Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-08-01

bRS
more powerful is clearly recognized.
It is in this direction that real prog
ress toward the greater human hap
piness Is being made. 1t has been
suggested that under our constitution
such tendency to so called paternallsm
was impossible. Nothing is further
from the fact. The power Of the fed
eral government to tax and expend
for the general welfare has long been
exercised, and the admiration one feels
for u constitution is increased when
we perceive how readily that instru-
ment lends itself to wider govern
mental functions in the promotion of
the comfort Of the people.
The list OF legislative enactments for
the uplifting Of those Of our people suf-'
fering a disadvantage In their social
and economic relations to others enact
ed by the Republican party in this and
previous administrations is a long one
and shows the party sensitive to the
needs Of the people under the new view
Of governmental responsibility.
Thus there was the pure food law
and the meat inspection law to told
those who dealt with the food Of mil
lions to a strict accountability for Its
healthful condition.
The frightful loss Of life and limb
to railway employees In times past
has now been greatly reduced by stat
utes requiring safety appliances and
proper inspection, of which two i'm
portant mes were passed in this ad-
m1nistration.
The passage of time has brought the
burdens and helplessness Of old age to
many Of those veterans of the civil
war who exposed their lives In the
supreme struggle to ave the nation,
and, recognizing this, congress has
added to previous provision which pa
triotic gratitude Lad prompted, a sub
stantial allowance, which may be
properly characterized AZ an old mems
~k.ion.
Railways and Employees.
In the making Of the contract of en-
ployment between a railway employee
ouu thV SOhiPuAy thC L"o wv uOt Slduu
on an equality, and the terms OF the
contract which the common law i'm
piled were unfair to the employee.
Congress in the exercise Of its control
over interstate commerce has re-forme,
the contract to be implied and ha'
made 1t more favorable to the EN-
ployee. Indeed, a more radical bill
which 7 f,,1l~ ho, -onaoI %h,
senate and Is now pending In the
house which requires interstate rail
ways in effect to insure the lives Of
their employees and to make provision
for prompt settlement Of the amour
due under thu "w after death or injury
has occurred
Many millions aie spent annually by
the agricultural department to investi
gate the best methods Of treating the
soil and carrying on agriculture and Of
publishing the result. We are now
looking into the question OF the best
system for securing such credit for the
farmer at reasonable rates as will en-
pble him better to equip his farm and
80 follow the rules of good farming
which we must encourage. Our plat
Form, I am glad to say, specifies this
Is a reform to which the party is
pledged.
Delay and Expense Of Litigation.
One of the great defects in u pres
ent system of government Is the delay
and expense Of litigation, which, OF
course, works against the poor litigant
The supreme court is now engaged In
a revision Of the equity rules to accom-
plish this purpose as to half u fed
eral litigation. The wOrkmen's com
%pensation act will relieve our courts OF
law Of a very heavy part Of the present
dockets on the law side of the court
and give the court more opportunity tc
speed the remaining causes. The last
congress codihed the federal court pro
visions, and we may look for and
should Insist upon a reform In n law
procedure so as to promote dispatch OF
business and reduction in costs.
We have adopted ~ this admins
tration, after very considerable oppo'
sition, the postal savings banks, which
work directly In the promotion OF
thrift amo' e people. BY payment
of only 2 per cent interest on deposits
they 20 not compete with the savings
bank But they do attract those who
fear banks and are unwilling to trust
their funds except to a governmental
agency. Experience, however, leads
depositors to a knowledge Of the I'M
portance Of interest, and then seeking
a higher rate they transfer their &C
counts to the savings banks. In this
way the savings bank deposits. In
stead Of being reduced, are increased
and there is thus available 4 much
larger fund for general investment.
For some years the administration
has Neen recommending the parcels
post, and now I am glad to say a
measure will probably be adopted by
congress authorizing the government
to avail itself Of the existing mach1n-
cry Of the postofice department to
carry parcels at a reasonably low rate,
SO that the communication between the
city and the country in ordinary mer-
chandise will be proportionately as
cheap and as prompt as the newspaper
and letter delivery through the post
offices now. This must contribute
greatly to a reduction in the cost and