The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1904-12-09

taxation in use. l caII special attention
10 the report OF the chief OF the bureau,
and l earnestly ask that the congress
carefully consider the report and rec
concentrations OF the commissioner on
this subject.
The business of insurance vitality af-
fects the great mass OF the people of
the United States and is national and
not local i'm its application. 1t involves
multitude of transactions among the
people of the different states and be-
tween American companies and for
eign governments. | urge that the CON
gress carefully consider whether the
power of the bureau of corporations
cannot constitutionally be extended to
cover interstate transactions in insur.
ance.
Rebates.
Above all else we must strive to keep
the highways of commerce open to all
on equal terms, and TO do this il is nee
essary to put complete stop to all re-
bates. Whether the shipper or the rail
road is 70 blame makes no difference.
The rebate must be stopped, the abuses
or the private car and private terminal
track and side track systems must be
stopped, and the legislation of the Eff
ty-eighth congress which declares II to
be unlawful for any person or corpora
ton to offer, grant, give, solicit. accept
or receive any rebate, concession or
discrimination in respect Of the trans
portation Of any property in interstate
or foreign commerce whereby such
property shall by any device whatever
be transported at less rate than that
named in the tariffs published by the
carrier must be enforced. While 1 am
OF the opinion that at present 1t would
be undesirable If IL were not impracti-
cable finally 10 clothe the interstate
commerce commission with general au-
thority 10 fix railroad rates, | do be-
lieve that as a fair security to ship
pers the commission should be vested
with the power where a given rate has
been challenged and after full hearing
found to be unreasonable to decide, sub
Ject to judicial review, what shall be a
reasonable rate to take its place, the
ruling of the commission to take effect
Immediately and TO obtain unless and
until it is reversed by the court OF re-
view.
Steamship companies engaged in In
terstate commerce and protected in our
coastwise trade should be held to
strict observance Of the interstate COM
merce act
1.-THE president here discusses the
city Of Washington, making numerous
recommendations looking to its better
government. He asks that laws be
passed preventing overcrowding in the
tenement districts, for the abolition Of
blind alleys and the proper housing Of
the poor lie also recommends changes
in the criminal code. and would have
wife beaters corporally punished.
Irrigation.
During the two and half years that
have elapsed since the passage of the
reclamation act rapid progress has
been made in the surveys and eXami-
nations of the opportunities for recla-
nation IN the thirteen states and three
territories Of the arid west Construc-
ton has already been begun on the lar
ton works, and plans are being com
pleted for works which will utilize the
funds now available.
The forest policy Of the government
IS just now subject of vivid public
interest throughout the west and TO the
people Of the United States in general.
The forest reserves themselves are of
extreme value to the present as well
MS to the future welfare of all the
western public land states. They pow
erfully affect the use and disposal of
the public lands. They are of spe-
cial Importance because they pre-
serve the water supply ana the supply
OF timber for domestic purposes and 50
promote settlement under the reclama-
tion act. lpdeed they are essential To
the welfare of every one of the great
interests Of the west
have repeatedly called attention to
the confusion which exists i'm govern
ment forest matters because the work
is scattered among three independent
organizations. As | have recommend.
ed. all the forest work of the govern
ment should be concentrated i'm the de-
partment Of agriculture, where the
larger part of that work is already
done. The Canyon OF the Colorado
should be made Il national park. and
the national park system should in
Clude the Yosemite and as many as
possible Of the groves of slant trees in
California.
Pensions.
The veterans of the civil war have
n claim upon the nation such as no
other body of our citizens possess. The
pension bureau has never in its history
been managed in a more satisfactory
manner than is now the case.
Consular service.
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. / am not
prepared to say that competitive sys-
TEN OF examinations for appointment
would work well, but by law it should
be provided that consus should be
familiar according to places for which