Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-12-09
personal contact with some one whose in
tares. In, India a xzhose ant

personal contact with some one whose in
teres; in Indian affairs and whose authority
cwn and such contact would be certain to
arouse ard constantly increase the interest
he takes in his work.
The distance which separates the agents
the workers in the field-from the Indian
Office in Washington is chief obstacle to
Indian progress. Whatever shall more
Closely unite these two branches of the In
dian service and shall enable them to CO.
operate more heartily and more effective
~, will be for the increased efficiency Of
the work and the betterment OF the race for
whose improvement the Indian bureau was
established. The appointment of a fed
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 the
work. would be a most efficient factor in
bringing into closer relationship and a more
direct union of effort the bureau in Wash
ington and its agents in the field: and with
the cooperation of its branches thus Sc
cured the Indian bureau would in measure
fuller than ever before, lift up the savage
toward that self-help and self-reiiance
which constitute the man.
Jamestown TricentenniaI.
In 1907 there will be held at Hampton
Roads the tricentennial celebration of tie
settlement at Jamestown, Va, with which
the history of what has now become the
United States really begins. 1 commend
this to your favorable consideration. 1t is
an event Of prime historic significance, in
which all the people of the United States
should feel, and should show, great and
general interest.
The Postal Service
In the post office department the service
has increased in efficiency, and conditions
as to revenue and expenditure continue sat
isfactory. The increase Of revenue during
the year was $9,35s, 1910, or So per cent,
the total receipts amounting to $143, 382,-
624A The expenditures were $152 362, i16 20,
an increase of about nine per cent over the
previous year, being thus s., 979, 1872. Sc in ex-
cess of the current revenue. Included in
these expenditures was a total appropria-
ton of SIP, $50. 657 35 for the continuation and
extension of the rural free delivery service,
which was an increase of 81, S02. 237 IS over
the amount expended for this purpose in
the preceding fiscal year. Large as this
expenditure has been, the ben ficent results
attained in extending the free distribution
of mails to the residents of rural districts
have justified the wisdom of the outlay.
Statistics brought down to the 1st of Octo-
Der, 1904, show that on that date there were
2713S rural routes established serving ap-
proximateiy 1900 600 of people in rural dis
trictS remote from post offices, and that
there were pending at that time 1859 petit
tlonS FOR the establishment OF new rural
routes. UnQuestionably some part Of the
general increase in receipts is due to the
increased postal facilities which the rural
service mas anOrOeQ. Inc revenues nave
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
Chat portion for 1905 being estimated), is
40.4 per cent, as compared with 25.46 per
cent. for the period Immediately preced-
ing. and 1892 for the four-year period i'm
mediately preceding that.
Consular Service
Our consular system needs improvement
Salaries should be substituted for fees, and
the proper classification grading and trans
fer of consular officers should be provided
am not prepared to say that a competitive
system of examinations for appointment
would work well; but by law it should be
provided that consulS should be familiar,
according to places for which they apply,
with the French. GermaR or Spanish Ian
guages. and should possess acquaintance
with the resources of the United States.
The collection of objects of art contem-
plated in section 1856 of the Revised Statutes
should be designated and established
national gallery Of art; and the Smith
sonian Institution should be authorized to
accept any additions to said collection that
may be received by gift bequest or devise.
National Quarantine Law.
It is desirable to enact a proper national
quarantine law. 1t is most undesirable
that state should on its own initiative
enforce quarantine regulations which are
in effect a restriction upon interstate and
international commerce. The question
should properly be assumed by the govern
ment alone The surgeon general of the
national public health and marine hospital
service has repeatedly and convincingly
set forth the need for such legislation.
Extravaganza 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
10 increase their number and their volume
1t is an understatement to say that ap-
preciabie harm would be caused by. and
substantial benefit would accrue from, de-
creasing the amount of printing now done
by at least one-half. Probably the great
majority of the government reports and
the like now printed are never read at ALL
and Furthermore the printing of much of
the material contained in many of the re-
naming ones serves no useful purpose
whatever.
Currency.
The attention of the congress should be
es. ecially given 10 the currency question,
aLd that the standing committees on the
matter in the two houses charged with the
duty, take up the matter of OR currency
and see whether it is not possible to secure
an agreement in the business world for
lettering the SYSTEM; the committees
should consider the question Of the retire
ment of the greenbacks and the problem
Of securing in our currency such elasticity
as is consistent with safety. Every silver
dollar should be made by law redeemabIe
in gold at the option of the holder.
Merchant Marine.
I especially commend to your immediate
attention the encouragement of our mer-
chant marine by appropriate legislation.
Tariff.
On the tariff I shall communicate WITH
you later.
Oriental Markets.
! The growing Importance of the orient as
field for American exports drew from my
predecessor, President Mckinley, an urgent
request for its special consideration by the