of the navy, and for tho general protection of the country by the navy, mere local pride or pecuniary Interest In tho .i.ui.h....... .. ....... yard or Bfatlon ousht tn n., r ti,.! recommendation of the secretary is based : ueA by the federal government, after ad upon the Judgment of impartial naval offl-' vertl,fcment nd bidding, for not exceeding cers. entirely uninfluenced by any geo- i tltty J'"arB- u"on a proper rental, and with graphical or sectional considerations. j condition fixing ratee charged to the 1 un te with the secretary in the recom-' publ c fori """" ' electric power, both mendatlon that an appropriation be mnde I ren,' "' fates to be readjusted equit- to construct a suitable crypt at Annapolis tor the custody of th , remains of John I'aul Jones. Peary. The complete success of our country In arctic exploration should not remain un noticed. For centuries there has been friendly rivalry In lh s field of effort be tween the foremost natlona and between the bravest and most accomplished men. Expeditions to the unknown north have Keen encouraged bv enlightened envnn. mcnts vjind de.erv.H u.... k granted to the darim men who have con I ducted them. The unparalleled achleve I incnt of Peary in reaching the north pole, j April S. I9u, approved by critical exam.na I tlon of the most, expert scientists, has j added to the distinction of our navy, to Which he belongs, and reflects credit upon his country. Ilia unique success has re ceived generous acknowledgment from scientific bodies and Institutions of learn ing in Europe and America. I recommend fitting recogniUon by congress of the great achievement of Robert Edwin Peary. Department at -the Interior. The secretary of the Interior recommends a change of the law In respect to the pro cedure In adjudicating claims for lands, by which appeals can be; taken from the decisions of the department to the court of appeals of the district of Columbia for a Judicial consideration of the rights of the claimant. This change finds complete anal ogy In the preaent provlalon for appeals from the decisions of ths commissioner of patents. The Judgments of the court In such esses would be of decisive value to land claimants generally and to the De partment ..of the Interior In the adminis tration of the law, would enable claimants to bring Into court the final consideration of Issues as to the title to government land and would, I think, obviate a good deal of the subsequent litigation that now arises in our western courts. The bill Is pend ing, I believe, In the house, having been favorably reported from tho committee on public lands, and I recommend Its enact ment. One of the difficulties In the Interior de partment and In the land office has been the delays attendant upon , the considera tion by the land office and the secretary of the interior of claims for patents of public lands to Individuals. I am glad to say that under ths recent appropriations of the congress and the earnest efforts of the secretary and his subordinates these arrears have been disposed of, and the work of the department has teen brought more nearly up to data in respect to the pending business than ever bofore In Its history. Economies have been effected where possible without legislative sasl st ance, and these are shown in the reduced estimates for the expenses of the depart ment during the current fiscal year and during the year to come. The subject of the conservation of the publlo domain has commanded the atten tion of the people within the last two or three years. There is no need for radical reform In the methods of disposing of what are really agricultural land. The present laws have worked well. The enlarged homeatead law has encouraged ths successful farming of lands In the semi a rid reOns. Ths total sum already accumulated In the fund provided by the act for the reclama tion of arid lands Is about $OS.,00.?tf, and of tliis all but t.2U,0ag.7S has been allotted to the various projects, of which there are thirty. Congress at Its lasrt, session pro vided for the Issuing of certificates of in debtedness not exceeding 130.000,000, to be redeemed from the reclamation fund when the proceeds of lands sold and from ths water rents should be sufficient. Meantime, in accordance with the provisions of the law, I appointed a board of army engineers to examine the projects snd to ascertain which ars feasible and worthy of comple tion. That board has. made a report upon the subject, which I shall transmit in seperate message within a few days. , Conservation Addresses. In September last a conservation congress was held at I'aul, at which I delivered an atldre on the subject of conservation so far as It was within the Jurisdiction and possible action of the federal government. In that address I assembled from the offi cial records the statistic and faots a to what had been done In this behalf in tho administration of my predecessor and in my own, and indicated the logislatlva measures which I bol.eved to be wise In order to secure the best use, In the publlo Interest of what remains of our national domain. j There waa In this addrens a very full discussion of the reasons which led me to the conclusions stated. For ths purpose of raving In an official record a compre hensive resume of the statistic and fact Satl.ered with some difficulty In that ad dress and to avoid their repetition In the body of this message. I venture to make the address an accompany ng appendix. The statistics are corrected to November 16 last. ! .i r le H mm. a i.. Kor the reasons Stated In the conserva tion addreaa 1 recommend : Kirst 1 hat the Minitatlon now Imposed upon the executive which forbids his re- ervlng more forest lands In Oregon. Wash- I ington. Idaho,- Montana, Colorado and Wyoming be repealed. I where the boll weevil has Interfered with Fee nd That the coal dpoit of the ; Ihe growth of cotton, baa giten mote ai govcrnnunt be leased, after aUveriiecmeut leutton to the cultivation of torn alia and royalties upon the coal mined, to be re adjusted every ten or twelve years, and Willi conditions as to maintenance which morcpolise ontrol of the coal In any one district or market. I do not think that coal measures under 2..V0 acres of surface would be too large an amount to lease to any one lessee. 'Ihlid That ihe law should provide the same separation In respect to government phosphate lands of surface and mineral lights that now obtain in coal lands, and that power to lease such lands upon terms and limitations similar to those above rec ommended for coal leases, with added con- ""tlon """suling the government to regu la,p n' ntrt to prohibit tho export' should be a lon as those of coal, but they should contain similar provisions as to assignment to prevent monopolistic com binations. Fifth-That water power s j.es be directly BDiy every ten years by arb nation or oth erwise, with suitable provisions s gainst as signment to prevent monopolistic combina tions. Or that the law shall provide that upon appl catlon made by the authorities of the state where the water power site Is situated, It may be patented to the State on condition that the state shall dispose of It under terms like those Just described, and shall enforce those terms, or upon failure to comply with the condition, the water power site and all the plant and improvc- ment on the site shall be forfeited and re Vert to the United States, the president being given the power to declare tho for feiture and to direct legal proceedings for Its enforcement. Either of these method would, I think, accomplish the proper pub lic purpose in respect to water power sites, but one or the other should be promptly adopted. I earnestly urge upon congress that at this session general conservation legislation of the character Indicated be adopt Ml. At Its last session this congress took most useful and proper steps In the cause of conservation by allowing the executive, through withdrawals, to suspend the action of the existing laws In respect to much of the publio domain. I have not thought that the danger of disposing of coal lands in the United States under the present laws In large quantities was so great as to call for their withdrawal, because under the present provisions It is reasonably cer tain that the government will receive the real value of the land. But, In respect to oil lands, or phosphate lands, and of gas lands In the United States, and in respect to coal lands In Alaska, I have exercised the full power of withdrawal with the hope that the action of congress would follow promptly and prevent that tying up' of the resources of the country in tne western and less settled portion and in Alaska, which means stagnation and retro gression. ' The question of conservation Is not a partisan one, and I sincerely hope that even in the short time of the present ses sion consideration may be given to those questions which have now been much clls cursed, and that action may bs taken upon them. ' Alaska. With reference to the government of Alaska, I have nothing to add to the recommendations I made In my laHt mes sage on the subject. I am convlnoed that the migratory character of the population, It unequal distribution, and Its smallness of number, which the new census shows to be about 60,000, in relation to ths enormous sxpanse of the territory make It altogether impracticable to give to those people who are in Alaska today and may not b there a year hence, the power td elect a legisla ture to govern an Immense territory to which they have a relation so little per manent. It is far better for the develop ment of the territory that It be committed to a commission to toe appointed by the executive, with limited legislative powers sufficiently broad to meet the local needs, than to continue the present insufficient government with few remedial powers, or to makSya popular government where there Is not proper foundation upon which to rest It, National Park. Our national parks have become so exten sive and Involve so much detail of action in their control that It seems to me there ought to be legislation creating a bureau for thetr care and control. The greatest natural wonder of this country and the surounding territory should be Included In another national park. I refer to the Qrand Canyon of the Colorado. Pensions, The uniform policy of the government In the matter of granting pensions to tlio.e gallant and devoted men who fought to save the life of the nation in the perilous days of ths great civil war, has always been of the most liberal character. Those men are now rapidly passing away. The best obtainable official statistics show that they are dying at the rale of something Over 1,000 a month, and, In view of their advancing years, this rata must Inevitably, In proportion, rapidly Increase. To the man who risked everything on the field of battle to save the nation in the hour of its direst need, we owe a debt which ha not been and should not be computed in a begiudglng or parsimonious spirit. But while e should be actuated by tills spirit to the soldier himself, care should be exer cised not to go to aosurd lengths, ot dis tribute the bounty of the guvernment to classes of persons who i.sty, at this late day. from a mere mercenary motive, seek to obtain some lea'al relation nun an old veteran now tottering on the brink of the grave. The true spirit of the pension laws Is lo be found In the nonle sentiments ex pressed by Mr. Lincoln in his last Inauguial address, wherein. In speaking of the na tion's duty to Its soldier when th struggle should be over, he said we ahould "care for him who shall have borne the battle and for hi widow and orphan." Department ttf aaricaltare. The report of tne secretary cf agricul luie Invites attention to the stupendous value of the agricultural products of this country, amounting in all to lOJt.OuO.vmi for this year. This amount Is larger than that of l by M6,oj0.0tj0. The existeno of such a crop Indicates a good prospect for business throughout the country. A notable change for the better is com- 1 menled upon by the secretary In the fact j that the south, sapecially In those regions other cereals, so that there Is a greater diversification of crops In the south than ever before and all to the great advan age of that section. The activities of the department have been greatly Increased by the enactment cf recent legislation, by the pure food act. the meat Inspection act, the cattle trans portation act and the act concerning the Interstate shipment of game. This depart ment Is one of those the scope of whose action Is constantly widening, and theie fore It Is Impossible under existing legis lation to reduce tho cost and their rstl matea below thoe of preceding years. An Interesting review of the results of nn examination made by the department into statistics and pricea shows that on the avcragi; since lsfll farm products have increased in value 73 per cent, while the things which the farmer buys for use have Increased but 12 per cent, an indication that present condtlons are favorable to the farming community. Department of Commerce and Labor, The secretary of the Department of Commerce and Labor has had under his immediate supervision the application of the merit system of promotion to a large number of empicyes, and his discussion of thin method of promotions based on actual experience I commend to the attention of congress. Riresi nf Labor, The commissioner of I.abor has been ac tively engaged in composing the differ ences between employers and employes en gaged In interstate transportation, under the Erdmau act, Jointly with the chairman of tho Interstate Commerce commission. I cannot speak In too high terms of the suc cess of those two officers in conciliation and settlement of controversies which .but for their Inlerposltli n. would have resulted disastrously to all Interests. 1 Invite attention to the very serious in jury caused to all those who are engaged in the manufacture of phosphorus matches. The diseases Incident to this are frightful, and as matches can be made from other mateilals entirely Innocuous, I believe that the Injurious manufacture could be dis couraKed and ought to be discouraged by the Imposition of a heavy federal tax. I recommend the adoption of this method of stamping out a very serious abuse. GUht-Honr Law. Since ISiVS It has been the declared pur pose of this government to favor the move ment for an eight-hour day by .provision of law that none of the employes employed by or on behalf of the government should work longer than eight hours In every twenty-four. The first declaration of this view was not accompanied with any penal clause and with no provision for Its en forcement, and, though President Grant by a proclamation twice attempted to ylve It his sanction and to require ths officers of the government to carry It out, the pur pose of Uie framers of the law was ulti mately defeated by a decision of the su preme court holding that the statuto as drawn was merely a direction of the gov ernment to Its agents and did not Invali date a contract made in behalf of the gov ernment which provided In the contract for labor a day of longer hours than eight. Thereafter, In 1892, the present eight-hour law was passed, which provides that the services and employment of all laborers and mechanics who are now or may here after be employed by the government of the United States, by the District of Co lumbia, or by, any contractor or sub-contractor on any of the public works of the United States and of the said District of Columbia, Is hereby restricted to eight hours in any ons calendar day, and it shall be unlawful, etc. Thts Jaw has been construed to limit the application of the requirement to thoso who are directly employed by the' govern ment or to those who ars employed upon public works situate upon land owned by the United States. This construction pre vented Its application to government bat tle ships and other vessuls built In private shipyards and to heavy guns and armor plate contracted for and made at private establishments. The proposed aot provides that no laborer or mechanic doing any part of the work contemplated by a contract with the United States in the employ of the contractor or any subcontractor shall be required or permitted to work more than elgnt hours a day In any one calendar day. Apply It to All Work. It seems to me from the past history that the government has been committed to a policy of encouraging tha limitation of the day's work to eight hours In all works of construction Initiated by itself, and it seems to me Illogical to maintain a difference between government work don on government soli and government work done in a private establishment, when th work Is of such large dimensions and in volves the expenditure of much labor for a considerable period, so that the private manufacturer may adjust himself and his establishment to the special terms of em ployment that he must make with his workmen for this particular job. To re quire, however, that every small oontraot of manufacture entered Into by the gov ernment should be carried out by the con tractor with men working at eight hours would be to Impose an Intolerable burden upon the government by limiting its source bf supply and exoludlng altogether th great majority of those who would other wise compete for Its business. Ths proposed aot recognizes this In the exceptions whloh it makes to contracts "for transportation by land or water, for the transmission of Intelligence, and for such materials or articles as may usually be bought In ths open market whether made to conform to particular specifica tions or not, or for the purchase of sup plies by ths government, whether manu factured to conform to particular specifi cations or not." I recommend that instead of enacting the proposed bill, th meaning of which Is not clear and definite and might be given a construction embarrasing to the publlo interest, the present act ba en larged by providing that public worka shall be construed to Include not only building and work upon publlo ground, but also lilps, armor, and large guns when manu factured In private yard or factories. One of the great difficulties In enforcing this eight-hour law 1 that its application under certain emergencies becomes ex ceedingly oppressive and there is a great temptation to subordinate officials to evade it. 1 think that It would be wiser to al low tlie president, by executive order, to declare an emergency in special Instanoes in which the limitation might not ap ply and, In such case, to permit the pay ment by the government of extra compen sation for the time worked each day in excess of eight hours. I may add that my suggestion in respect to this legis lation hav the full concurrence of the commissioner of labor. Workmen's Ceniponeatlon. In view of the keen, widespread in terest now felt In the United Statea In a system of compensation for Industrial accidents to supplant our present thor oughly unsatisfactory aystetn of employ ers' liability (a subject the Importance of which oongresa has already recognised by the appointment of the commission), I recommend that the International rungres on IndusV'lal insurance be Invited to hold its mirtlog in '.i in il u'liiiitoti. and ti.at au appi opt laliuii of tiO.ujo be made lo cover the recessary expenses of organlx Ing and carrying on the meeting. 1 renew my recommendation that th claims of the depositors In the Krecdmen's bank be recognlxed and paid by the passage of the pending bill on that subject. I alo renew my recommendation that steps be taken looking to the holding of a neRTo exposition In celebration of the fif tieth anniversary of tha issuing by Mr. Lincoln of the emancipation proclamation. R area a of Health. In my message of last year I recom mended the creation of a Bureau of Health, in which should be embraced all those government sg socles outside of the war and navy departments which are now directed toward tha- preservation of public health or exercise funtlona ger mane to that sqbject. I renew this recom mendation. Civil Nervier Commission. The Civil Service commission has con tinued Its useful duties during the year. The necessity for the maintenance of the provisions of the civil service law was never greater than today. Officers respon sible for the policy of the administration, and their Immediate personal assistants or deputies, should not be Included within the classified service; but in my Judgment, public opinion has advanced to the point where It wouid support a bill providing a secure tenure during efficiency for all purely administrative officials. I entertain the profound conviction that It would greatly aid the cause of efficient and econ omical government, and of better politics If congress could enact a bill providing that the executive shall have tha pnwer to In clude In the classified service all local offices under ths Treasury department, the Department of Justice, the poatoffice de partment, the Interior department and the Department of Commerce and Labor, appointments to which now require the con firmation of the senate, and that upon such classification the advice and consent of the senate shall cease to be required In such appointments. By their certainty of tenure, dependenteli good service, and by their freedom from the necessity for po litical activity, three local officers would be Induced to become more efficient public servants. Economy and Efficiency. The committees on nppropr.atlons of con gress have diligently worked to reduce the expenses of government and have found their efforts often blocked by lack of ac curate Information containing a proper aralysls of requirements and of actual and reasonable costs. The result of this Inquiry should enable the executive in tils com munications to congress to give Informa tion to which congress is entitled and which will enable it to promote economy. I have requeated the head of each de partment to appoint committees on economy and eff.clency in order to secure full co-operation in the movement by the employes of the government themselves. I urge tho continuance of the appropria tion of $100,000 requested for the fiscal year 1915. My experience leads me to believe that while government methods are much criti cised, the bad results if we do have bad results are not due to a lack of seal or willingness on the part of the civil serv ants. On the contrary, I believe that a fine spirit of willingness to Work exists in the personnel, which. If properly encouraged, will produce results equal to those secured In the best managed private enterprlae. In handling government expenditure the aim is not profit the aim is the maximum of public service and a minimum of cost We Wish to reduce the expenditures of th government, and we wish to save money to enable the government to go Into some of the beneficial projects which we are debarred from taking up now because ws ought not to Increase our expenditures. At a later date I shall aend to congress a special message on this general subjoct. Civil Service Retirement. It is Impossible to proceed far In such an investigation without perceiving the need of a suitable means of . eliminating from the service the superannuated. This can be done in one of two Way, either by straight civil pension or by some form of contributory plan. Careful study of experiments made by forqlgn governmenta shows that three serious objections to the civil pension pay able out of the publlo treasury may be brought against It by the taxpayer, the administrative ' officer, and the civil em ploye, respectively. A civil pension Is bound to become an .enormous, continuous and Increasing tax on the publlo ex chequer; it Is demoralising to ths service since It makes difficult the dismissal of Incompetent smployes after they have partly earned their pension; and It is disadvanta geous to the main body of employes themselves since It Is always taken Into account In fixing salaries and only th few who survive and remain In the aer. vice until pensionable age receive th value of their deferred pay. For this rea son, after a half century of experience under a most liberal pension., system, ths civil servants of England succeeded, about a year ago, In having tha system so modi fled as to make It virtually a contribu tory plan with provision for refund of their theoretical contributions. The experience of England and other oountrlea shows that neither can a con tributary plan be successful, human na ture being what It "Is, whloh does not make provision for the return of contribu tions, with Interest, In case of death or resignation before pensionable age. Fol lowed to Its logical conclusion this means that the simplest and most independent solution of the problem for both employs and the government Is a compulsory sav ings arrangement, the employe to set aside from hi aalary a sum sufficient, with the help of a liberal rale of Interest from the government, to purchase an adequate an nuity for him on retirement, this ac cumulation to be Inalienably hi and claim able if he leave th service before reach ing the retirement aj or by hi heir in case of his death. This is the principle upon which the Uillstt bill now pending is drawn. Tlie GUelt bill, however, goes futher and provide that the government shall contri bute lo the pension fund of those em ployes who are now ao advanced in age that their personal contributions will not be sufficient to create their annul tie before reaching the retlretneut age. In my judgment this provision should be amended so that lh annuities of those employes shall be paid out -of tha salailea appro priated for th positions vacated by re tirement, and thai the difference between the annuities thus granted and the salaries may be used for the employment of ef ficient clert at th lower grades. If th bill can b thus amended 1 recommend ii passage, aa It will initiate a valuable system and ultimately result in a g eat saving in th pubic expenditure. laterals! CanistrM Commission. There has not been time to teat the bene fit and utility of the amendments to ths Interstate commerce law contained In th set approved June Is, liiiO. The law as enacted did not contain all the features which I recommended. It did not speci fically denounce as unlawful the purchase by one of two parallel and competing road of th stock of tha other. Nor did it stbjecl to the restraining influence of the Irtei stats Commerce commission th Itciwer of corporation engaged In operal- lug liiterytate railroads lo issue new stuck and bonds; uor aid it authorize the making of temporary agreements between rs.1l rosds. limited to thirty days, fixing the ssm rates for traffic between the name places. I do not press the consideration of anv of these objects upon congres at this session. The object of th first provision is probably generally covered by the ant, trost law. The second provision was in the act referred to the consideration of a commission to bo appointed by the eeiu tlve and to report un th matter v congress. That commission has been ap pointed and I engaged In the Investigation and constdetatlon of the question sub mitted under the law. It consists of Presi dent Arthur T. Hadiey of Yale university, as chairman; Frederick C. Strauss. Fred erick N. Judson, Trof. U. II. Meyer and Walter I,. Fisher, with William E. 8. tlns wold aa secretary. The third purpose led lo so much mis construction of its object that 1 am not disposed to press It for further considera tion. It was Intended to permit railroad companies to avoid useless rate cutting by a mere temporary acquiescence In the same rates for the same service over com peting railroads, with no obligation what ever to maintain those rates for any time. Safety- Appliances snd Provisions. The protection of railroad employes from personal injury Is a subject of the highest Importance and demands continuing at tention. There have been two measures pending In congress, one for the vision of boilers and tho other for the enlargement of dangerous clearances. Cei - taitily some measure ought to be adopted looking to a prevention of accidents from these causes. It seema to mo that Willi respect to boilers a bill might well be drawn requiring and enforcing by penalty a proper system of Inspection by the i ail way companies themselves which would accomplish our. put pose. The entire le moval of outside, clearances would be at tended by such enormous expenses that some other remedy must be adopted. i:y act of May , lino, the Interstate Com merce commission I authorised and di rected to Investigate accidents, lo iroort meir causes and Its recommendations, uggest that the commission be requeste I lo make a speclHl report as lo Injuries irom outnue clearance and the h h!U method of reducing them. Initiation of Knllronda. TUt Interstate Commerce commission iiai recommended appropriations for the pur pose of enabling it to enter upon a valua tion of all railroads. This has always been within the jurisdiction of the commission, but the requisite funds have been wanting, btatistlcs of the value of each railroad would be valuable for many purposes, es pecially if we ultimately enact any limita tions upon the power of the Interstate railroads to Issue stocks and bonds, as I hope we may. I think, therefore, that In order to permit a correct understanding of the facts, it would be wise to make a reasonable appropriation to enable the In terstate Commerce commission to proceed with due dispatch to the valuation of all railroads. 1 have no doubt that railroad companies themselves can and will greatly facilitate this valuation and make It mucii less costly in Unit and money than lias been supposed. fraudulent Bills of Lading. Forged and fraudulent bills of lading pur porting to be Issued against cotton, some months since, resulted In losses of several millions of dollars to American and foreign banking and cotton interest. Foreign bankers then notified American bankers that, after October 31, Mo, they would not accept bills of exchange drawn against bills of lading for cotton Issued by American railroad companies, unless American bank ers would guarantee the Integrity of the bills of lading. The American bankers rightly maintained that they were not Justified In giving such guaranties, aud that, if they did so, the United States would be the only country In the world whose bills were so discredited, and whose foreign trade was carried on under such guaranties. Th foreign bankers extended the time at which these guaranties were demanded un til December HI, UI10, relying upon us for protection in the meantime, as the money which they furnish to move our cotton crop Is of great value to tills country. For the protection of our own people and the preservation of our credit in foreign trade, I urge upon oongress the Immediate enactment of a law under which one who, in good faith, advances money or credit upon a bill of lading issued by a com mon carrier upon au interstate or foreign shipment can hold ths carrier liable for the value of th goods described In the bill at the valuaUon specified in the bill, at least to the extent of th advances mad in re liance upon It Such liability exist under the laws of many of th slate. I see no objeotion to permitting two classes of bills of lading to b Issued: (1) Those under which a carrier shall be absolutely liable, aa above suggested, and (2) thosa wm! respect to widen the carrier shall assume no iiaoimy except for the goods actually delivered to the agent Issuing the bill. The carrier might be permitted to nih. . small separate speoiflo charge in addition to tne rat of transportation for such guaranteed bill, as an Insurance Drtmlum against loss from the added risk, thus re moving tne principal objeotion which I understand Is made by the railroad com panies to the imposition of th hahllnv uggeated, vis, that th ordinary trans portation rate would not -compensate them for th liability assumed by th absolute guaranty of the accuraoy of the bill of lading. 1 further recommend that a punishment of fine and Imprisonment bs lmDoaed uum railroad agent and shippers for fraud or misrepresentation In connection with the issue of bills of lading issued uuon iniei state and foreign shipments. Let tan Lnnr Stand. Except as above, 1 do not recommend any amendment to the interstate commerce law as It stands. I do not now recommend any amendment to ths anti-trust law 111 other words. It seems to uie that the ivim lng legislation with reference to the regu lation of corporations and the restraint of their business has reached a point where we can stop for a wh.lt and wltnens t' effect of the vigorous execution of the law on the statute book In restraining the abuse which certainly did exist and which roused th publlo to demand reform. If this test develops a need for further leg s latlon, well and good, but until then let 114 execute what we have. Due to the reform movemeuts of the present decadu, there has undoubtedly been a great Improvement in business methods and standards. Ths great body of business men of this country, those who are responsible for its commercial development, now have eimesl deslr to obey the law and an 10 square their conduct of business to its re quirements and limitations. These will doubtless be made clearer by the decisions of the supreme court In cases pending before It. 1 believe It to be in the Interest of sll the peopls Of ths country that fur II, a time being the activities of government addition to enforcing the existing law. In he directed toward the economy of adminis tration and the enlargement of opportuni ties for foreign trade, the consul vstlon and Improvement of our agricultural lauds building up of home Industrie, and tl: the strengthening of 1 imi'idr .c of apital deii.estic ilivestme.i IliE WilliE UVLdu, Dec. t, Ui 111 1 r 1 V