The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-05

lie OAileI AaLu q LtlCUldIly nigh
standard Of conduct should lie demand
ed from them. and wEcr-s misconduct
can be proved the punishment should be
exemplary.
Aid to the Farmer.
In no department of governmental
work in recent years has there been
greater success than that Of giving
scientific aid to the farming popula-
ton, thereby showing them now most
efficiently TO help themselves. There
is TO need Of insisting Upon Its import
ance. for the welfare ot the farmer is
fundamentally necessary to the welfare
OF the republic as a whore. In addition
TO such work as quar- tntIne against
animal and vegetable plaques. and
warning against them when here intro
duced. much efficient hello has been
rendered TO the farmer ny til IntrOduC-
ton Of the new plants 81 eCidlly fitted
for cultivation under the PECULIAR con-
ditions existing in diff rent portions OF
the country. New ca. Gals nave been
established in the semi-arid west. For
instance, the praCticabil:tV Of prOduC-
ing the best types Of mCcarOni WheatS
in regions of an annual T"iutall Of only
ten inches or t~hereabOGts has been con-
Clusively demonstrated. through the
introduction of new T.CAs IL Louisiana
and Texas the production of rice III his
country has been made 20 ABOUT equal
the home demand. In tho southwest
the possibility Of regTassiHg overstock
ed range n has been demonstrated
in the north many new forage crops
have been introduced. while Il the east
it has been shown that some Of our
choicest fruits can be stored and
shipped in such q way rs TO find a
profitable market abroad.
smithsonian institutions.
l again recommend 20 tie favorable
consideration IF the congress the plans
Of the Smithsonian Institution for max
ing the museum under its charge wor-
thy Of the nation, and for preserving
at the national capital net my the re
cords Of the vanishing races Of men but
of the animals of this continent which,
like the buffalo, will soon become eX-
tinct unless specimens from which their
representatives may De renewed are
sought in their native regions and
maintained there III safety.
District OF C~oIumbia.
The District of Columbia is the only
part Of our territory IL which the ma
tiOnal government exercises local or
municipal functions, ard There in con-
sequence the government has q free
hand i'll reference to certain types of
social and economic legislation which
must be essentially local or municipal
in their character. The government
should see TO it, for Instance, that the
lily SIelliC anu sanitary lCSlSlG IlOll elect
ing Washington is of i liSn character.
The evils of slum dwellings,, whether in
the shape of crowded and cQngested
tenement house districts or OF the back
alley type, should never pe permitted to
grow up in Washington. The city
should be a model in every respec+ ~
all the cities of the country. The char
liable and correctional systems of the
District should receive consideration at
the hands of the congress 20 the end
that they may embouy the results of
the most advanced thought in these
fields. Moreover, whit Washington is
not a great industrial city, there is some
induStrialiSm here. and our labor legiS-
lation, While it would not De important
in itself, might be made Il model for the
rest Of the nation. We should pass, for
Instance, a wise emplOycr'S-i.abilIty act
for the District of Columbia, and we
need such an act in our navy yards.
Railroad companies in the District
ought to be required by law to block
their frogs.
Safe Appliance Law.
The safe-appliance law, for the better |
protection of the lives and limbs of
railway employees, which was passed
in 1898, went into full effect on August
/, 1901. 1t has resulted in averting thou |
sands Of casualties. Experience shows,
however, the necessity Of additional leg
islation to perfect this law n bill ID
provide for this passed the senate at
the last session. : is to he hoped that
some such measure may now be enacted
into law.
Public Printing.
There is a groI ing tendency to pro- |
vide for the publication of masses of
documents for which there is no public
demand and for the printing of which |
there is no real necessity. Large num- |
bers of volumes are turned out by the
government printing presses for which
there is no Justification. Nothing should |
be printed by any os the departments ,
unless it contains something of perma- '
nent value, and the congress could with |
advantage cut down very materially on
all the printing which it has now be- !,
come customary to provide. The excess |
sive cost of government printing is 4 |
strong argument against the position |
of those who are inclined on abstract |
grounds to advocate the governments |
doing any work which can with pro- |
priety be left in private hands.
Merit in Appointments.
Gratifying progress has been made |
during the year in the extension of the |
merit system of making appointments |
il the government service. 1t should
be extended by law to the District OF
Columbia. 1t is much to be desired that |
our consular system be established by |
law on n basis providing for appoint
ment and promotion only in cOnSa-
quence of proved fitness.
White House improvements.
Through a wise provision of the con-
press at its last session the White |
House, which had become disfigured by /
homogeneous additions and changes, has
now been restored to what ii was plan |
ned to be by Washington In making |
the reservations the utmost care has
been exercised to come as near as pos
sible to the early plans and TO supple
ment these plans by a careful study of |
such buildings as that Of the University |
of Virginia. which was built by Jeffer- |
son. The White House is the property |
OF the nation, and sc far as is |
BILE with living therein it should be kept |
as IL originally was for the same rea-
sons that We keep Mount Vernon as it |
originally was. The stately simplicity
of its architecture is an expression Of
the character of the period in which it
was built. n is in accord with the
purposes it was designed to serve. 1t is
a good thing to preserve such buildings |