Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-03

the country in the organization Of the
service is heartily commended to your
attention. Several bills providing for a
| new consular service have in recent
years been submitted to the congress.
/ They are based upon the just principle
that appointments to the service should
/ be made only after practical test of
the applicants fitness, that promotions
| should be governed by trustworthIness
adaptability, and zeal in the perform
ance of duty, and that the tenure of
| office should be unaffected by partisan
considerations.
The guardianship and fostering of our
rapidly expanding foreign commerce,
the protection of American citizens re-
sorting to foreign countries in lawful
pursuit of their affairs, and the mainte-
nance of the dignity of the nation
abroad, combine to make 1t essential
that our consuls should be men of char
acter, knowledge. and enterprise. 1t is
true that the service is now, in the
main, efficient, but standard of excel
lence cannot be permanently main
| tanned until the principles set forth in
the bills heretofore submitted to the
congress on this subject are enacted in
| to law.
Public Library Movement.
Perhaps the most characteristic edu-
cational movement of the past fifty
years is that which has created the
modern public library and developed 1t
into broad and active service. There
are now over 5000 public libraries in the
United States the product of this peri
cd. In addition to accommodating ma
terial, they are also striving by organ
ization, by Improvement in method and
by cooperation, to give greater efficien-
cy to the material they hold, to make 1t
more widely useful and by avoidance Of
unnecessary duplication In process to
reduce the cost of its administration.
In these efforts they naturally look for
assistance to the federal library, which.
tho still the library Of congress- and so
entitled, is the one national library Of
the United States Already the largest
single collection OF books on the west
ern hemisphere, and certain to increase
more rapidly than any other thru pur-
chase. exchange, and the operation Of
the copyright law. this library has a
braries Of this country-to American
scholarshfp-service of the highest i'm
portance. It is housed in a building
which is the largest and most magnifi-
cent yet erected for library uses Re-
sources are now being provided which
will develop the collection properly,
equip it with the apparatus and service
necessary to its effective use, render its
photographic work widely available and
enable 1t to become. not merely center
OF research, but the chief factor in great
cooperative efforts for the diffusion OF
knowledge and the advancement Of
learning.
Census Office Should Remain.
For the sake of good administration.
sound economy and the advancement of
science, the census Office as now ccnsti-
tuted should be made permanent gov
ernment bureau. This would insure bet
ter. cheaper and more satisfactory work,
in the interest not only Of our business.
but Of statistic, economic and social
science.
commends Rural Delivery.
The remarkable growth OF the postal
service is shown in the fact that its
revenues have doubled and it's expen-
ditures have nearly doubled within
twelve years. It's progressive develop
ment compels constantly increasing out
lay, but in this period Of business ener-
gy and prosperity Its receipts grow 80
much faster than its expenses that the
annual deficit has been steadily reduced
from $11.411,779 in 1897 to $3.92S,727 in
1901. Among recent postal advances the
success of rural free delivery wherever
established has been so marked, and ac-
tual experience has made its benefits so
plain, that the demand for its extension
is general and urgent.
It is just that the great agricultural
population should share in the improve
ment of the service. The number Of
rural routes now in operation is 5000,
practically all established within three
years, and there are 5000 applications
number in operation at the close OF the
current fiscal year will reach $500. The
mail will then be daily carried to the
doors of 100000 Of our people who have
heretofore been dependent upon distant
offices. and one-third Of all that portion
of the country which Is adapted to 1t
will be covered by this kind Of service.
The full measure OF postal progress
which might be realized has long been
hampered and obstructed by the heavy
burden imposed on the government thru
the intrenched and well-understood
abuses which have grown up in connec-
ton with second-class mail matter. The
extent Of this burden appears when 1t is
stated that while the second-class mat
ter makes nearly three-fifths Of the
weight Of all the mail, 1t paid for the
last fiscal year only 1925, AS of the ag-
gregate postal revenue Of $111,631.1s3. II
the pound rate Of postage. which pro-