The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-12-06


 had to be sanitated first. This task has been so thoroughly accomplished that yellow fever has been virtually ex- tirpated from the isthmus and general health conditions vastly improved. The same methods which converted the is landsland of Cuba from a pest hole, which menaced the health of the world, : into a healthful place of abode, have been applied on the isthmus with sat isfactory results. There is no reason to doubt that when the plans for water supply, paving and sewerage of Pana- ma and Colon and the large labor camps have been fully carried out, the isthmus will be, for the tropics, an un- usually healthy place of abode. The 1 work is so far advanced now that the health of all those employed in canal work is as well guarded as it is on sim liar work in this country and else where.
 In addition to sanitattng the isthmus, satisfactory quarters are being provid- ed for employees and an adequate sys- tenn of supplying them with wholesome food at reasonable prices has been i created. Hospitals have been estab- lished and equipped that are without superfors of their kind anywhere. The country has thus been made fit to work in, and provision has been made for the welfare and comfort of those who are to do the work During the past year a large portion of the plant with which the work is to be done has been or 1 dered. It is confidently believed that by the middle of the approaching year sufficient proportion of this plant will have been installed to enable us to re- sume the work of excavation on large scale.
 What is needed now and without de- lay is an appropriation by the congress to meet the current and accruing eX- penses of the commission. The first ap- propriation of $10,O00,00O, out of the $135, ,OO0,000 authorized by the Spooner act, was made three years ago. It is nearly exhausted. There is barely enough of 1t remaining to carry the commission to te end of the year Un- less the congress shall appropriate be- fore that time all work must cease. To arrest progress for any length of time now, when matters are advancing so satisfactorily, would be deplorable. There will be no money with which to meet payroll obligations and none with which to meet bills coing due for ma terials and supplies; and there will be demoralization of the forces, here and on the isthmus now working so har- moniously and effectively, if there is delay in granting an emergency appro- | pf EI,a essary will be found in the accom- panying reports of the secretary of
 war and the commission.
 The Department of State.
 I recommend more adequate provi- sion than has bee2 made heretofore for
 the work of the Department of State.
 Within 8 few years there has been
 very great increase in the amount and l importance of the work to be done by
 that department. both in Washington
 and abroad. This has been caused by l the great increase of our foreign trade,
 the increase of wealth among our peo- pie, which enables them to travel more
 generally than heretofore the increase
 of American capital which is seeking
 investment in foreign countries, and
 the growth of our power and weight in the councils of the civilized world. There has been no corresponding in
 crease of facilities for doing the work
 afforded to the department having
 charge of our foreign relations.
 Neither at home nor abroad is there
 a sufficient working force to do the business properly. In many respects ' the system which was adequate to the
 work of twenty-five, or even ten, years
 ago, Is inadequate now, and should be
 changed. Our consular force should
 be classified, and appointments should
 be made to the several classes, with
 authority to the Executive to assign
 the members of each class to duty at
 such posts as the interests of the ser-
 vice require instead of the appoint
 ments being made as at present to specified posts. There should be an
 adequate inspection service, so that the department may be able to inform it.
 self how the business of each consulate is being done instead of depending
 upon casual private information or ru- nor. The fee system should be entire ly abolished, and a due equivalent
 made in salary to the officers who now eke out their subsistence by means of
 fees. Sufficient provision should be
 made for clerical force in. every con-
 sulate, composed entirely of Ameri- cans, instead of the insufficient provi- sion now made, which compels the em- ployment of great numbers of citizens
 of foreign countries whose services can
 be obtained for less money. At large part of our consulates the office quar-
 ters and the clerical force are inade-
 quate to the performance of the oner-
 ous duties imposed by the recent pro-
 visions of our immigration laws as well
 as by our increasing trade. In many
 parts of the world the lack of suitable
 quarters for our embassies, legations ] pATE EhnED