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

recommend IN amendment to the law
! whereby the president shall be given
| power to remove the clerks for cause
This provision need not interfere witk
the right Of the judge to appoint his
clerks or to remove him.
/ In my last message I recommended
I to congress that it authorize the pay
| ment of the findings or Judgments Of
| the court of claims In the matter Of
the French spoliation cases. There
has been no appropriation to pay these
judgments since 1905.
Employers Liability.
The limitation Of the liability Of the
master to his servant for personal In
juries to such as are accustomed by
his fault has been abandoned in most
civilized 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 fosces 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 tc
investigate the subject of employers
liability and workmen's compensation
and to report the result of its in
vestigations 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 will
be able to report by the first Of the
year In accordance with the provisions
Of the law.
In promotion Of the movement FOR
the prevention of delay and unneces-
sary cost in litigation l am glad to
say that the supreme court has taken
steps to reform the present equity
rules Of the federal courts and that
we may in the near future expect re-
vision of them which will be a long
step in the right direction.
R Postohfies.
At the beginning Of the present adj
ministration in 1909 the postal service
was in arrears to the extent Of $17,-
9,77O.47. It was very much the
largest deficit on record. In the brief
space Of two years this has been turn
ed into surplus of $22O,OOO. which
has been accomplished. without cur
tailment of the postal facilities, as
may be seen by the fact that there
have been established 3,744 new post
Offices delivery by carrier has been
added to the service In 1856 cities, 2516
new rural routes have been establish
ed, covering 10000 miles; the force OF
postal employees has been increased
in these two years by more than 5000,
and their average annual salary has
! had substantial increase.
On Jan. 8, 1911, postal savings de-
positories were established experiment
tally in forty eight states and terrific
ries After three months successful
operation the system was extended as
rapidly as feasible to the 1900 postof-
| fees Of the first. second and third class
es constituting the presidential grade.
By thu end Of the year. practically all
Of these will have been designated. and
then the system will be extended to all
! fourth class postofices doing a money
order business. l. T.
In selecting postofices for deposit
tories consideration was given to the
| efficiency Of the postmasters, and only
those offices where the ratings were
satisfactory to the department have
been designated. Withholding desig-
nation from postmasters with unsatis-
factory ratings has had salutary ef-
feet on the service.
The deposits have kept pace with
the extension of the system. Amount
ing to only $6O.652 at the end Of the
first months operation in the expert
mental offices, they increased to $685.
BIO by July and now after eleven
months Of operation have reached to-
tai Of $11,OOO,O0O. This sum Is dis.
tributeds among 2,710 banks and pro-
tected under the law by bonds depos-
tied with the treasurer of the United
States. -. 5& @' @.sz
The depositors thus far number ap-
proximately 10000. They include for.
! ty nationalities. native Americans
largely predominating and English and
Italians coming next. .,- All
The first conversion of deposits into
United States bonds bearing interest
at the rate Of 211a per cent occurred on
July 1. 1911, the amount Of deposits
exchanged being $4,000. or little
more than 6 per cent Of the total out
standing certificates Of deposit on June
30. OF this issue bonds to the value
of $500 were in coupon form and
S35, 1SO in registered form.
! Parcel Post.
| Steps should be taken Immediately
| for the esta blishment Of rural parcel
post. In the estimates Of appropria-
tons needed for the maintenance Of