The state herald., 1907-12-06

izc existing conditions check progress,
and Increase the cost and lengthen the
time of completing the canal.
President Recommends
Postal Savings hanks.
Il commend to the favorable consid-
GRAFTON Of the congress postal saw
ings bank system, as recommended by
the postmaster general. The primary
object is to encourage among our peo-
pie economy and thrift and by the use
OF postal savings banks to give them
an opportunity to husband their re-
sources. particularly those who have
not the facilities at hand for dcpositing
their money in savings banks. Viewed,
however, from the experience of the
| past few weeks It is evident that the
advantages of such an Institution are
| still more far-rcaching. Timid depos-
| itors have withdrawn their savings for
| the time being from national banks: In
dividuals have boarded their cash and
the workingmen their earnings. all
| Of which money has been withdrawn
| and kept in hiding or In the safe de-
posit box to the detrimcnt of pros
| perity. Through the agency of the pos
| tai savings banks such money would be
| restored to the channels OF trade, to
| the mutual bcneft of capital and labor.
| Il further commend to the congress
the consideration Of the postmaster
| generals recommendation for an cN-
| tension of the parcel post, especially on
| the rural routes. There are now 3S.-
| 2l5 rural routes, serving nearly 10000
| 600 people who do not have the ad-
| vantages of the Inhabitants of cities In
| obtaining their supplies. These recon-
| mcndntions have been drawn up to
benefit the farmer and the country
| storekeepcr: otherwise. l should not
| favor them. for ] believe that 1t is good
| policy for our government to do every
| thing possible to aid the small town
and the country district. II is desirable
| that the country merchant should not
| be crushed out
| The fourth class postmastcrs' con-
| vention has passed Il very strong reso-
| luton in favor OF placing the fourth
| class postmasters under the civil-serv-
ice law. The administration has al
| ready put into effect the policy of re,
| fusing to remove any fourth h-ciass post
| masters save for reasons connected
| with the good OF the service: and II is
| cndeavoring so far MS possible to re-
| move them from the domain of partisan
politics. II would be "A most desirable
thing to put the fourth-class postmas-
ters in the classified service"
lie renews his recommendations OF
| last year in regard to Alaska: calls at
tention to the admission of Oklahoma
as "A state; urges the Importance of pro-
yiding shipping relief for Hawaii: asks
| for citizenship for Porto Ricans and
promises submission OF Secretary
Tafts report ON Philippines when that
| official returns.
lie asks for the creation Of a bureau
OF mines, recommends the providing OF
| funds for preserving The Hermitage
| the home OF Andrew jackson; and the
erection OF naval monument at
| Viclsburg.
Corporation Contributions
To Compnign Expenses.
Under our fern OF government voting
Is not merely a right but "a duty, and.
moreover. II fundamental and necessary
| duty II man is to be good Citizcn.
| II In well to provide that corporations
shall not contribute to presidential or
national campaigns. and furthermore to
provide for the publication OF both con
| tributions and expenditures There IT,
however. always danger In laws of this
| Kind, which from their very nature are
difficult OF enforcement. the danger being
| lest they be obcyed only by the honest
| and diEobcycd by the unsrrupulous. so
| ns 10 act only as penalty upon honest
| men. Moreover. no such law would ham
per an INSCRIPTIONS man of unlimited
| means from buying his own wny into Of
ncc. There ir very radical measure
| which would, believe, work "a substnn-
| ual Improvement In our system OF con
| ducting n campaign, although I am well
| nwnr" that II Will take some time for
| people To so fnmiliurlzc themselves with
| such a proposal as TO be willing TO con
slider It's adoption. The need Tor collect
| Ing large campaign funds would vanish n
| congress provided an appropriation for
| the proper ana legitimate expenses OF
each Of the great national parties an ap-
| preparation ample enough TO meet the
| necessity for thorough organization and
| Las
| pendturo OF money. Then the stlpula.
ton should be made that no party re-
| cclving campaign funds from the treasury
| should accept more than n fixed amount
from any individual subscriber or donor
| and the necessary publicity for receipts
and expenditures could without difficulty
| be provided -
| Wants Improvement In the
Ocean Mall Service.
| II call your especial attention TO the un.
satisfactory condition Of our foreign mail
| service. which. because Of the lack Of
| American steamship lines. In now largely
done through foreign lines. and which,
| particularly No far aH Houth and Central
] America are concerned, II done In a man
| nor which constitutes II serious barrier
to the extensions of our commerce.
THE time has come, In my judgment,
| to set TO work seriously 10 make our
| ocean mail seryic. correspond more
closely with our recent commercial and
political development A beginning was
made by III. ocean mail act Of March J.
/ 1901. but even nt that time the net was
| known to be inadequate In various par.
| ticulnrs. Since TINT time events have
| moved rapidly In our history. We have
| acquired Hawaii. the Philippines, aud
lesser islands In the Pacific, We are
| steadily prosecuting the great work Of
uniting ht tn. IsthmuH the waters OF tho
| Atlantic and the Pacific, To "A greater
extent than seemed probably even
| dozen years ago We may look 10 an
| American future on the seh worthy OF
| the tradition Of our past A the frst
| step In that direction. and the step most
| feasible NJ the present time, I recommend
| the extension OF N. ocean mail net Of
| 1881 That net has stood for some years
| free from successful criticism OF It's prln-
| riplr and purporo, II was based on thro.
| ric- OF the obligations of a great mari.
time nation, undlspuied In our own land
| and followed by other nations since the
beginning OF steam navigation. Briefly