The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-07

or fIagrant dishonesty is now the rare ex- caption. 1t is nevsrthsiess the fact that the salaries paid Indian agents gre not large enough to attract the best men to that field of work To achieve satisfactory results the official in charge. of the Indian tribe should possess the high qualifications which are required in the manager of a large busi- mess. but only in exceptional cases is 1t pos siblei to secure men of such . type for these posftions- Much better service, however. might bs obtained from those now holding the places were 1t practicable to get out of them the best that is in them, and this should be done by bringing them constantly into closer touch with their superior off cers. An agent who has been content to draw his salary. giving in return the least possible equivalent in effort and service. may. by proper treatment. by suggestion and encouragement. or persistent urging be stimulated to greater effort and induced to take more active interest in his work
 Under existing conditions an Indian agent In the distant West may be wholly out of touch with the office of the Indian Bureau. He may very we'll feel that no one takes personal interest in him or his efforts Cert-s ain routine duties in the way of reports and accounts are required of him. but there is no one with whom he may intelligently con suit on matters vital to his work, except after long delay. Such man would be greatly encouraged and aided by personal contact with some one whose interest In Indian affairs and whose authority In the | Indian Bureau were greater than his own. | and such contact would be certain to arouse and constantly increase the interest he takes in his work. IJgs The distance which separates the agents the workers in the field--from the Indian Office in Washington Is a chief obstacle to Indian progress. Whatever shall more closely unite these two branches of the Indian Service. and shall enable them to cooperate more heartily and more effective-' iy, will be for the increased efficiency of the work and the betterment of the race whose Improvement the Indian Bureau was established. The appointment of field assistant to the Commissioner of Indian, Affairs would be certain to insure this good end. Such an official. If possessed of the requisite energy and deep interest in his work. would be . most efficient factor in bringing into closer relationship and more direct union of effort the Bureau in Wash inston and it's agents in the field; and with the cooperation of It's branches thus secured the Indian Bureau would, In measure full CT than ever before. lift up the savage to- ward that seif-help and seif-reliance which constitute the man
 Jamestown TricentenniaI
 In 1907 there will be held at Hampton Roads the tricentennial celebration of tho settlement at Jamestown. Virginia, with which the history of what has now become the United States really begins. I commend this to your favorable consideration. It is an event of prime historic significance in which all the people of the United States should feel and should show, great and gem eral interest.
 Postal Service.
 In the Post-Office Department the serv- ice has increased in efficiency, and con. ditions as to revenue and expenditure con- tinue satisfactory. The increase of revenue dvyN1 H0 per cent. the total receipts amounting to E<s, 3s2. .6zL34 The expenditures were $152.a62.116.7o, an increase of about per cent over the previous year. being thus ss.- sTs.4s2Se in excess of the current revenue.
 Included in these expenditures was total appropriation of $12s5s,637.s5 for the con- tinuation and extension of the rural free delivery service. which was an increase of $4eo2,237.36 over the amount expended for this purpose in the preceding fiscal year. Large as this expenditure has been the ,beneffcent results attained in extending the free distribution of malls to the residents of rural districts have justified the wisdom of the outlay. Statistics brought down to the 1st of October. 1904, show that on that date there were 27,13s rural routes estab- lished. serving approximately 1z.o00.0 of people in rural districts remote from post offices and that there were pending at that time 3,s59 petitions for the establish
 
 some part of the general increase in re- ceipts is due to the increased postal facili- ties which the rural service has afforded. The revendes have also been aided greatly by amendments in the classification of mail matter, and the curtailment of abuses of the second-class mailing privilege. The average increase in the volume of mail matter for the period beginning with 1902 and ending June 1905 (that portion for 1905 being estimated). is 40.f per cent. as conn pared with 25.4s per cent for the period inn mediately preceding, and 15s2 for the four year period immediately preceding that.
 Consular Service.
 Our consular system needs improvement. Salaries should substituted for fees and the proper class. tication. grading. and trans fer of consular 'ificers should be provided. am not prepared to say that a competitive system of examinations for appointment would work well but by law 1t should be provided that consuls should be familiar, according to places for which they apply, with the French, German. or Spanish lam guages. and should possess acquaintance with the resources of the United States
 Nati' nal Gallery of Art. The coliect' ,n of objects of art contem- plated in section 55s6 of the Revised Statutes should be designated and established as a National Gallery of Art: and the smithson- ian Institution should be authorized to &C., cept any additions to said collection that may be received by gift, beQuest. or de- wise.
 National Quarantine Law.
 It is desirable to enact a proper National quarantine law. It is most undesirable that a State should on It's own initiative enforce quarantine regulations which are in effect restriction upon interstate and international commerce. The question should properly be assumed by the Govern ment alone. The Surgeon General of tho National Public Health and Marine e-Hospit- al Service has repeatedly and convincingly set forth the need for such legislation.
 Extravagance In Printing.
 call your attention to the great extrava- gance in printing and binding Government publications. and especially to the fact that altogether too many of these publications are printed There is a constant tendency to increase their number and their volume. It is an understatement to say that no ap- preciable harm could be caused by, and sub stantial benefit would accrue from. decreas- ing the amount of printing now done by at least one-ha Probably the great majori- ty of the Government reports and the like now printed are never read at all and furth- ermore the printing of much of the ma terial contained in many of the remaining ones serves no useful purpose whatever.
 Currency.
 The attention of Congress should be es- pecially given to the currency question and that the standing committees on the mat ter 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 bet tering the system; the committees should fAA~