Evening journal., 1912-08-01

pnou luln puIpOSt Us 70 Hdli our IcQ
era 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 to
speed the remaining causes. The last
congress codifed the federal court pro-
visions. and we may look for and
should insist upon reform in the law
procedure so as to promote dispatch Of
business and reduction in costs.
We have adopted In this admins
tration, after very considerable oppo
sition. the postal savings banks. which
work directly in the promotion OF
thrift among the people. By payment
OF only per cent interest on deposits
they do not compete with the savings
banks. 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
higher rate they transfer their &C
counts to the sevings banks In this
way the savings bank deposits. in
stead Of being reduced. are increased
and there is thus available a much
larger fund for general investment.
For some years the administration
has been recommending the parcels
post and now am glad TO say a
measure will probably be adopted by
congress authorizing the government
TO avail itself of the existing machin
cry Of the postoffice department 10
carry parcels at reasonably low rate.
so that the communication between the
city and the country in ordinary mer.
chandse' will be proportionately as
cheap and as prompt as the newspaper
and letter delivery through the post
offices now. This must contribute
greatly to n reduction In the cost and
comfort of living.
Disposition Of Public Lands.
We are considering the changing
needs OF the people in the disposition
OF our public lands and their conserva
ton. AS those lands owned by the
government and useful for agricultural
purposes which remain are as a whole
less desirable as homesteads than
those which have been already settled.
It has been properly thought wise to
reduce the time for perfecting a home
stead claim from Eve years to three.
and this whether on land within the
rain area or in those arid tracts within
the reclamation system.
Again a bill has passed the senate
and is likely to pass the house which
will not compel the settlers on reclama
tion lands to wait ten years and until
full payment OF what they owe the
government before they receive title
but which gives title after three
years with first government lien.
On the other hand. the withdrawal
of coal lands. phosphate lands and oil
lands and waterpower sites is still
maintained until congress shall provide
on the principles OF proper conserva.
ton a system of disposition which will
attract capital on the one hand and re.
! tain sufficient control by the govern
ment on the other to prevent the evil
OF concentrating absolute ownership IN
q few persons OF those sources for the
production OF necessities
Popular Unrest.
In the work of rousing the people to
the danger that threatened our civil
cation from the abuses OF concentrate
ed wealth and the power It was likely
to exercise. the public Imagination was
wrought upon and a reign OF sensa
tional Journalism and unjust and un
principled undertaking has followed. in
which much injustice has been done
to honest men. Demagogues have
seized the opportunity further to 10
fame the public mind and have sought
70 tnrn the peculiar conditions to their
advantage.
In so far as inequality Of condition
can be lessened and equality of oppor
tunity can be promoted by improve
ment or our educational system. the
betterment of the laws 20 insure the
quick administration Of justice. and by
the prevention OF the acquisition of
privilege without just compensation
In so far as the adoption OF the legis
lation above recited and laws OF y
similar character may aid the less for
tunate in their struggle with the hard
ships of life. all are in sympathy with
a continued effort to remedy injustice
and 70 aid the weak. and venture Ia
say that there is no national admins
tration in which more real steps OF
such progress have been taken than III
the present one. But in so far as the
propaganda for the satisfaction OF un
rest involves the promise Of a mlllen
mum, a condition In which the ricl
are to be made reasonably poor anC
the poor reasonably rich by law. W,
are chasing phantom; We are holding
out to those whose unrest we fear
prospect and a dream, a vision OF tn
impossible
M Gotten Wealth.
In the ultimate analysis, I fear. tn
4 equal opportunity which those see
: who proclaim the coming Of so calle
social justice involves forced divisio
Of property. and that means socialism
, In the abuses Of the last two decade
It is true that III gotten wealth ha
% been concentrated IN some undeser'
~ ing hands. and that II it were possibl
o to redistribute it on any equitable prii
u ciple 10 those from whom IL was take
lt without adequate or proper compens;
le ton It would be good result 10 brin
Il about But this is obviously imposs
OF bic and impracticable. All that can b
u done is TO treat this as one incidents
" evil OF a great expansive moyemen
~ in the material rrOcrQSS Of the yOrl