The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1908-12-09

| W lIdHc anu supervise tlle execution or
! q comprehensive plan. Under such
commission the actual work of cpnstruc-
! ton might be entrusted to the reclama-
ton service; or to the military engineers
| acting with sufficient number Of civili-
| ans to continue the work in time of war;
or it might be divided between the rec
| amation service and the corps of en-
gneers. Funds should be provided from
| current revenues if it is deemed wise
otherwise from the sale of bonds. The
| essential thing Is that the work should
| go forward under the best possible plan,
| and with the least possible delay. The
| time for playing with our waterways Is
past. The country demands results.
| The president urges that national
| parks adjacent to national forests be
| placed under the control of the forest
| service of the agricultural depart
ment; he also points out the benefits
derived from pure food legislation.
The message continues:
Needs Of the 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 serv
| ice and no transfer therefrom. The
| amendment in question was Of benefit to
no one excepting to criminals. and
| it seriously hampers the government in
| the detection of crime and the securing
| of justice. The chief argument in
favor Of the provision was that
the congressman did not them
| secret service men. Very little of such
| investigation 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 SEN
ator and a congressman for land frauds
in Oregon. 1 do not believe that it Is
| in the public interest to protect criminals
in any branch of the public service, and
exactly as we have again and again dur
| ing 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 II found in the
| legislative branch But II this is not
| considered desirable special exception
could be made in the law prohibiting the
use Of the secret service force in inves-
tigating members of the congress.
Postal Savings Banks.
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. 1t is believed that in the
| aggregate vast sums of money would be
brought into circulation through the in
| strumentalty of the postal savings
| banks.
Parcel Post.
In my last annual message COM
mended the postmaster-generaP
recomm enda ton 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
| storekeeper, and it is desirable that the
routes, serving more than 100000
| people. should be utilized to the fullest
| practicable extent
| Education.
| With the limited means hitherto pro-
| vded, the bureau of ducaton has
| rendered efficient service. but the con-
| gress has neglected to adequately sup
| ply the bureau with means to meet the
educational growth of the country.
| I earnestly recommend that this UNI
| fortunate state of affairs as regards
the national educational Office be reme-
| died by adequate appropriations. This
| recommendation is urged by the repre-
| sentatives of our common schools and
| great state universities and the leading
| educators, who all unite in requesting
| favorable consideration and action by
| the congress upon this subject.
The president points out the neces-
sity of better organization of the vari-
GUS bureaus responsible for the public
health, and urges the placing of all
soldiers homes under the jurisdiction
of the war department.
| Statehood.
On the question of statehood the
president says:
| I 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 ter
| rtories 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 without delay.
Interstate Fisheries.
I call the attention of the congress to
| the importance OF the problem of the
| fisheries in the interstate waters. On the
| Great Lakes we are now, under the very
wise treaty of April II of this year. en-
| deavoring to come to an international
| agreement for the preservation and sat
| isfactory use of the fisheries Of these wa
| tiers which can not otherwise be achieved.
Lake Erie, for example. has the richest
fresh water fisheries jr the world but it
is now controlle by the statutes of two
nations, four ctates, and one province,
| and this province by two different ord-
nances in different counties All these
political divisions work at cross pur-
| poses. and in no case can they achieve
protection to the fisheries, on the one
| hand. and justice to the localities and in
dividuals on the other.
Foreign Affairs.
This nations foreign policy is based
on the theory that right must be done
between nations precisely between
| individuals. and in our actions for the
last ten years we have in this matter
proven our faith by our deeds. We
have behaved, and are behaving, to-
wards other nations as in private life
an honor able man would behave to-
wards his fellows.
Latin-American Republics.
The commercial and material prog
ress of the 20 Latin American republics
is worthy of the careful attention OF
the congress. The International Bureau
of the American Republics is doing a
useful work in making these nations
and their resources better known to
us, and in acquainting them not only
with us as people and with our pur-
poses towards them, but with what we
have to exchange for their goods.
Panama Canal.
| The work on the Panama canal is be
ing done with a speed, efficiency and
entire devotion to duty. which make il
model for all work of the kind. The