Putnam patriot., 1908-12-11

ZivlnS us not onAy naNkgable but navfEated rivers. Ne have spent hundreds of millions eE dollars upon these waterways. yet ihe traffic ca nearly all ef them Is steadily deci,n- inc This condition Is the dsrect r0s- suit of the absence Of any eounfrs. heasive and farseeins plan of water way improvement osyieesls re can not continue thus tc expena the rev, enues Of the government without re- turn. It is poor business to spead money for inland navigation unless we get it.
 Such shortSi~hted vacluatinw and futile methods are accompanied by ae. crossing water horne comuence and increasing tra.Fie congestion sa land. bT iuereaSing foods ard ty The waste of public money. The remedy lies in abandoning the methods which haye so sIsnally failed and ad0pslas Jew ones in keepins with the needs and demands ef eur people
 In 2 rePart on q uieasaae iasrodueel at the first session of Jha present con sreSS the secretary of var said. ''Tha chief defect in the methods hitherto pursued lies in the a6sence of exeeu. tive authority for originating eompre. hcnsiEe plans covering the country or natural divisions thereof" h this opinion heartily concur
 Entil the work of river Improvement Is undertaken iu a modern way t can not have results that will meet the needs of this modern nation These needs should be met without further tiilly -dallying or delay. The plan which promises the best and quickest results ls that of permanent commission au- thorized to coordinate the work of all the government departments relating to waterways and to frame and super wise the execution of comprehensive plan. The time for playing with cur waterways is past The country de mands results
 National Parks
 urge that all our national parks ad. jaeent to national forests be placed completely under the control of the forest service of the agricultural de- partment, instead of leaving them, as they are now, under the interior de partment and potieed by the army.
 Pure Food.
 The pure food legislation has already worked benefit difficult to nyeresti- mate.
 Secret Service.
 Last year an amendment was incorl ror., fed fu tho feoaSura nr,,-f.5i,.x eor the secret service which provided that there should be no detail from the se- eret service and no transfer therefrom. IL Is not too much to say that this amendment has been of benefit only, and could be of benefit only, to the criminal classes. The amendment In question was of benefit to no one ex- cepting to criminals and t seriously hampers the government in tho detec- tion of crime and the securing of jus tice. It prevents the promotion of em- ployees in the secret service. and this further discourages good effort In its present form the restriction operates only to the advantage of the criminal af the wrongdoer
 The chief argument In favor of the provision was that the congressman did not themselves wish 10 be investi. gated by secret service men. Very lit. tie of such investigation has been done in the past. but 1t is true that the work of the secret service agents WAS partly responsible for the indictment and con viction of senator and q congressman for land frauds In Oregon. l do not believe that it Is In the public interest to protect criminals in any branch Of the public service. aud exactly as We have again and again during the past seven .ears prosecuted and convicted such criminals who were in the execu- tive branch Of the government so in my belief we should Je given ample means to prosecute them if found in the legislative branch. But If this is not cons ed desirable special ex- ception - be made in the law pro hiblting gn,. use of the secret service force in Investigating members of the congress. It would be far better to do this 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.
 I again renew my recommendation for postal savings banks. for deposit ing savings with the security of the government behind them. The object Is to encourage thrift and economy in the wage earner and person of mod crate means It is believed that fin the aggregate vast sums of money would be brought Into circulation through the instrumentallty of the postal say ings banks. Postal savings banks are now in operation in practically all the great civilized countries with the ex- ception of the United States.
 Parcel Poet
 In my last annual message l com mended the postmaster generals rec ommendation for an extension of the parcel post on the rural routes. The establishment of a local parcel post on rural routes would bs to tho mu- tual benefit of the farmer and the country storekeeper. and 1t b 0es1rabls that the routes. serving mors than l6.- Oo00o0 people. sh>uld be utitissd to ths fullest practicable extsnG
 gdwostisM.
 The shars that tho national eOvesnr mant shouid take in tho broad work of educattoa has not received tho attenr ton and the sass ft rightly deoefvse- ! earnestly recOmmepd that this un- fortunate state of a6airs e regafds ths nat1Onal educationai o6lce be ssm- sdisd by adequate appropriatjooa