The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-06
OF the bureau entire freedom
narrow prejudice in this regard.
Imperial Valley Project.

4
narrow prejudice In this regard
Imperial Valley Project.
BY an act passed by congress. the
President was authorized 10 cXpend a
million dolJers- construct the need
cd work to prevent injury to the
! lands Of the Imperial Valley from the
overflow OF the Colorado river | APP
| pointed 4 competent engineer TO eX-
anime the locality and to report a
plan for construction. He has done
so In order TO complete the work
II Is necessary TO secure the consent
of Mexico for part OF the work must
be constructed In Mexican territory.
Negotiations looking 10 the securing
Of such authority are quite near sue
cess The Southern Pacific railroad
/ company proposes 10 assist us in the
work by lending equipment and by
| the transportation of material at cost
price, and Il Is hoped that the work
may be completed before any danger
| sholl arise from the spring floods
In the river.
This leads me to invite the attention
OF congress to the claim made by the
| Southern Pacific railroad company for
All amount expended I'm q similar
| work Of relief called for by a flood
and great emergency. This work, as
, | am informed was undertaken at the
request OF my predecessor and un-
, der promise TO reimburse the railroad
| company 1t seems TO me the equity
of this claim Is manifest. and the
only question involved is the reason
able value of the work done. ! recon-
mend the payment of the claim In a
| sum found to be Just.
/ also renew my recommendation
that steps be taken looking to the
holding OF a negro exposition in cele'
: bration of the 50th anniversary OF the
! issuing by Mr., Lincoln of the Emancl'
patton Proclamation
Civil Service Commission.
The civil service commission has
continued its useful duties during the
year The necessity for the mainten'
ance of the provisions of the civil ser
| vice law was never greater than to-
day. Officers responsible for the
policy OF the administration, and their
immediate personal assistants or dep
! uties should not be included within
the classified service; but I'm my judg'
ment. public opinion has advanced TO
| the point where it would support 4
, bill providing a secure tenure during
! efficiency for all purely administra
tive officials
Economy and Efficiency.
! The Increase in the activities and
In the annual expenditures OF the fed
eral government has been so rapid
| 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 committees on appropriations
OF congress have diligently worked to
reduce the expenses of government
and have found their efforts often
blocked by lack OF accurate informa-
tion containing a proper analysis of
requirements and OF actual and rea'
Sonable costs
At an early date I shall send TO
, subject
Civil Service Retirement.
| II Is impossible to proceed far in
such an investigation without perceiy-
ipr the need OF suitable means of
eliminating from the service the SUI
perannuatcd. This can be done in
| enc of two ways. either by straight
civil pension or by some form OF con-
| tributoTy plan The president then
discusses the objections to a civil pen
sion and the experience Of England
and other countries witk pension
plans and SAYS: The simplest and
most Independent solution OF the
problem for both employees and the
government is a compulsory savings
arrangement the employees to set
aside from his salary a sum sufficient
With the help of liberal rate of in-
terest from the government, 10 Dur-
chase an adequate annuity FOR him
On retirement, this accumulation to
be inalienably his and claimable il he
leaves the service before reaching the
retirement age or by his heirs in case
OF his death. This is the principle up
on which the Gillette bill, new pending
Is drawn.
The Gillette bill. however, goes fur
tier and provides that the government
shall contribute to the pension fund
OF those employees who are now so adj
"anced in age that their personal
contributions will moi be sufficient to
create their annuities before reach
ing the retirement age. In my Jud6-
lrent this provision should be amend
ed so that the annuities OF these en-
ployes shall be paid out OF the sal
aries appropriated for the positions
vacated by retirement and that the
difference between the annuIties thus
granted and the salaries may be used
Tor the employment of efficient clerks
at the lower grade If the bill can
be thus amended | recommend its
passage as il will initiate a valuable
system and ultimately result in n
great saving in the public eXpendi-
tures.
Interstate Commerce Commission.
There has not been time TO test the
benefit and utility OF the amendments
10 the interstate commerce law con
tlined in the act approved June is,
1910. The law as enacted did not
contain all the features which | rec
onmend 1t did not specifically de
ncunce as unlawful the purchase by
one OF two parallel and connecting
rCnds Of the stock of the other. Nor
did II subject TO the restraining in
liuenCc OF the interstate commerce
! commission the power of corporations
engaged In operating interstate rail-
( roads to issue new stock and bonds;
nor did 1t authorize the making of
4 t,unnprarN lprpnmpnTS bptwepD rail-