Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-12-05

were from accessory works. These re-
suits were achieved In the rainy sea-
son with a rainfall In August of l1,so
inches and In September Of i1.65 Inches.
Finally, in October. the record was
again eclipsed, the total excavation. be-
ing 1.S6s.729 cubic yards; a truly ex-
t~raordinary record. especially In View
Of the heavy rainfall. which was I'LL
inches. In fact, experience during the
last W rainy seasons demonstrates
that the rains are n less serious OBJ
stacle to progress than has hitherto
been supposed.
Work on the locks and dams at
Gatun. which began actively in March
last, has advanced 80 far that 1t is
thought that masonry work on the
locks can be begun within IS months.
Last winter bids were requested and
received for doing the work OF canal
construction by contract. None of them
was found to be satisfactory and all
were rejected. 1t Is the unanimous
opinion of the present commission hat
the work can be done better. more
cheaply, and more quickly by the gov
than by private contractors.
Fully SO per cent. OF the entire plant
needed for construction has been pur-
chased or contracted for; machine
shops have been erected and equipped
for making all needed repairs to the
plant: many thousands of employees
have been secured: an effective organi-
zation has been perfected: a recruiting
system Is in operation which is capable
of furnishing more labor than can be
used advantageously: employees are
we'll sheltered and well fed; salaries
paid are satisfactory. n the work is
not only going W smoothly. but
1t is producing results far In advance
of the most sanguine a"nticipations.
Under these favorable conditions. a
change in the method of prosecuting
the work would be unwise and unjusti-
fable. for II would inevitably disorgan-
Ice existing conditions. check progress,
and Increase the cost and lengthen the
time OF completing the canal.
President Recommends
Postal Savings Banks.
II commend to the favorable consid-
GRAFTON of the congress a 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 depositing
their money in savings banks. Viewed.
however. from the experience of the
past few weeks. II Is evident that the
advantages OF such an institution are
still more ~far-reaching. 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 detriment of pros
perity. Through the agency of the pos
tai savings banks such money would be
raltOraA 80 Tho Ata,naIa ~ traln tn
the mutual beneft Of capital and labor.
II further to the congress
the consideration of the postmaster
generals accommodation for an ex-
tension OF the parcel post. especially OF
the rural routes. There are now as
2l5 rural routes. serving nearly l5,00O.-
900 people who do not have the adj
vantages OF the Inhabitants OF cities in
obtaining their supplies. These recon-
~mendations have been drawn up to
benefit the farmer and the country
s~torekeeper; otherwise. ! should not
favor them. for / believe that II is good
policy for our government to do every
thing possible to aid the small town
and the country district. 1t Is desirable
that the country merchant shout not
be crushed out.
THE f~ourth-class p~ostmasters' con-
vention has passed a 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-class post
masters save for reasons connected
with the good OF the service; and II is
e~ndeavoring so far as possible to re-
move them from the domain of partisan
politics. 1t would be a most desirable
thing to put the fourth-class postmas-
tiers In the classified service"
He 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-
viding shipping relief for Hawaii; asks
for citizenship for Porto Ricans, and
promises submission of Secretary
Taft's report on Philippines when that
official returns.
He 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 a naval mum at
Vicksburg.
Corporation Contributions
TO Compaign Expenses.
Under our form OF government voting
Is not merely a right but a duty, and.
moreover, a fundamental and necessary
duty II a man is to be a good citizen.
II is 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 In
however, always danger in laws OF this
kind. which from their very nature are
difficult OF enforcement; the danger beina
lest they be obeyed only by the honest
and disobeyed by the INSCRIPTIONS, &C
as to act only as a penalty upon honesl
men. Moreover, no such law would ham.
Il NAG m NNaaA1.-sl-A- -
means from buying his own way into of
flee. There Is a very radical measur,
which would. l believe. work a substan
tial improvement In our system OF con
Quoting a campaign, although l am wei
aware that II will take some time 70
people to so familiarize themselves witt
such d Yooposal as to be willing to con
slider its adoption. The need for collect
ing large campaign funds would vanish /
congress provided an appropriation 10
the proper and legitimate expenses o
each OF the great national parties, an ap
preparation ample enough to meet tn
necessity for thorough organization an
machinery. which requires a large ex
penditure of money Then the stIpula
ton should be made that no party re
ceiving campaign funds from the treasur
should accept more than a fixed amour
from any Individual subscriber or donor
and the necessary publicity for receipt
and expenditures could without dlmcult
be provided"
Wants Improvement I'm the
Ocean Mail Service.
3 II call our especial attention to the III
satisfactory condition of our foreign ma
: service. which. because of the lack
. American steamship lines. Is now largel
r done through foreign lines. and whicI
particularly so far as South and Centr
e America are concerned. Is done In a ma
ner which constitutes a serious barri,
C to the extensions OF our commerce.
|, The time has come. in my Judgmen
!; TO set to work seriously to make O,
ocean mall service correspond mo
closely with our recent commercial a,
/, political development. A beginning WI
= made by the ocean mall act of March
:. 1891, but even at that time the act WI
y known TO be inadequate In various pa
t~iculars. Since that time events ha,
u moved rapidly In our history. We Ina
acquired Hawaii. the Philippines. al
a.sar islandA In tho Pacific W.