The Washington herald., 1913-02-02

preyenting accidents In mines. 1S
work is of great value from ootn
humane and monetary point OF view.
While it has no jurisdiction over private
property. it acts in an advisory capacity
and gives active assistance to mine
operators and employees. 1t dispatches us
fully equipped hospital and rescue cars
into the various coal regions. ana Is
training the miners themselves IN rescue
and first-aid work. In the last session
of Congress il was authorized 10 make
inquiries into the treatment OF ores anu
other mineral substance, with rs'erehce
to safety and waste, and is now estan-
fishing a laboratory for such WORK NJ
Denver. There IL enormous waste In
mining, and also in not burning properly
what we do mine. The bureau is study
ing the various problems Of briqueunG
inferior grades that cannot now be used,
the producer gas question. and hquld
fuels.
Parks and Reservations.
Ten great reservations have been
established from time to time, beginning
in 1S72. for preserving wonderful scenery
and natural monuments, or curious
relics OF the native races. Among these
are the Yellowstone National Park. the
Yosemite VALLEY with the groves OF big
trees. the Mount Rainier and the Crater
Lake Parks: Mesa Verde, containing rhe
great cliff dwellings; the Petrified Forest
and the Casa Grande Ruin. All are
under the administrative control of the
Secretary of the Interior, requiring
superintendents. park police, rangers
buffalo herders, &c. The famous Hot
Springs in Arkansas also belong to this
class
In 1873 supervision over the organized
Territories, previously exercised by the
Secretary of State. was intrusted to the
:, cretary OF the Interior. This jurisdic-
ton has become steadily less and more
distant through the admission OF States
into the Union, being now confined to
Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands
Among several matters somewhat
anomalously placed under the Secretary
of the Interior. is the office OF Superin-
tcndent OF the Capitol Building and
Grounds. all estimates for which are sub
mitted and all expenditures passed upon
bv the Secretary. who has thus super
vised the building of the Capitol extern
sions and the great dome, and more re-
Gently the two marble palaces for ofhces
OF the Senate and House. Another is the
returns Office, by which the Secretary OF
the Interior is made the depOsitary OF al!
contracts and bids. not only OF his own
department. but of the War and Navy
DEPARTMENTS as we'll This originated
during the war. and was designed TO pre-
vent fraud in letting public contracts and
to preserve evidence respecting them.
Also must be mentioned the govern
ment's great hospital for the insane, the
Freedmen's Hospital, the financial inter
ests of Howard University fOr colored
students. and Of the Columbian Institu-
ton for the Deaf: a guardianship over
streets and parks Of the city OF Wash
ington; a voice in the approval OF plans
and estimates for public buildings
throughout the United States.
The Personnel.
The working force OF the Department
of the Interior is in the classified civil
tions of a professional. confidential, OF
fiduciary character. Presidential APP
pointees, confirmed by the Senate. are
above and laborers are below the classi-
fed grades. Original appointments are
made from the lists OF eligibles pre-
pared by the Civil Service Commission
upon appropriate competitive eXamina-
tions. Generally. the higher positions
are filed by promotion within the seTv-
ice of men of ability and special quail
fications. The grand total of persons is
approximately 1850, of whom about 5000
are in Washington. The officials, mean
ing heads of the department and bu-
reaus, with their stafrs OF chiefs, super
intendents, inspectors. attorneys, eN-
aminers. and specialists, numbers l.56S;
administrative and clerical and teachers
lin Indian schools). 4,SOO; lower grades.
more than 5000. The women are S,l5O'
the Afro-Americans, SO.
The organization of the department
was much modified five years ago, under
the direction of an accomplished eN-
pert. who has since proved his fitness
for the task by becoming a vice presi-
dent of one of the greatest railway sys-
TENS in the world. His reforms were IN
the direction OF decentralization, impos-
ing greater responsibility upon heads OF
bureaus and cutting out much dupllca-
ton OF labor, with shorter and simpler
methods OF work, better supervision, and
modern mechanical devices. The i'm
provement in efficiency has been marked.
but with continuity of administrative
policy, a development and extension OF
the staff system, cultivation of esprit de
corps. and encouragement of individual
initiative, further progress may be
made.
The people of the department arc Of
excellent quality. Drawn from an edu-
Gated and intelligent population. they
are honest. loyal, and laboriOus. Many
of them, on salaries far below the
measure OF their responsibilities. and
with no hope Of public appreciation,
handle with scrupuIous fidelity the most
difficult and intricate problems and pass
upon transactions involving great prop
erty interests. A quiet. sympathetic, ana
inspiring leadership at this time Will
accomplish much.
Conclusion.
From the foregoing it is obvious that
a great part of the governments con-
structive work, practically all OF its ac-
tivities directed toward developing the
resources OF the country and improving
the condition of the people. except river
and harbor improvement and postal serv-
ice. has been and is being carried or
under the Department OF the Interior and
establishments that have grown out of II.
During its sixty-four years of existence
this department. by vast land varied
Iabors, has contributed much to realirs
the vision of the great maa who may
be claimed as the author -'f ito tein<-
Secretary Walker clased his last r~Dau