The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-07

thorizing the erection of three or four buildings most urgently needed
 by an annual appropriation of $5,000, 900.
 Regulatory Legislation.
 Cooperation with other maritime bowers is necessary for complete pro- tection of our coast water from pol lution. Plans for this are under way, refuse di9posal Meantime laws pro- hibiting spreading oil and oil refuse from vessels in our. own territorial waters would be most helpful against this menace and should be speedily enacted.
 Laws should be passed regulating aviation.
 Revision is needed of the laws reg ulating radio interference.
 Legislation and regulations estab- fishing load lines to provide safe loading of vessels leaving our ports are necessary and recodification of our navigation laws is vital.
 Revision of procedure of the federal trade commission will give more con- structive purpose to this department. If our Alaskan fisheries are to be saved from destruction, there must be further legislation declaring a general policy and delegating the au- thority to make rules and regpla- tions to an administrative body.
 Army and Navy.
 For several years we have been decreasing the personnel of the army and navy. and reducing their power to the danger point. Further reduc- tions should not be made. The army is a guarantee of the security of our citizens at home: the navy Is a guar antee of the security of our citizens abroad. Both of these services weakened. Additional planes are needed for the army and additional submarines for the navy. The de- lenses of Panama must be perfected. We want no more competitive arma- ments. We want no more war. But we want no weakness that invites imposition. A people who neglect jeopardy their national honor.
 Insular Possessions. .f Conditions in the insular posses sions on the whole have been good. Their business has f, been reviving They are being administered accord ing to law. That effort has the full support of the administration. Such recommendations as may come from should have the most considerate at- tentionI
 Education And Welfare.
 Our national government is not doing as much as it legitirnately can do. to promote the welfare of the people. Our enormous material | fw1. hnt form of society, can not be considered fully successful until their benefits reach the merit of every individual. This is. not a suggestion that the government should, or could, assume for the people the inevitable bur dens of existence. There Is no metho cd by which we can either be, relieved guaranteed a successful life. There is an unacceptable personal respon- sibility for the development, of char acter, of industry, of, thrift, and of self-control. These do not come from the government. but from the people themselves. But the government can and should always be expressive of steadfast determination, always viz liant, to maintain conditions under which these virtues are most likely to develop and secure recognition and reward. This is the American policy. e4 {.
 It is in accordance with this prin- ciple that we have enacted laws for the. protection of the public health and have adopted prohibition in mar cotic drugs and intoxicating liquors. For purposes of national uniformity we ought to provide, by constitu- tional amendment and appropriate legislation. for & limitation of child labor, andNin all cases under the ex- cluaive jurisdiction of the federal government 8 minimum wage law for women. which would undoubt- edly find sufficient power of en- forcement in the influence of public opinion. aSr N
 Having in mind that education is peculiarly local problem, and that 1t should always be pursued with the largest freedom of choice by students and parents, nevertheless. the federal government might well give the benefit of It's counsel and encouragement moro freely in this direction. If anyone doubts the need of concerted action by the states of the nation for this purpose, 1t is only necessary to consider the appalling figures of illiteracy representing a condition which, does not vary much in, all parts of the Union. do not favor the making of appropriations from, the national itreasury to be- ex- pended directly on local education, but l do consider 1t Q fundamental requirement. of national activity which, accompanied by allied sub