Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-06
MISCELLANEOUS SUB
JECTS.

In my message Of last year I recon-
mended the creation Of a bureau of
health, in which should be embraced all
those government agencies outside Of the
War and Navy departments which are
now directed toward the preservation OF
public health or exercise functions ger
name to that subject. renew this recon-
mendation. I greatly regret that the agi-
tation in favor Of this bureau has aroused
a counteragitation against its creation, on
the ground that the establishment of
such bureau is to be in the interest of a
particular school of medicine. It seems
to me that this assumption Is wholly un-
warranted and that those responsible for
the government can be trusted to secure
in the personnel Of the bureau the ap-
pOintment of representatives OF all recOg-
nized schools of medicine. and in the
management of the bureau entire freedom
from narrow prejudice in this regard.
The Imperial Valley Project.
BY an act passed by Congress the Presi-
dent was authorized to expend a million
dollars to construct the needed work to
prevent injury to the lands of the Inn
perial valley from the overflow Of the
Colorado river. 1 appointed a competent
engineer to examine the locality and to
done SO. In order to complete the work
it is necessary to secure the consent of
Mexico. for part of the work must be con-
structed in Mexican territory. Negotia-
lions looking to the securing Of such
authority are quite near success. The
Southern Pacific Railroad Company pro-
poses to assist US In the work by lending
equipment and by the transportation Of
material at cost price. and it is hoped
10 before
any danger shall arise from the spring
floods in the river. The work Is being
done under the supervision of the Secre-
tary of the Interior and his consulting en-
gineer, General Marshall. late chief Of
engineers, now retired.
This leads me to invite the attention OF
Congress to the claim made by the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company for
an amount expended in a similar work Of
relief called for by a flood and great emer-
gency. This work. as I am informed. was
undertaken at the request of my predeces-
sor and under promise to reimburse the
railroad company. 1t seems to me the
equity of this claim is manifest, and the
value Of the work done. I recommend the
payment of the claim in sum found to
be just.
(The message here discusses District Of
Columbia affairs, as printed elsewhere in
this issue Of The Starr
Freedmen's Bank.
renew my recommendation that the
claims of the depositors in the Freed
mems Bank be recognized and paid by
the passage of the pending bill on that
subject.
also renew my recommendation that
steps be taken looking to the holding OF a
negro exposition in celebration Of the
fiftieth anniversary Of the issuing by Mr..
Lincoln Of the emancipation proclama-
ton.
Civil Service Commission.
The civil service commission has con-
tinued its useful duties during the year.
The necessity for the maintenance of the
provisions Of the clvil-service law was
never greater than today. Ohicers. re-
sponsible for the policy Of the adminfstra-
ton. and their immediate personal as
sistants or deputies, should not be in
ch,ded within the classified service; but In
INV Judgment. public opinion has advanc-
ed to the point where 1t would support q
bill providing a secure tenure during
efficiency for all purely administrative
ofiicials. / entertain the profound convic-
ton that it would greatly aid the cause
OF efflcient and economical government,
and of better politics. IL Congress could
enact q bill providing that the executive
cholI have the power tn include In the