The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-12-19

of millions of dollars upon these wa
terways, yet the traffic on nearly all
OF them is steadily decreasing. This
condition is the direct result of the
absence of any comprehensive and
far-seeing plan Of waterway improve
ment.
The plan which promises the best
and quickest results is that of a per-
manent commission authorized to CO.
ordinate the work of all the govern
ment departments relating to water
ways, and to frame and supervise the
execution of comprehensive plan.
Funds should be provided from cur
rent revenues if it is deemed wise
We should have a new type of work
and new organization for planning
and directing it. The time for play
ing with our waterways is past. The
country demands results.
Indian Service.
1t has been my purpose from the
beginning of my administration to
take the Indian service completely out
OF the atmosphere of political activ-
ity, and there has been steady prog
ress toward that end. The last re-
naming stronghold of politics in that
service was the agency system, which
has seen it's best days and was grad
ually falling to pieces from natural or
purely evolutionary causes, but, like
all such survivals, was decaying SLOW
ly in it's later stage. 1t seems clear
that it's extinction had better be made
final now, SO that the ground can be
cleared for larger constructive work
on behalf of the Indians, preparatory
to their induction into the full meas
ure of responsible citizenship.
Secret Service.
Last year an amendment was incor-
pOrated in the measure providing for
the secret service, which provided
that there should be no detail from
the secret service and no transfer
therefrOm. 1t is not too much to say
that this amendment has been of ben
eft only, and could be of benefit only,
to the criminal classes. The chief ar
gument of the provision was that the
congressman did not themselves wish
to be investigated by secret service
men. Very little of such investiga-
ton has been done in the past; but it
is true that the work of the secret
service agents was partly responsible
for the Indictment and conviction of
a senator and a congressman for land
frauds in nrnO0n In hn1inun
that it is in the public interest to pro-
tect criminals in any branch of the
public service, and exactly as we have
again and again during the past seven
years prosecuted and convicted such
criminals who were in the executive
branch of the government, so in my
belief we should be given ample means
to prosecute them if found in the leg
islative branch.
Postal Savings Banks.
l again renew my recommendation
for postal savings banks, for deposit
ing savings with the security of the
government behind them. The OBJ
ject is to encourage thrift and econ
moderate means.
Parcels Post.
In my last message l commended
the postmaster-generals recommends
ton for an extension of the parcels
post on the rural routes. The estab-
lishment of a local parcel post on ru-
raj routes would be to the mutual ben
eft of the farmer and the country
storekeeper, and it is desirable that
the routes, serving more than 15,000,-
900 people, should be utilized to the
fullest practicable extent.
Statehood.
l advocate the immediate admission
of New Mexico and Arizona as states.
This should be done at the present
session of the congress. The people
of the two territories have made it
evident by their votes that they will
not come in as one state. The only
alternative is to admit them as two,
and trust that this will be done with
out delay.
Ocean Mail Lines.
/ again recommend the extension
of the ocean mail act of 1891 so that
satisfactory American ocean mail
lines to South America, Asia, the
Philippines and Australia may be es-
tablished. The creation of such
steamship lines should be the natural
corollary of the voyage of the battle
fleet. It should precede the opening
of the Panama canal. Even under IA
vorable conditions several years must
elapse before such lines can be put
into operation. Accordingly urge
that the congress act promptly where
foresight already shows that action
sooner or later will be inevitable.
Soldiers Homes.
All soldiers homes should be placed
under the complete jurisdiction and
control of the war department.
Fur Seals.
The federal statute regulating In
terstate traffic in game should be ex-
tended to include fish. New federal
fish hatcheries should be established.
The administration of the Alaskan fur
- knd in