Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-10

! r.
7, for the purpose of ascertaining til
}. practicabiity of establishing a speeds
9 local parcel post system ON the rura
e routes throughout the United State
l the postmaster general be authorizes
and directed to experiment and repor
: TO the congress the result of such eS
pertinent by establishing a special loca
parcel post system on rural deliver
routes i'll not to exceed four countje
III the United States for packages 0
fourth class matter originating on :
rural route or at the distributing post
office for delivery by rural carriers. l
: would seem only proper that such al
experiment should be tried in order Il
demonstrate the practicablity of the
proposition. especially as the postlnas
Ter general estimates that the revenue
derived from the operation of such a
system on all the rural routes would
amount to many million dollars.
Education.
The share that the national govern.
ment should take in the broad work of
education has not received the atten.
ton and the care it rightly deserves.
| The immediate responsibility for the
support and Improvement of our edu-
cational systems and institutions rests
and should always rest with tho people
OF the several states acting through
their state and local governments, hut
| the nation has an upportunity in cdu-
| cational work which must not be lost
| and a duty which should ne longer no
| neglected
The national bureau of education
was established more than forty wears
ago. is purpose is to collect and diff
tlSc such information .'aS shall aid
the people of the United States in The
establishment and maintenance Of eli
cient school systems and otherwise pro-
motc the cause Of education through.
out the country This purposc il no
way conflicts With the educational
work of the states, but. may be made
of great advantage 10 the states by
giving them the fullest. most accurate
and hence the most helpful inforn1a.
ton and suggestion regarding the hest
educational systems. The nation
through its broader field of activities
its wider opportunity for obtaining in.
formation from all the states and from
foreign countries. is able to do that
which not even the richest states can
do and with the distinct additional adj
vantage that the information thus OBJ
talned is used for the Immediate ben
eft OF AL our people.
With the limited means hitherto pro.
vided the bureau of education has ron.
dered efficient service, but the con.
gress has neglected to adequately SUP.
ply the bureau with means TO meet
the educational growth of the country.
The appropriations for, the general
work Of the bureau outside educatior
III Alaska. for the year 1909 are but
SSi, 800, an amount less than they |
were ten years ago, and some of the |
Important items in these approprla-
tons are less than they were thirty
years ago. 1t is an inexcusable waste
or public money to appropriate ain
amount which is SO inadequate as to
make it impossible properly to do the
work authorized. and il is unfair To
The great educational interests of the
country to deprive them of the value
u the results which can be obtained
by proper appropriations.
earnestly recommend that this I'M
ortunate state of affairs as regards the
NATIONAL educational Office be remedicd
~ adequate appropriations. This rec
is urged by the repre-
'entatlveS of our common schools and !
great state universities ard the LEADING
educators, who all unite in REQUESTING.
aVorable consideration and action by
he congress upon this subject.
Census.
strongly urge that the request Of
he director of the census in connection
With the decennial work SO soon to he
eeun be complied with and that the ,
ppolntmcntS to the census force he !
laced under the civil service law. :
'alV1nS the geographical requirements !
S requested by the director of the cen ,
Us. The supervisors and enumerators
srvlce law for the reasons given bv :
he director. commend to the con $
ress the careful consideration of the il
dmlrabIe report of the director of the s
ansus, and trust that his recon- j,
lendations will be adopted and imme. $
late action thereon taken. T
Redistribution of Bureaus. s
1t is highly advisable that there a
lould be intelligent action on the e
art OF the nation on the question OF
'cseryinS the health of the country.
trough the practical determination s;
San Francisco of disease bearing a,
'dents our country has thus tar es. h.
ped the bubonic plague. This is but y,
lie of the many achievements of 81
1nerican health officers. and it shows q,
NAT can be accomplished with a bet
+ organization than at present exists.
Public Health, =,
TIC dangers to public health from b,
od adulteration and from many in