The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1909-12-07

of-war's men. Our officers are earnest
/ and jealous in their profession. but 1t
| is a regrettable fact that the higher
officers are old for the responsibilities
! OF the modern navy. and the admirals
| do not arrive at flag rank young
/ enough to obtain adequate training In
| their duties as flag officers. This need
1 for reform In the navy has been ably
| and earnestly presented to congress by
/ my predecessor, and also urgently
recommend the subject for considera-
| ton.
Early in the coming session a COM
| prehensive plan for the reorganiza-
navy will be presented to congress.
and l hope it will meet with action
suited to its urgency.
Owing to the necessity for economy
in expenditures, l have directed the
curtailment of recommendations Tor
naval appropriations SO that they are
| thirty eight millions less than the cor
responding estimates of last year, and
the request for new naval construction
is limited to two first class battleshtps
aud one repair vessel.
The use OF q navy Is for military
purposes, and there has been found
need in the department Of military
branch dealing directly with the mill
tary use of the fleet. The secretary
Of the navy has also felt the lack OF
responsible advisers to aid him In
reaching conclusions and deciding i'm
portant matters between coordinate
branches of the department. To Sc
cure these results he has inaugurated
a tentative plan involving certain
changes in the organization OF the
navy department, including the navy
yards, all Of which have been found
by the attorney general to be in ac-
cordance with law. 1 have approved
the execution Of the plan proposed be-
cause of the greater efficiency ana
economy it promises.
The generosity of congress has pro-
vided in the present naval observatory
the most magnificent and expensive as
Economical establishment in the world.
1t is being used for certain naval pur-
poses which fright easily and adequate
ly be subserved by small division
connected with the navy department
at only a fraction of the cost OF the
present naval observatory. The Of.
ticial board of visitors established by
congress and appointed in 1901 ex-
pressed it's conclusion that the official
head Of the observatory should be an
eminent astronomer appointed by the
president by and with the advice and
consent Of the senate, holding his
| INV of a.
nent as that of the superintendent OF
tie coast survey or the head OF the
geological survey and not merely by
detail of two or three years dura.
ton l fully concur in this judgment
and urge a provision by law for the
appointment OF such a director.
1t may not be necessary to take the
observatory out Of the navy depart
ment and put it into another depart
ment in which opportunity for sci
entific research afforded by the OBJ
servatory would seem to be more ap'
propriate, though believe such q
transfer in the long run is the best
policy. am sure, however. express
the desire of the astronomers and those
learned in the kindred sciences when
Z i
observatory be aow dedicated to sci
ence under control of q man of sci
ence who can, If need be, render al
the service tt the navy department
which this observatory now renders
, ana still furnish to the world the dis
coveries in astronomy that a great as
tronomer using srch a plant would be
! likely to make.
Department of Justiee-Expsdition In
Legal PROCEDURE.
The deplorable delays in the admin
istration of civil and criminal law have
received the attention of committees o1
the American Bar association and o
many state bar associations, as well a.
the considered thought Of judges ane
jurists. In my judgment. a change IL
judicial procedure, with a view to re
ducing it's expense to private litigant!
in civil cases and facilitating the dis
patch Of business and final decision IL
both civil and criminal cases. consti
tutes the greatest need in our Ameri
can institutions. I do not doubt TO
) one moment that much Of the lawles
l VIOLENCE and cruelty exhibited In lynch
| luSS AIe ulTeClly uue ID Tue uuCeTtdul
, ties and injustice growing out Of tn,
delays in trials. judgments and the exc
cutions thereof by our courts. O
course these remarks apply quite Al
= well to the administration Of justice II
state courts as to that in fedora
! courts, and without making invidiou
t distinction 1t is perhaps not too mucl
to say that, speaking generally, the de
fects are less in the federal court
than in the state courts. But they ar,
9 very great in the federal courts. Tn
expedition with which business is dis
y posed of both on the civil and tn
q criminal side Of English courts unde
/ modern rules of procedure makes tn
l. delays in our courts seem archaic an,
i barbarous. The procedure in the fed
J. erai courts should furnish an exampl
: for the state courts.
i l presume it Is impossible withou
e an amendment to the constitution +
q unite under one form Of action tn
It proceedings at common law and pro
e ceedings in equity in the fedora
: courts. but it is certainly not impos
: sible by a statute to simplify and max
r short and direct the procedure both a
l. law and in equity in those courts.
a is not impossible to cut down stil
more than 1t is cut down the jurisdiC
e fioO Of tho Suprop1e, court RI cor