The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-03
MISCELLANEOUS.


L again to the favorable con-
sideration of the Congress the plans of the
Smithsonian Institution for making the
museum under its charge worthy of the
Nation, and for preserving at the national
capital not only records of the vanish
ing races of men, but Of the animals of this
continent which. like the buffalo, will soon
become extinct unless specimens from
which their representatives may be re-
newed are sought in their native regions
and maintained there in safety.
The District of Columbia is the only part
of our territory in which the national gov
eminent exercises local or municipal func-
tions, and where in consequence the gov
eminent has a free hand in reference to
certain types of social and economic legis-
lation which must be essentially local or
municipal in their character. The govern
ment should see to it, for instance, that the
h~ygienic and sanitary legislation affecting
Washington is of a high character. The
evils Of slum dwellings, whether in the
shape of rowded and congested tenement
house districts or of the back-alley type,
should never be permitted TO grow up in
Washington. The city should be a model
In every respect for all the cities of the
country. The charitable and correctional
systems of the district should receive con-
sideration at the hands of the Congress to
the end that they may embody the results
of the most advanced thought I'm these fields.
Moreover, while Washington is not a great
Industrial city, there g some Industrial
ism here, and our labor legislation, while
IL would not be important in itself, might
be made a model for the rest of the Nation.
We should pass, for instance, a wise en-
ployer's-Iiability act for the District of
Columbia, and we need such an act in our
~navyyards. Railroad companies in the dis
trict ought to be required by law to block
their frogs.
The safety-appliance law, for the better
protection Of the lives and limbs of rail-
way employees, which was passed in 1893,
went into full effect on Aug. j, 1901. 1t has
resulted in averting thousands of casualties.
Experience shows, however, the necessity
of additional legislation to perfect this law.
A bill to provide for this passed the Senate
at the last session. 1t is to be hoped that
some such measure may now be enacted
into law.
There is a growing tendency to provide
for the publication of masses of document
for which there is no public demand and
for the printing of which there is no rea,
necessity. Large numbers of volumes are
turned out by the government printing
presses for which there is no justification.
Nothing should be printed by any of the
departments unless it contains something
of permanent value, and the Congress
could with advantage cut down very ma
terially on all the printing which it has
now become customary to provide. The
excessive cost of government printing is a
strong argument against the position OF
those who are inclined on abstract grounds
to advocate the governments doing any
work which can with propriety be left in
private hands.
Gratifying progress has been made dur
ing the year in the extension of the merit
system of making appointments in the
government service. 1t should be extended
by law to the District of Columbia. 1t is
much to be desired that our consular sys-
tenn be established by law on a basis nro.
viding for appointment and promotion only
in consequence of proved fitness.
Through a wise provision of the Congress
at its last session the White House. which
had become disfigured by homogeneous ad-
ditions and changes. has now been restored
to what ii was planned to be by Washing.
ton. In making the reservations the ut.
most care has been exercised to come as
near as possible TO the early plans and r.
supplement these plans by a careful study
of such buildings as that of the University
of Virginia, which was built by, jefferson
The White House is the property of thf
Nation, and so far as is compatible witt
living therein 1T should be kept as il orig
inally was. for the same reasons that w,
keep Mount Vernon as ii originally was
The stately simplicity of its architecture,
is an expression of the character of IN,
period in which IL was built, and is in ac
cord with the purposes Ii was designed n
buildings as historic monuments whicl
keep alive our sense Of continuity witt
the Nations past. ~
The reports OF the several executive de
partments are submitted to the Congress,
with this communication