Weekly journal-miner., 1908-12-16


 In. hr,n done in the past; but if is ,,p, thl' toe work of the Secret Scr y,, agcut- was partly responsible for ,le indictment and conviction of q sepafof and e Congressman for land fnnl. u oregon. do not believe ,la, n is in the public interest to pro. ,ea ,rmuals in any branch of the pnhIi. service, and exactly as we have ,eaiu aui again during the past seven v.ars rfl,ocuied and convicted sucb criminals who were in the executive branch of the Government, so in my bel.cf wr should be given ample means 10 prosecute them if found in the leg sla,ivc branch. But if this is mn, considered desirable n special excep ton rould be made in the law prohibit. itg the use of the Secret Service force ip investigating members of the Con. ge.,. Ii would he far better to do ,hs than to do what actually was done and strive to prevent or at least to hamper effective action against crim- inals by the executive branch of the Government.
 Postal Savings Banks.
 l again renew my recommendation for postal savings banks, for deposit. ibg savings with the security of the Government behind them. The object s Co encourage thrift and economy in ,he wage carner and person of mod. crate means. In fourteen states the deposits in savings banks as reported 10 the Comptroller of the Currency amount to S3,59O, ,2i5,4O2, or gs4 per | f Ia ,he remaining 32 states there are only | siO3OS,ji3, or 1.G per cent. showing exclusively that there are many lo. raliics in the United States where sufficient opportunity is not given to l ,he people to deposit their savings. The result K that money is kept in hiding and unemployed. It is be- !!erci 'ha' in 'he aggregate yas. snms Woull hc brought into circulation through the instrumentalty of the saving, banks. While there are only lii savings banks reporting to the Comptroller there are more than Gi. o0o postollices. 10000 of which are money order offices. Postal savings bank, are now in operation in practi. olly all the great civilized countries
 
 States.
 Parcel Post.
 In mv Inst annual message | com. mendcd the Postmaster. Generals re. cormendation for an extension of the parcel post on the rural routes. The establishment of local parcel post on rural routes would be to the mutual benefit of the farmer and the country ''orekeopcr, and it is desirable that ,he routcs, serving more than i5.00O.. Wo people. should be utilized to the fullest practicable extent.
 Education. The share that the National Govern Hent should take in the broad work Of education has not received tho at len'ion and the care it rightly de- serves. The immediate responsibility for 'hc support and improvement of our educational systems and institu tons rests and should always rest "llh the people of the several states acting through their state and local go'ernments. but the Nation mas an opportunity in educational work which must not be lost and duty which should no longer be neglected.
 The National Bureau of Education was established more than forty years ago. its purpose is to collect and diff. luse such information "as shall aid The people of the United States in the establishment and maintenance of ''heient school systems and otherwise promote the cause of education throughout the country.' This pur m ..t. ha nd, eatlonal work of the States, but may be made of great advantage to the states by giving them the fullest, most accurate, and hence the most helpful information and suggestion re- gafdlng the best educational systems. me Nation, through its broader field oi activities. its wider opportunity for ob'aining information from all the states and from foreign countries, IS able to do that which not even the neaest States can do, and with the instinct additional advantage that the information thus obtained Is used for me immediate benefit of all our people.
 With the limited means hitherto provided. the Bureau of Education mas rendered efficient service, but the ,ohgress has neglected to adequately supply the burean with means to meet Ts rne educational growth of the country: The appropriations for the general work of the bureau, outside education ,a Alaska, for the year 1909 are but N'aO0-an amount less than they were ten years ago, and some of the important items in these appropria ,lohS are less than they were thirty years ago. IL is an inexcusable waste m public money to appropriate an amount which Is SO inadequate as to make II impossible properly to do the nofk authorized, and it is unfair to .ue great educational interests of the 'Suh'ry to deprive them of the value % tae results which can be obtained 0y proper appropriations.
 earnestly recommend that this on' ,ef'nnatc state of affairs as regards .ne national educational office be r, 1r"medIed by adequate appropriations rms recommendation is urged by the representatives of our common Aa