Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1911-12-29

rsport % received, and express my easis-
fAction that the plan 70 b proposed
premises to embrace main features that,
having met the approval Of great pre-
ponderancs OF the practical and pr0fss-
elonal opinion, Of the country, are likely
= inset equal approval in congress.
The War Department
There 10 now before congress Z bin,
the purpose Of which IL to increase the
efnciency and decrease the expense Of
ths army. It contains four principal TEA
lures: First, Z consolidation OF the gem
sral stan With tho ad3utant generals
ana the inspector generals department:
second, consolidation Of the quarter
masters department with the subsistence
ana pay department.: third. the creation
OF IN army service corps, and fourth, an
extension Of the enlistment period from
three to I'VE years.
With the establishment OF an army
service corps, ~ proposed in the bill
am thoroughly In accord and am con.
WINGED that the establishment Of such
corps will result in a material econ
omy and a very great increase OF EN-
cheney IN the army. It has repeatedly
been recommended by me ana my
predecessors I also believe that :
consolidation Of the stan corps can bt
made with . resulting increase in ef-
ficiency and economy. but not along
the lines provided In the bill under
consideration.
Ths army Of the United States il in
good condition.
The Panama Canal.
The very satisfactory progress made
on the Panama canal last year has
continued. and there 10 every reason
to believe that the canal will be COM
pleted a. early as the LIST Of July, 1913
unless something unforeseen occurs
This 10 about Is months before thu
time promised by the engineers.
Waterway From lakes to the Gulf.
The project for a navigable water.
way from Lake Michigan to the mouth
Of the Illinois river and thence via
the Mississippi to the Gulf Of Mexico,
II one of national Importance. In view
Of the work already accomplished by
the sanitary district Of Chicago. an
agency OF the state of Illinois, which
has constructed the most difficult and
costly stretch Of this waterway and
made It an asset Of the nation. and
In view OF the fact that the people Of
Illinois have authorized the expendi-
ture OF $4,000. 900 to carry this water.
way 50 miles farther~to Utica, feel
that 1t IL fitting that this work should
be supplemented by the government
and that the expenditures recommend
cd by the special board OF engineers on
the waterway from Utica to the mouth
Of the Illinois river be made upon lines
which while providing q waterway for
the nation. should otherwise benefit
that state to the fullest extent.
The Limitation Of the liability OF the
master to his servant for personal in.
juries to such as are occasioned by his
fault has been abandoned in most civ.
ilised countries and provision made
whereby the employe injured In the
- Id t.
stated for his loss of working ability
Irrespective of negligence. The prin.
ciple upon which such provision pro-
ceeds IL that accidental injuries to
workmen in modern industry. with its
vast oomplexity and inherent dangera
arising from complicated machinery
and the use Of the great forces Of
garded as risks Of the industry and
the loss borne in some equitable pro-
portion by those who for. their own
profit engage therein. In recognition
Of this the last congress authorized
the appointment OF . commission to
investigate the subject Of employers
liability and workmen's compensation
and to report the result Of their inves-
legations. through tho president, to
congress. This commission was APP
pointed and has been at work. holdins
hearings, gathering data and consider
ing the subject. and 1t IL expected will
be able to report by the first Of the
year, in accordance with the PROV.
sions Of the law.
Parcel Post.
Steps should be taken Immediately
for the establishment Of a rural parcel
post In the estimates OF appropria-
tons needed for the maintenance Of
the postal service for the ensuing MS
cal year an item of $4,000 has been
inserted to cover the preliminary ex-
pense Of establishing parcel post on
rural mail routes. as well a. to cover
an investigation having for its object
parcel post on all railway and steam
boat trs nsportation routes.
The suggestion that we have \ gen.
eral parcel post has awakened great
opposition on the part of some who
think that 1t will have the effect to
destroy the business Of the country
store keeper. Instead Of doing this.
think the change will greatly increase
business for the benefit Of ALL The re-
duction in the cost Of living 1t will
bring about ought to make its COMING
certain. M
The Navy Department.
On the I'd Of November last re-
viewed the fighting feet Of battleships
and other vessels assembled in New
York harb0r consisting OF - BATTLE
ships, armored cruisers, 2 cruisers,
20 destroyers. IL torpedo boats. 8 SUBJ
marines, and other attendant vessels,
making 9S vessels Of all classes. OF .
tonnage of 576.634 tons.
The 'heet was deficient in the num-
Der Of torpedo destroyers. in cruisers,
and in GOLFERS, as well as in large
battleship cruisers, which are now be-
coming q very important feature OF
foreign navies. notably the British
German and Japanese.
The building plan for this year con-
templates two battleships and two
colliers. 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
battIeships year until after the
Panama Canal 10 finished and until in
our first line and In our reserve line
we can number 40 available vessels OF
proper armament and size.
wish to renew again my recon.
mendation that all the local oficea
throughout the country. including coll
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
necessity for confirmation by the SEN
ate be removed. and the president
and the others. whose time 10 now talk
en- up in distributing this patronage
under the custom that has prevailed
since the beginning Of tho government
~ arcordance with the recommends.