The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-12-06


Our consular system needs improve
ment. Salaries should be substituted
for fees, and the proper classification,
grading and transfer of consular Of
ficers should be provided. l am not
prepared to say that a competitive
system of examinations for appoint
ment would work we'll; but by law it
should be provided that consuls
should be familiar, according to
places for which they apply. with the
French. German or Spanish Ian
guages. and should possess acquaint-
ance with the resources Of the United
States.
National Quarantine Law.
1t is desirable to enact a proper
national quarantine law. 1t is most
undesirable that a state should on it's
own initiative enforce quarantine reg
ulations which are in effect a restric-
tion upon interstate and international
commerce. The question should prop
erly be assumed by the government
alone. The surgeon general of the
national public health and marine
hospital service has repeatedly and
convincingly set forth the need for
such legislation.
Extravagance in Printing.
call your attention to the great
extravaganza in printing and binding
government publications, and espe-
cially to the fact that altogether too
many of these publications are print
ed. There is a constant tendency to
increase their number and their vol
ume. 1t is an understatement to say
that no appreciate harm would be
caused by, and substantial benefit
would accrue from, decreasing the
amount of printing now done by at
least one-half. Probably the great
majority of the government reports
and the like no wprinted are never
read at all, and furthermore the print
ing of much of the material contained
in many of the remaining ones serves
no useful purpose whatever.
Currency.
The attention of the congress
should be especially given to the cur
ItHCy quCSlloIi, anu tlldl tllC .
committees on the matter in the two
houses charged with the duty take up
the matter of our currency and see
whether it is not possible to secure
an agreement in the business world
for lettering the system; the COM
mittees should consider the question
of the retirement of the greenbacks
and the problem of securing in our
currency such elasticity as is con-
sistent with safety. Every silver
dollar should be made by law re-
deemable in gold at the option of the
holder.
Merchant Marine.
l especially commend to your i'm
mediate attention the encouragement
of our merchant marine by appropri-
ate legislation.
Oriental Markets.
The growing importance of the orr
ent as field for American exports
drew from my predecessor, President
Mckinley, an urgent request for its
special consideration by the congress.
In his message of 1898 he stated:
I'm this relation, as showing the
peculiar volume and value of our
trade with China and the peculiar vol
ume and value of our trade with
China and the peculiarly favorable
conditions which exist for their ex-
pansion in the normal course of trade,
1 refer to the communication address,
ed tc the speaker of the house of
representatives by the secretary of
the treasury on the 14th of last June,
with its accompanying letter of the
secretary of state, recommending an
appropriation for a commission to
study the industrial and commercial
conditions in the Chinese empire and
to report as to the opportunities for
and the obstacles to the enlargement
of markets in China for the raw prod
ucts and manufactures of the United
States. Action was not taken there
on during the last session. l cor
daily urge that the recommendation
receive. at your hands the considera-
ton which it's importance and timeli-
ness merit"
In dealing with the questions of
immigration and naturalization 1t is
indispensable to keep certain facts
ever before the minds of those who
share in enacting the laws. First
and foremost, let us remember that
the question of being a good Ameri-
can has nothing whatever to do with
a mans birthplace any more than it
has to do with his creed. In every
generation from the time this gov
eminent was founded men of foreign
birth have stood in the very fore
most rank Of good citizenship, and
that not merely in one but in every
field OF American activity; while to
try to draw a distinction between the
man whose parents came to this coun-
try and the man whose ancestors
came to it several generations back
Is mere absurdity. Good Ameri-
canism is a matter of heart, Of con-
science, Of lofty aspiration, of sound