Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-12-05
Presidents Message


be depl0rable. There will be no mon.
ey with which to meet payroll obi
cations and o n with which to meet
bills coming due for materials and
supplies. and there will be demOrali.
cation Of the forces. here and ON the
isthmus, now working SO harmonious.
iy and effectively, II there Is delay In
granting an emergency appropriation.
Estimates Of the amount necessary
will be found In the accompanying re-
ports OF the secretary OF war and the
commission.
The Department Of state.
recommend more adequate pro.
vision than has been made heretofore
Ing the work Of the department OF
state. Within q few years there has
bech q very great increase In the
amount and Importance OF the work
to be done by that department, both
ia Washington and abroad. This has
been caused by the great increase Of
our foreign trade, the increase OF
wealth among u people, which en-.
ables them to travel more generally
than heretofore, the increase Of Amer
ican capital which IL seeking invest.
ment 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 the department having
charge Of u foreign relations.
Neither at nome 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, IL 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 as
sign the members of each class to
duty at such posts as the interests
OF the service require, instead of the
appointments being made as at pre-
sent to specified posts. There should
be an adequate inspection service, 80
that the department may be able to
inform itself how the business of each
consulate Is being done. instead Of
depending upon casual private infor.
nation or rumor. The fee system
should be entirely abolished and q
due equivalent made In salary to the
officers who nov exc out their subsis-
tence by e of fees. Sufficient
provision should be made for q cleri-
cal force in every consulate, composed
entirely Of Americans. instead OF the
insufficient provision now made, which
compels the employment Of great
numbers Of citizens Of foreign, coun-
tries whose services can be obtained
for less money. At q large part OF
our consul&tes the office quarters and
the clerical force are inadequate to
the performance OF the onerous du.
ties imposed by the recent provisions
Of our immigration laws as well as
by vi increasing trade. In many
parts Of the world the lack OF suit.
able quarters for our embassies, le-
cations. and consulates detracts from
the respect In which our officers
ought to be held. and seriously i'm.
pairs their weight and influence.
Suitable provision should be maze
FOR the expense Of keeping our diplo-
matte officers more fully informed Of
what is being done from day to day in
the progress Of u diplomatic affairs
other countries. The lack Of
,uch information. caused by Insult.
cient appropriations available for ca
BILE tolls and for clerical and messen.
ger service, frequently puts our Off.
at a great disadvantage and de-
from their usefulness. The
list should be readjusted. II
not now correspond either to the
Of the service to be rem.
iered and the degrees Of ability and
experience required in the differest
positions, or to the differences in the
cost Of living. In many cases the
salaries are quite inadequate.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, December s, 1905.