The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-12-08
~portation. under the Erdman act, joint
ly with the chairman of the interstate

~ viii the CndIr man OF Iue LuIetbG&t0
commerce commission.
Il cannot speak In too high terms OF
the success of the two officers In con
Citation and settlement Of controver.
sizes which, but for their interpretation.
would have resulted disastrously to all
interests.
Civil Service Commission.
The civil service commission has
continued It's 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 their
immediate personal assistants or depu-
ties, should not be included within the
classified service, but In my judy
ment. public opinion has advanced to
the point where Ii would support q bill
providing a secure tenure during EN-
cheney for all purely administrative
officials. | entertain the profound con.
viction that it would greatly aid the
cause of efficient and economical Gov
eminent and Of better politics II con-
gress could enact a bill providing THAI
the executive shall have the power
to include In the classified service an
local Offices under the treasury depart
ment, the department Of justice, tho
~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.
CURED In such appointments. BY
their certainty Of tenure. dependent on
good service. and by their freedom
from the necessity for political actiy.
ity, these local officers would be ~
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 beer SO rapid
to check the expansion Of government
activities In new directions until we
have tested the economy and efficiency
with which the government of today In
being carried on. The responsibility
rests upon the head of the administrar
ton. 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
inent. there has grown up in this coun-
try u conviction that the expenses Of
government are too great. The fun
damental reason for the existence un-
detected Of waste, duplication, and bad
management is the lack of prompt. 40
curate information.
II have requested the head Of each
department to appoint committees on
economy and efficiency in order to Sc
cure full cooperation In the movement
sy sns employees of the s%0'e'Smsn'
II urge the continuance of the ap-
preparation Of 500, 900 requested for
the fiscal year 1912.
MY experience leads me to believe
that while government methods are
much criticized, the bad results-if We
do have bad results-are not due to q
lack of zeal or willingness on the part
of the civil servants"
Interstate Commerce.
There has not been time to test the
benefit and utility of the amendments
to the Interstate commerce law CON
tanned In the act approved June Is
1910. The law as enacted did MOI con-
tain all the features which | recon-
mended. II did not specifically de-
nounce as unlawful the purchase By
n OF two parallel and competing
roads Of the stock of the other. MOI
did IL 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 did
it authorize the making of temporary
agreements between railroads limited
to 30 days. fixing the same rates for
traffic between the same places.
81 do not press the consideration OF
any of these objects upon congress at
this session.
1.-The interstate commerce commits
SlO0 mas TcCOn1IneHueu dppTOpf idtfOuD
for the purpose Of enabling 1t to enter
upon a valuation OF all railroads. This
has always been within the jurisdio-
ton OF the commission, but the requt
site funds have been wanting. Stalls
tics to the value Of each railroad would
be valuable for many purposes. espe-
cially II we ultimately enact any linn
~itations upon the power Of the inter
state railroads to issue stocks and
bonds. az I hope we may.
For the protection Of u W
people and the preservation Of our
credit In foreign trade, l urge upon
congress the immediate enactment Of
a law under which n who. In good
faith, advances money or credit upon
a bill Of lading issued by a common
carrier upon an interstate or foreign
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 the
advances made in reliance upon It.
81 further recommend that a punish