Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-12-28

/ faction that the plan TO he proposed
/ promises 10 embrace main features that
having met the approval Of a great Ere
poncerance Of the practical auG profess
! s1onal opinion OF the country. are likely
/ 70 meet equal approval in congress
The War Department.
There is now before congress bin.
the purpose OF which is to increase the
efficiency and decrease the expense Of
the army. 1t contains four principal fea-
lures First. a consolidation of the gen
eraL stan with the adjutant generals
and the inspector generals department;
second, consolidation OF the quarter
masters department with the subsistence
and pay department; third the creation
OF an army service corps and fourth. an
extension OF the enlistment period from
three 10 five years
With the establishment CT an army
service corps. as proposed in the bill
l am thoroughly in accord and am con
/ Vlnced that the establishment Of such
corps viii result in material ecc a.
oIny and very great increase Of effi-
cheney in the army. 1t has repeatedly
been recommended by ne and nv
predecessors 1 also believe that
consolidation of the stan corps can be
made with a resulting increase in eff
hciency and economy but not along
the lines provided in the bin under
consideration.
good condition
The Panama Canal
The very satisfactory progress made
on the Panama canal last year has
continued, and there is every reason
TO believe that the canal viii be COM
pleted as early as the 1st of July. 1913
unless something unforeseen occurs
rms IS about Is months before the
time promised by the engineers
Waterway I
The project for navfgable water
way from Lake Michigan to the mouth
OF the Illinois river. and thence via
the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Is one Of national Importance In view
or the work already accomplished b.
the sanitary district of Chicago an
agency of the state Of Illinois. which
has constructed the most difficult ana
costly stretch of this waterway and
made 1t an asset of the nation, and
IN view of the fact that the peopIe or
Illinois have authorized the expendi-
ture of 500 coo 600 to carry this water.
way 81 miles farther to Utica l feel
that it is fitting that this work should
be supplemented by the government
and that the expenditures recommend
ed by the special board of engineers on
the waterway from Utica 10 the mouth
of the Illinois river be made upon lines
which while providing a 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
Jurles to such as are Occasioned by his
fault has been abandoned in most civ
ilized countries and provision made
whereby the employee injured in the
course of his employment is compen-
stated for his loss of working ability
irrespective of negligence The prin-
cIple upon which such provision pro-
ceeds is that accidental INJURIES to
workmen in modern industry, with its
vast compleXity and inherent dangers
arising from complicated machinery
and the use of the great forces OF
steam and electricity, should be re-
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 10
investigate the subject OF employers
liability and workmen's compensation
and to report the result of their inves-
legations. through the president To
congress. This commission was ap-
pointed and has been at work holding
hearings, gathering data and consider
ing the subject, and it is expected viii!
be able to report by the first of the
year, in accordance with the provi-
sions of the law.
Parcel Post.
Steps should be taken Immediately
for the establishment of a rurai parcel
post. In the estimates of appropria-
lions needed for the maintenance OF
the postal service for the ensuing fs-
cal year an item of. $4,000 has been
inserted to cover the preliminary ey-
pense of esta blishing a parcel post on
rural mail routes, as well as to cover
an investigation having for its object
the final establishment of a general
parcel post on all railway and steam
boat transportation routes.
The suggestion that we have a gem
eral parcel post has awakened great |
opposition on the part of some who
think that it 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 it viii
bring about ought to make its coming
certain.
The Navy Department.
On the I'd of November last | re-
viewed the fighting fleet Of battleships
and other vessels assembled in New
I DIRK harbor, consisting Of "a battle
ships armored cruisers cruisers.
y destroyers. y torpedo boats. 8 sub
marines, and other attendant vessels.
making SO vessels of all classes Of a |
tonnage Of SO, 634 tons
The fleet was deficient in the num-
Der of torpedo destroyers. ia cruisers. /
and in golfers. as well as in large |
battleship cruisers which are now be-
coming a very important feature Of |
foreign navies. notably the British
German and Japanese.
The building plan for this year con |
templates two battleships and two |
Golfers. 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 in |
our first line and in our reserve line /
we can number 80 available vessels or
proper armament and size
] wish to renew again my recon-
mendation that all the local offices
throughout the country, including col I
lectors of internal revenue collectors /
of customs. pOstmasterS of all four
classes, imm grafton commissioners
and marshaIs. 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 is now talk
en- up in distributing this patronage
under the custom that has prevailed
since the beginning of the government
in accordance with the recomm enda-
ton of the senators and congressman
of the majority party should be re-
Iieved from this burden. / am conf
dent that such change wouid greatly
reduce the cost Of administering tho
government and that it would a66
greatly to its efficiency
Soul the AhodA of Truth