The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-12-09

II Is commonly declared that the slow
advance OF the Indians is due to the un-
satisfactory character of the men ap--
pointed to take Immediate charge OF
fhem, ana to some extent this Is true.
While the standard of the employees in
the Indian Service shows great Improve
ment over that of bygone years. and
while actual corruption or flagrant dis
honesty is now the rare exception It Is
neyertheiess the fact that the salaries
TO attract the best men 10 that field OF
work. To achieve satisfactory results
tne 0Incial In charge of an indian tribe
sIhJn,u .h,nn possess the high qualifications
which are required i'm the manager of a
parge business, but only in exceptional
cases Is IL possible to secure men of such
setylno type Tor these positions. Much better
service, however, might be obtained
from those now holding the places were
~ practicable to get out of them the hest
IN hnai ~ IN them, and this should be done
py prlnsUB them constantly into closer
touch with their superior officers An
agent who has been content TO draw his
saiary, giving In return the least possible
nqoryaient nporea IN effort and service, may, by
proper treatment. by suggestion and en-
courugement, or persistent urging. be
sstimulated to greater effort and Induced
10 luke luxe more active personal Interest
Under existing conditions an Indian
agent In the distant West NAV be
WHOLLY out of TOUGH with the office of the
indian Bureau. He may very well feel
that no one takes a personal Interest in
him or his efforts. Certain routine duties
rn IN the way of reports and accounts are
required OF him, but there Is no one with
whom he may intelligently consult ON
matters Vital to his work, except after
long delay. Such man would be great
encouraged and aided by personal con-
.act with some one whose interest in
indian affairs and whose authority in the
1noian Bureau were greater than his
own, and such. contact would be certain
TO arouse and constantly increase the
interest he takes In his work.
The distance which separates the
sagents,the workers in the held-from
the indian office In Washington is a
chief obstacle to Indian progress. What
ever shall more closely unite these two
branches of the Indian Service, and
shall enable them to cooperate more
heartily and more effectively. will be for
the increased efficiency of the work and
the betterment of the race for whose
Improvement the Indian Bureau was es-
tablished. The appointment of field
assistant to the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs would be certain to insure this
good end Such an official II possessed
In the work, would be most efficient
factor In bringing into closer relation
ship and a more direct union of effort
the Bureau In Washington and Its agents
IN the field; and with the cooperation OF
It's branches thus secured the Indian Bu-
reau would, in a measure. fuller than
ever before. lift up the savage toward
that self-help and self-reliance which
constitute the man.
JAMESTOWN TRICENTENNIAL
In 1907 there will be held at Hampton
Roads the tricentennial celebration of
the settlement at jamestown, Virginia,
become the United States really begins.
commend this to your favorable con-
alteration; 1t is an event, of prime his
pie of the United States should feel, and
s.iould show, great and general interest.
POSTAL SERVICE.
In the Post-Office Department the ser.
vice has increased In efficiency, and con-
continue satisfactory. The increase OF
revenue during the year was 1855 1Sl. 10,
or So per cent, the total receipts amount
ing to s143, So, ,624.Si. The expenditures
were Sl52, ,362, n6.70, an increase of about 0
per cent over the previous year, being
thus $8.979, ,492. .36 in excess of the current
revenue Included In these expenditures
was total appropriation of Sl2, $50, ,637.o
for the continuation and extension Of the
rural free-delivery service, which was an
increase of A,9O2, ,237.35 over the amount
ssPSnded sp.a lo for this purpose in the pre-
diture has been the beneficent results
attained In extending the free distribu-
ton of malls to the residents of rural
districts have justified the wisdom of the
outlay. Statistics brought down to the
LIST of October, 1904, show than on that
date there were 27,13S rural routes es-
tablished. serving approximately 12,0OO,-
from post-offices, and that there were
pending at that time 1883 petitions for
the establishment of new rural routesr
Unquestionably some part of the general
increase in receipts is due to the increaS-
ed postal facilities which the rural SER
vice has afforded. The revenues have
also been aided greatly by amendments
In the classification of mail matter, and
the curtailment of abuses of the sec
ond-class mailing privilege. The average
increase in the volume of mail matter for
~ inH wi
Ing June, 1905, Chat portion for 1908 being
estimated), Is 40.H per cent, as compared
with 25.46 pei, cent for the period .imme-'
year period Immediately preceding that.
CONSULAR SERVICE.
Our consular system needs improve
ment. Salaries should be substituted
for fees, and the proper classification,
grading and transfer of consular offices
should be provided. i am not prepared
to say that a competitive system OF ex-
aminations for appointment would work
well; but by law It should be provided
that consuls should be familiar accord
ing to places for which they apply, wi
the French, German, or Spanish Language
es. and should possess 1 aeauaistahSe 9,ai WI
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART.
The collection of art contemplated In
section $3.50 of the Revised statutes
should be designated and established as
n National Gallery of Art; and the Smith
sonian Institution should be authorized
to accept any additions to SAID coiiee-
tion that may be received by gift, be-
quest, or devise.
NATIONAL QUARANTINE LAW.
II is desirable to enact proper Ma
tional quarantine law. 1t Is most unde-
sirable that a State should on its own
initiative enforce quarantine regulations
which are in effect a restriction upon In
terstate and international commerce.
THE question should properly be asslm-
ed by the Government alone. The sur
geon-General of the National Public
Health and Marine Hospital Service has
repeatedly and convincingly set forth
the need for such legislation.
EXTRAVAGANCE IN PRINTING.
I call4your attention to the great eX-
trayagance In printing and binding Gov
ernment publications and especially to
these publications are printed. There Is
a constant tendency to increase their
number and their volume. 1t Is an un-
derstatcment to say that no apprecia-
Bile harm would accrue from, decreasing
the am,)unt of printing now done by at
least ore-half. Probably the great ma
1ority of the Government reports and
1he like now printed are never read at
all, and Furthermore the printing OF