The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

no steady majority Herce the uncer- tainty.
 The recent hot spell strengthened. the party which favors finishing up the work and getting away When Washington sets in to be hot in earnest there are few cities in this country which can give her any points, and she certainly has oitdone herself this summer.
 Will President Taft get a majority of the votes in the republican national con- vention without the aid of those southern states wherein the republican party con- sists of a close corporation of federal of- 1 flee holders?
 That is what his friends are after and they are confident he will. In fact, the | impression is trong that there will be practically no opposition to his renomlna- ton. Senator LaFollette will get the votes of Wisconsin and perhaps one or two other strongly insurgent states, but outside of that it is hard to see whence any anti-Taft delegates are to come.
 There are six of the states of the old solid south which have strong, active, | formidable republican organizations, | North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia and Missouri All these states are solid for Taft.
 Franklin A Shotwell of Omaha, sec retary of the Progressive Republican league of Nebraska, says. Our people stand for advanced policies in govern ment and are for those men who are in sympathy with advanced policies. We like men such as Taft, LaFollette, Bourne, Bristow Cummns and Roosevelt. We are for Taft for nomination and re-elee- tion He has stood firm for the western idea in politics, that is, a square deal for all and no marked cards. Taft was not fully appreciated by our people at first. but we have found he was our friend. He made some mistakes by allowing some eastern standpat republicans to get too close to the administration, but we have found out that they cannot control him You know Nebraska feels proud of Taft, because she was the first in the union to endorse his candidacy in 1908, and we are going to stand wit hthterenesro, are going to stand with the rest of the west for him in 1912. The President has courage as well as good sense.
 We think a lot of George Norris, and we believe his leadership in the House will make him a formidable candidate for speaker in the House next Congress should it be republican, Kinkad, Sloan, and the other members are popular. It Is the general opinion that our national committeeman, Victor Rosewater, editor of the Omaha Bee, will be re-chosen and he will make a strong campaign. The re- pubicans In Nebraska are in harmony, and will win in the election. We have good crops, a prosperous and happy peo- pie and a splendid state government
 California Is for Taft" says John D. Spreckels of that state. There is no more doubt of Californias support of Taft in my opinion, than there is thar Taft will be nominated The Presidents s course meets with the approval of the re- pubicans of my state and many dem ocrats also admire and will vote for him. The state Is prosperous ard the people are wide-awake the population is rapidly
 increasing and everybody wants good times to continue They think they will get good times and a safe and good ad- ministration under President Taft.
 He has gained strength rapidly in the far west Tn the last year. and all doubts as to his independence, f1rmness and fair ness have been dispelled. He stands out as an able, strong, independent man, with Ia firm grip on the reins. He has found himself, as the saying is; he is no more follower or executor of other mems plans. He is his own planner and executor and he does his work with immense force and thoroughness Personally l am delighted | and especially in California
 l have always had a good deal of ad- miration for the business ability of Gen. Frank Hitchcock He is not much of d talker but he is an able citizen neverthe- | less. Here Is an evidence. For the third | time in 60 years the accounts of the post | office department show an excess of re- | ceipts over expenditures. The last year rL1 con when the receipts exceedd the disburse- ments by g, 2250O0. Less than two years ago the postal deficit was something over | ST, ,000, 900, but by the excess of rigid econ | omy in all departments MT. Hitchcock had succeeded on January l, last year, In reducing this-the largest deficit in the history of the department-to approxi- mately s40,000. This small amount was eliminated several months ago and it Is the expectation that when all the &C., counts are in for the fiscal year a surplus of approximately $1.5OO,00O will be shown. The economies which have resulted in this large reduction of expenditures have not, it is asserted, been enforced at the expense of efficiency in administration. nor has the outside service suffered a any degree. During the two years some. thing over BOO new postofflces were es- tablished and delivery by letter carriers has been provided in 167 additional cities Something over 2O0o rural routes have also been authorized and established dur
 ing that time and the force of postal em- ployes In it's several branches has been materially strengthened. The annual amount expended for salaries has been in- creased by more than s11,5O0,0OO in two years, and the salaries of city letter car riers and railroad postal clerks have beer increased, and the rural letter carrier, will also have their compensation mate, rially increased during the coming year A material saving has been affected b, consolidating the rural free delivery anc star route service. By this change mar, Implications of service have been elim
 mated and other improvements have beer secured. Changes in the methods of doin; business in the division of supplies result ed in a saving of approximately $3OO,OO 2 during the last year.
 Mrs. Taylor. wife of Senator Taylor ] formerly governor of Tennessee, Is arous