Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-08

aided greatly by amendments in th
classification Of mail matter and th
curtailment Of abuses Of the secon,
class mailing privilege. The ayera 2
Increase In the volume Of mail matte
for the period beginning with 1902 ant
ending June, 1906 ,(that portion To-
1905 being estimated), is 4o.47 per cen
us compared with 25.46 per cent To-
the period Immediately preceding ant
1892 for the four year period tmme
diately 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 off
GERS should be provided. am not pre-
pared to say that competitive system
of examinations for appointment would
work well. but by law, it should bt
provided that consuls should be ia
miliar. according to places for which
they apply. with the French, German
or Spanish language and should pos
sess acquaintance with the resources
of the United States.
National Gallery of Art.
The collection of objects of art con-
templated in section 55s6 of the Re.
yised Statutes should be designated
ana established as national gallery Of
art, and the Smithsonian institution
should be authorized to accept any ad-
dltlons to said collection that may be
received by gift. bequest or devise.
National Quarantine Law.
1t is desirable to enact proper ma.
tional quarantine law. 1t is most un.
desirable that a state should on its
own initiative enforce quarantine regu-
iations which are in effect a restric-
ton upon interstate and international
commerce. The question should prop
erly be assumed by the government
alone. The surgeon general of the ma
tional public health and marine hos
pital service has repeatedly and con-
vincingly set forth the need for such
legislation.
EXIT avagance In Printing.
l call your attention to the great ex.
trayagancc 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. 1t is an un-
to say that no apprecia-
bic harm would be caused by, and sub
stantial benefit would accrue from, de-
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 con-
tanned in many Of the remaining ones
serves no useful purpose whatever.
Currency.
The attention of the congress should
be especially given to the currency
question and that the standing commit
tees on the matter in the two houses
with the duty take up the mat
ter Of our currency and see whether it
Is not possible to secure an agreement
in the business world for lettering the
system. The committees should con-
slider the question of the retirement of
the greenbaclls and the problem of Sc
curing in our currency such elasticity as
is consistent with safety. Every silver
dollar should be made by law redeem
able in gold at the option Of the holder.
Merchant Marine.
especially commend to your imme-
liate attention the encouragement Of
our merchant marine by appropriate
legislation.
Oriental Markets.
The growing Importance of the orient
as q field for American exports drew
from my predecessor, President Nc
kinley, an urgent request for it's spe-
,ial consideration by the congress. In
lis message of 1898 he stated:
I'm this relation, as showing the Pc
,uliar volume and value of our trade !
With China and the peculiarly favora-
Die conditions which exist for their
expansion in the normal course Of
rade, l refer to the communication
addressed to the speaker Of the house
# representatives by the secretary of
he treasury on the 18th of last June,
With it's accompanying letter of the
of state, recommending an
for a commission to
'tudy the Industrial and commercial
conditions in the Chinese empire and
o report as to the opportunities for
md the obstacles to the enlargement
# markets in China for the raw prod /,
lets and manufactures of the United
states. Action was not taken thereon
Turing the last session | cordially
lrge that the recommendation receive
t your hands the consideration which
is Importance and timeliness merit
In his annual message of 1889 he |
gain called attention to this recon-
aendation, quoting it, and stated fur
her:
Il now renew this recommendation.
s the importance of the subject has
teadily grown since it was first SUBJ
1itted to you. and no time should be
ost in studying for ourselves the re-
Curees of this great field for Ameri-