Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-12-23

eral parcel post has awakened great
opposition on The part OF some whe
think that It will have the eject 70
destroy the business Of the country
/ storekesper, Instead Of doing this, ]
think the change will greatly increase
business for the benefit Of al. The
reduction In the cost Of living II will
bring about ought to make its coming
certain.
The Navy Department.
on the I'd OF November last i 10
viewed the lighting deet of battieships
and other vessels assembled in New
York harbor, consisting Of twenty.foui
battleships, two armored cruisers. two
cruisers, twenty-five destroyers, twelve
torpedo boats. eight submarines and
other attendant vessels, making nine
ty-eight vessels Of all classes Of q ton.
mage Of 576,634 tons. Those who saw
the feet were struck With it, pm Jared.
ness and with its high milit y Ell
cheney. All. Americans should be proud
OF It's personnel .s
The feet was deficient In tho mum
Der of torpedo destroyeS. In cruisers
and in Golfers az we'll as IN large bat
tleship cruisers.
The building plan for this year con
templates two battleships and two col
liers.. This is because the other and
smaller vessels can be built much
more rapidly In case Of emergency
than the battleships, and we certainly
ought to continue the policy Of two
battleships a year until after the
Panama canal is finished and until ii
our flrst line and in our reserve line
we can number forty available vessels
of proper armament and size.
The reorganization Of the navy and
the appointment Of four aids to the
secretary have continued to demon.
strate their usefulness.
It is certain that the navy with its
present size should have admirals in
active command higher than rear ad.
mirals. Our great battleship feet is
comma nded by a rear admiral. with
four other rear admirals under his or
ders. This Is not as 1t should be, ana
when questions Of precedence arise be
tween our naval officers and those OF
European navies the American rear
admiral, though In command OF ten
times the force Of q foreign vice ad-
miral, must yield precedence to the
latter. Such an absurdity ought not to
prevail, and it can be avoided BY the
creation Of two or three positions OF
flag rank above that Of rear admiral.
I attended the opening Of the new
training school at North Chicago. H..
and am glad to note the opportunity
which this gives for drawing upon
young men Of the country from the In
terror, from farms. stores, shops ana
Offices. which insures high average
of intelligence and character among
them and which they showed in the
very wonderful Improvement In disci-
pline and drill which only few short
weeks presence at the naval station
had made.
I urge upon congress the necessity
! for an immediate increase OF, 1000
men in the enlisted strength Of he
navy, provides for in the estimf s..
-Four thous,.1 more are now nc 4
to man all the available vessels. Isl
There are in the service today about
47,75O enlisted men Of all ratings.
Careful computation shows that in
April. 1912. 49.166 men will be requir-
ed for vessels in commission. and
5000 apprentice seamen should be
kept under training at all times.
The secretary Of the navy has rec
commended the abolition OF certain OF
the smaller and unnecessary navy
yards and in order to furnish COM
plete and comprehensive report has
referred the question Of all navy yards
to the joint board Of the army and
navy. This board will shortly make
its report, and the secretary Of the
navy advises me that his recommends
lions on the subject will be presented
early in the coming year.
|. For the consideration Of matters
which are pending or have been dis
posed Of in the agricultural department
and in the department of commerce
and labor 1 refer to the very excellent
reports of the secretaries of those de-
partments.
1.-THE president promises later mes
sages on conservation In Alaska. sec.
opd class mail rates and economy and
efficiency in the departments. he also
approves pensions for retired govern
ment employees. but thinks the EN-
ployees themselves should contribute
to the pension fund.-
Eliminate LEGAL Offices From Politics.
wish to renew again my recon-
mendation that all the local offices
throughout the country. including col.
lectors Of internal revenue. collectors
of customs, postmasters Of all four
classes. immigration commissioners
and marshals, should be by law COW
cred into the classified service. the me-
cessity for confirmation by the senate
be removed and the president and the
others whose time is now taken up IN
distributing this patronage under the
custom that has prevailed since the be.
ginning Of the government. in accord