The Green Forest tribune., 1910-12-09

portation, under the Erdman act, j' mt ly with the chairman of the interstate commission.
 q cannot speak in too high terms oi the success Of the two offers in con ciIiation and settlement of conlrover sies which, but for tHeir interposition would have resulted s"strously to all interests.
 Civil Service Commission.
 "The civil service commission has continued its useful duties during the year. The necessity for the mainte nance of the provisions of the civil service law was never greater than to day. Officers responsible for the pol icy of the administration, and thelr immediate personal assistants or depu ties, should not be included within the classified service, but in my Judg ment, public opinion has advanced tc the point where it would support bill providing a secure tenure during eff ciency for all purely administrative officials. 1 entertain the profound con viction that it would greatly aid the cause of efficient and economical gov ernment and of better politics if con gross could enact bill providing that the executive shall have the power to include in the classified service all local offices under the treasury depart ment, the department of justice, the postoffice department, the interior de partment and the department of com merce and labor, appointments to which now require the confirmation of the senate, and that upon such classification the advice and consent of the senate shall cease to be re quired in such appointments. By their certainty of tenure, dependent on good service, and by their freedom from the necessity for political activ ity. these local officers would be in duced to become more efficient public servants.
 Economy and Efficiency.
 "The increase in the activities and in the annual expenditures of the fed eral government has been so rapio and so great that the time has come to check the expansion of government activities in new directions until we have tested the economy and efficiency with which the government of today is being carried on. The responsibility rests upon the head of the administra tion. He is held accountable by the public, and properly so. Despite the unselfish and patriotic efforts of the heads of departments and others charged with responsibility of govern ment, there has grown up in this coun try conviction that the expenses O government are too great. The fun damental reason for the existence un detected of waste, duplication, and bat management is the lack of prompt, ac curate information.
 q have requested the head of eacf department to appoint committees oi economy and efficiency in order to SC cure full cooperation in the movemen by the employees of the governmen themselves.
 q urge the continuance of the ap propriation of $100000 requested fo the fiscal year 1912.
 My experience leads me to believ, that while government methods art much criticized, the bad results-if W. do have bad results-are not due to lack of zeal or willingness on the par of the civil servants"
 Interstate Commerce.
 There has not been time to test tht benefit and utility of the amendment to the interstate commerce law con tained in the act approved June Is 1910. The law as enacted did not con tain all the features which I recon mended. It did not specifically de nounce as unlawful the purchase b. one of two parallel and competin roads of the stock of the other. No did it subject to the restraining influ ence of the Interstate Commerce com mission the power of corporations en gagged in operating interstate railroads to issue new stock and bonds; nor dit it authorize the making of temporar. agreements between railroads limited to 30 days, fixing the same rates fo traffic between the same places.
 q do not press the consideration O any of these objects upon congress a this session.
 'The interstate commerce commis sion has recommended appropriation! for the purpose of enabling it to entel upon a valuation of all railroads. Thi! has always been within the jurisdic ton of the commission, but the requi site funds have been wanting. Statis tics to the value of each railroad would be valuable for many purposes, espe cially if we ultimately enact any linn itations upon the power of the inter state railroads to issue stocks anC bonds, as I hope we may.
 For the protection of our owI people and the preservation of ou credit in foreign trade, I urge upoI congress the immediate enactment O d law WulCu Ohc WAO, III SOOt faith, advances money or credit upor bill of lading issued by a common carrier upon an interstate or foreigr shipment can hold the carrier liable for the value of the goods described in the bill at the valuation specified in the bill, at least to the extent of tn. advances made in reliance upon it.
 q further recommend that punish ment of fine and imprisonment be i'm posed upon railroad agents and ship pers for fraud or misrepresentation il connection with the issue of bills O lading issued upon interstate and for eign shipments.
 Except as above, I do not recon mend any amendment to the interstate commerce law as it stands. I do no now rnpOrpmpn6 any arppnHnnDt r.