Connecticut western news., 1912-12-26
CABINET SHOULD
 MEET CONGRESS
So Declares President Taft In
 Special Message.
TRUSTSA ARE BECOMING GOOD
Thinks Enforcement of sherman Law Is Gradually Forcing Important Changes-Thinks Commercial Unrest Will Disappear-Defends Action Re garding Fourth Class Postmasters.

UtflNS Otl
 Will Disappear-Defends Action Re
 garding Fourth Class Postmasters.
 In a special message to congress concerning the work of the depart
 ments of the postottice. interior, agri
 culture and commerce and labor and
 District of Columbia affairs President Taft urged legislation to permit mem
 bers of the cabinet to sit in the ses-
 sions Of congress and take part in i'm
 portant discussions. Regarding the trust question, he thought it was solv- ing itself through the enforcement of the Sherman law, and he predicted
 that commercial unrest would grad
 ually disappear. The president said:
 l recommend the adoption of legislation
 which shall make 1t the duty of heads of
 departments-the members of the presi-
 dents cabinet-at convenient times to at-
 tend the session of the house and the
 senate, which shall provide seats for
 them in each house and give them the op-
 portunity to take part in the discussions
 and to answer questions of which they
 have had due notice. The rigid holding
 apart of the executive and the legislative
 branches of this government has not
 worked for the great advantage of either
 Time and again debates have arisen in
 each house upon issues which the infor.
 nation of a particular department head
 would have enabled him. if present, to
 end at once by a simple explanation or
 statement. Time and again a forcefu
 and earnest presenta ion of facts and ar
 guments by the representative of the ex-
 
 law would have brought about a useful
 reform by amendment which in the ab- sence of such a statement has failed of passage
 Objection Is made that the members of the administration having no vote could exercise power on the floor of the
 house and could not assume that attitude of authority and control which the Eng
 fish parliamentary government has and which enables it to meet the responsibili- ties the English system thrusts upon 1t I agree that in certain respects it would De more satisfactory if members of the cabinet could at the same time be mern- bcrs of both houses. with voting power out this is impossible under our system. and, while a lack of this feature may de- tract from the influence of the depart ment chiefs, 1t will not prevent the good results which have described above both | in the matter of legislation and in the matter of administration.
 The postal savings bank system has been extended so that it now includes 4,0Q fourth class postoff1ces, as we'll as 645 branch offices and stations in the larger cities. There are now 12,S12 Repositories at which patrons of the system may open accounts The number of depositors is 300,O00, and the amount of their deposits is approximately $28,0O00 900. not including $1.- a4,140 which has been withdrawn by de | hn T0I1rT nf savings bonds.
 recommend to congress ar examfna- tion of the report of the secretary of com
 merce and labor and especially that part In which he discusses the office of the bureau of corpora tions. the value to com merce of a proposed trade commission and the steps which he has taken to secure
 the organization of a national chamber of
 commerce I heartily commend his view that the plan of a trade commission
 which looks to the fixing of prices is al- together impractical and ought not for a
 moment to be considered as possible so- lution of the trust question.
 The trust question in the enforcement of t! Sherman antitrust law is grad
 ually solving itself. Is maintaining the
 principle and restoring the practice of competition, and if the law is quietly but firmly enforced business will adjust itself to the statutory requirements and the unrest in commercial circles provoked by the trust discussion will disappear.
 In September, 1912, upon the suggestion of the postmaster general I directed him to prepare an order which should put the
 system in effect, except in Alaska. Guam, Hawaii, Porto Rico and Samoa. Under date of Oct. 15 I issued such an order
 which affected 36,OO0 postmasters. By che order the postofflces were divided into groups and B. Group A includes all postmasters whose compensation is $5n' or more, and group those whose com pensation is less than that sum. Different methods are pursued in the selection ot the postmasters for group and group B Criticism has been made of this order on the ground that the motive for 1t was political. Nothing could be further from the truth. The order was made before the election and in the interest of efficient public service. I have several times re- quested congress to give me authority to put first second and third class postmas- ters and all other local officers including internal revenue officers, customs officers. United States marshals and the local agents of the other departments under the classification of the civil service law by taking away the necessity for confirming such appointments by the senate. 1 deep ly regret the failure of congress to follow these recommendations. The change would have taken out of politics practically ev- cry local officer and would have entirely cured the evils growing out of what under the present law must always remain a l x~ff fHa flC GxyGfn