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part two. PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT POINTS TO THE NATION’S PROSPERITY Industrialism and Better Government the Keynote of His Message to Congress. The Relations of Capital and Labor Second Only to the Intimate Questions of Family Life. The Great Corporations, the Great Cities, the Country’s Agriculture, Its Trade, Capital and Labor, the Army and Navy, the Foreign Policy, the Philippines and Alaska Discussed, but Not a Word ' About the Tariff—Danger in Disarmament, the Pres ident Says—The Aim of All Nations Should Be the Peace of Justice. Washington, Dee. 6.—After listening to the reading of the President’s an nual message to Congress, the House adjourned until to-morrow. During the first ten minutes of the session two minor routine matters were dis posed of, but outside of these no other business was transacted. Just before Speaker Cannon rapped the House to order an elderly man, occupying a front seat in the public gallery, uttered a series of long drawn whoops. Considerable commotion was caused before he was ejected. Shortly after the clerk began to read the message, printed copies were dis tributed among the members. Demo crats and Republicans alike gave close attention to the utterances of the President and with the aid of the printed copies intently followed the clerk in the reading. Upon the con clusion of the reading of the message, which consumed one hour and fifty three minutes, there • was loud ap plause from the Republican side. The message, on motion of Mr. Payne, was referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, after which the House ad journed. The Senate was in session for more than two hours to-day, and in addi tion to listening to the reading of the President's message, received a pre liminary report from the Merchant Marine Commission, witnessed the in duction of Senators Knox and Crane into office and in executive session re ferred the presidential nominations to the proper committees. The reading of the commissions of two new senators attracted more at tention than usual in such cases, on account of their prominence, and sen ators generally did not fail to note the peculiar wording of Gov. Penny packer’s communication, wherein he conferred the office of senator upon Mr. Knox, empowering him to hold it with all its emoluments and privileges un til the next meeting of the Legislature of the state, "if he shall so long be have himself well.” r lhe Senate held a brief executive session and adjourned until to-mor row. The President’s message follows: 1o the Senate and House of Repre sentatives: The nation continues to f njoy noteworthy prosperity. Such prosperity is of course primarily due to th* high individual average of our citizenship, taken together with our great natural resources; biff an im portant factor therein is the working of our long-continued governmental policies. The people have emphatically expresesd their approval of the prin ciples underlying these policies, and their desire that these principles be Kept substantially unchanged, al though of course applied in a progres sive spirit to meet changing condi tions. The enlargment of scope of the functions of the national government required by our development as a na tion involves, of course, increase of expense; and the period of prosperity through which the country is passing justifies expenditures for permanent improvement far greater than would be wise in hard times. Caution Aaalnst Extravagance, battleships and forts, public build ings, and improved waterways are in vestments which should be made when v e have the money; but abundant rev enues and a large surplus always in vite extravagance, and constant care should be taken to guard against un necessary increase of the ordinary ex -1" uses of government. The cost of doing government business should be regulated with the same rigid scrutiny ns the ocst of doing a private busi ness. Cnpilal anil I.abor. In the vast and complicated mech unism of our modern civilized life the dominant note is the note of indus trialism; and the relations of capital and labor, and especially of organized r i Pital and organized labor, to each other and to the public at large come second In Importance only to the intimate questions of family life. 1 >ur peculiar form of government, *lth its sharp division of authority between the nation and the several Mates, has been on the whole far more advantageous to our development ’bin a more strongly centralized gov ernment. But it is undoubtedly re sponsible for much of the difficulty of meeting with adequate legislation the new problems presented by the total •’hang* in Industrial conditions on this 'eminent during the last half century. In actual practice It has proved ex ceedingly difficult, and In many cases impossible, to get unanimity of wise ctlon among the various states on these subjects. From the very na "tfc of the case this Is especially true of the laws affecting the employment of e.ipita) | n huge masses. The I. It tier I'rohlem. With regard to labor the problem Is o less Important. but It Is simpler. '*> long as the states retain the pri mary control of the police power the ll' umeteneeg must be altogether •- ,which require Interference hy " federal authorities, whether In tbs Morning way of safeguarding the rights of la bor or in the way of seeing that wrong is not done by unruly persons who shield themselves behind the name of labor. If there is resistance to the Federal courts, interference with the mails, or interstate commerce, or molestation of Federal property, or if the state au thorities in some crisis which they are unable to face call for help, then the Federal government may interfere; but though such interference may be caus ed by a condition of things arising out of trouble connected with some question of labor, the interference it self simply takes the form of restor ing order without regard to the ques tions which have caused the breach of order—for to keep order is a pri mary duty and in a time of disorder and violence all other questions sink into abeyance until order has been re stored. In the District of Columbia and in the territories the Federal law covers the entire field of government; but the labor question is only acute in populous centers of commerce, man ufactures, or mining. An Example to the Staten. Nevertheless, both in the enactment and in the enforcement of law the Federal government within its restrict ed sphere should set an example to the state governments, especially in a matter so vital as this affecting la bor. I believe that under modern in dustrial conditions it is often neces sary, and, even where not necessary it is yet often wise, that there should be organization of labor in order bet ter to secure the rights of the indi vidual tvage-worker. All encourage ment should be given to any such or ganization. so long as it is conducted with a due and decent regard for the rights of others. There are in this country some la bor unions which have habitually, and other labor unions which have often, been among the most effective agents in working for good citizenship and for uplifting the condition of those whose welfare should be closest to our hearts. Wrongdoing* of Union*. But when any labor union seeks im proper ends, or seeks to achieve proper ends by improper means, all good citi zens and more especially all honorable public servants must oppose the wrongdoing as resolutely as they would oppose the wrongdoing of any great corporation. Of course any violence, brutality or cor ruption should not for one moment be tolerated. Wage-workers have an entire right to organize and by all peaceful and honorable means to en deavor to persuade their fellows to jolt: with them in organizations. They have a legal right, which, according to circumstances, may or may not be a moral right, to refuse to work in company with men who decline to join their organizations. They have under no circumstances the right to commit violence upon those, whether capitalists or wage-workers, who refuse to sup port their organizations, or who side with those with whom they are at odds; for mob rule is intolerable in any form. Employer’* Liability Law, The wage-workers are peculiarly en titled to the protection and the encour agement of the law. From the very nature of their occupation, railroad men, for instance, are liable to be maimed in doing the legitimate work of their profession, unless the railroad companies are required by law to make ample provision for their safety. The administration has been zealous In en forcing the existing law for this pur pose. That law should be amended and strengthened. Wherever the na tional government has power there should be a stringent employer’s lia bility law, which should apply to the government itself where the govern ment is an employer of labor. In my message to the Fifty-seventh Congress, at its second session, I urged the passage of an employer’s liability law for the District of Columbia. I new renew that recommendation, and further recommend that the Congress appoint a commission to make a com prehensive study of employer's liabili ty with the view of extending the pro visions of a great and constitutional law to all employments within the scope of federal power. Medal* of Honor. The government has recognized hero ism upon the water, and bestows med als of honor upon those persons who by extreme and heroic daring have endangered their lives in saving, or endeavoring to save, lives from the perils of the sea in the waters over which the United States Was Juris diction, or upon an American vessel. This recognition should be extended to cover cases of conspicuous bravery and self-sacrifice in the saving of life In private employments under the Ju risdiction of the United States and particularly In the land commerce of the nation. INCHEASF.D RAILROAD CASUALTIES Call* for Provisions for Greater Safely to Travel. The ever-increasing rosifalty Hat upon our railroads ia a matter of grave pub Odors of Perspiration Royal Foot Wash . ... f#t, othjr blog* Chafing, cures Sweating, Itching Swollen, Tired Foot. IN at druggists, or prepaid from BATON DKUQ CO., Atlanta, Ob Money Mck U not taUaflad. Nagle fee t**nl stamp. lic concern, and urgently calls for action by the Congress. In the mat ter of speed and comfort of railway travel our railroads give ‘at least as good service as those of any other na tion, and there is no reason why this service should not also be as safe as human ingenuity can make it. Many of our leading rcfads have been fore most in the adoption of the most ap proved safeguards for the protection of travelers and employes, yet the list of clearly avoidable accidents con tinues unduly large. The passage of a law requiring the adoption of a block signal system has been proposed to the Congress. I earnestly concur in that recommendation, and would also point out to the Congress the urgent need of legislation in the interest of the public safety limiting the hours of labor for ltailroad employes in train service upon railroads engaged in in terstate commerce, and providing that only trained and experienced persons be employed in positions of responsi bility connected with the operation of trains. Drastic I’uni aliment Heroin mended. Of course nothing can ever prevent accidents caused by human weakness or misconduct; and there should be drastic punishment for any railroad employe, whether officer or man, who by issuance of wrong orders or by disobedience of orders causes disaster. The law of 1901, requiring interstate railroads to make monthly reports of all accidents to passengers and em ployes on duty, should also be amend ed so as to empower the government to make a personal investigation, through proper officers, of all acci dents involving loss of life which seem to require Investigation, with a re quirement that the results of such in vestigation be made public. The safety-appliance law, as amend ed by the act of March 2, 1903, Was proved beneficial to railway employes, and in order that its provisions may be properly carried out, the force of inspectors provided for by appropria tion should be largely increased. This service is analogous to the Steamboat Inspection Service, and deals with even more important interests. It has pass ed the experimental stage and demon strated its utility, and should receive generous recognition by the Congress. For Open SliopM. There is no objection to employes of the government forming or belonging to unions; but the government can neither discriminate for nor against non-union men who are in its em ployment, or who seek to be employed under it Moreover, it is a very grave impropriety for government employes to band themselves together for the purpose of extorting improperly high salaries from the government. Especi ally is this true of those within the classified service. The letter carriers, both municipal and rural, are as a whole an excellent body of public ser vants. They should be amply paid. But their payment must be obtained by arguing their claims fairly and hon orably before the Congress, and not by banding together for the defeat of those congressmen who refuse to give promises which they can not in con science give. The administration has already taken steps to prevent and punish abuses of this nature; but it will be wise for the Congress to sup plement this action by legislation. The Bureau of Labor. Much can be done by the govern ment in labor matters merely by giv ing publicity to certain conditions. The Bureau of Labor has done excellent work of this kind in many different directions. I shall shortly lay before you In a special message the full re port of the investigation of the Bu reau of Labor into the Colorado min ing strike, as this is a strike in which certain very evil forces, which are more or less at work everywhere un der the conditions of modern indus trialism, became startlingly promi nent. It is greatly to be wished that the Department of Commerce and Labor, through the Labor Bureau, should compile and arrange for the Congress a list of the labor laws of the various states, and should be given the means to Investigate and report to the Con gress upon the labor conditions in the manufacturing and min ing regions throughout the country, both as to wages, as to hours of labor, as to the labor of women and chil dren, and ns to the effect in the va rious labor centers of immigration from abroad. The Child labor question. In this investigation especial atten tion should be paid to the conditions of child labor and child-labor legisla tion In the several states. Such an In vest Igatlpn must, necessarily take into account many of the problems with which this question of child labor Is connected. These problems can be ac tually met. In most cases, only by the states themselves; but the lack of proper legislation in one state In such a matter as child labor often renders It excessively difficult to establish pro tective restriction upon the work In another state having the same Indus tries, so that the worst tends to drag down the better. For this reason, It would be well for the nation at least to endeavor to secure comprehensive SAVANNAH. GA.. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7. 1904. information as to the conditions of labor of children In the different states. Such investigation and pub lication by the national government would tend toward the securing of ap proximately uniform legislation of the proper character among the several states. THE GREAT COHI*OKATIO\S. The Government .Should Deni With Them Directly. When we come to deal with great corporations the need for the govern ment to act directly is far greater than in the case of labor, because great cor porations can become such only by engaging in interstate commerce, and interstate commerce is peculiarly the field of the general government. It Is an absurdity to expect to eliminate the abuses in great corporations by state action. It is difficult to be patient with an argument that such matters should be left to the states, because more than one state pursues the policy of creating on easy terms corporations which are never operated within that state at all, but in other states whose laws they ignore. The national government alone can deal adequately with these great cor porations. To try to deal with them in an intemperate, destructive, or de magogic spirit would, in all probabil ity, mean that nothing whatever would be accomplished, and, with absolute certainty, that if anything were ac complished it would be of a harmful nature. In Dcnlintt Willi Cortinmtton*. The American people need to con tinue to show tlte very qualities that they have shown—that is, moderation, good sense, the earnest desire to avoid doing any damage, and yet the quiet determination to proceed, step hy step, without halt and without hurry, in eliminating or at least In minimizing whatever of mischief or of evil there is to interestate commerce in the con duct of great corporations. They are acting in no spirit of hostility to wealth, either individual or corporate. They are not against the rich man any more than against the poor man. On the contrary, they are friendly alike toward rich man and toward poor man, provided only that each acts in a spirit of justice and decency 1 toward his fel lows. Great corporations are necessary, and only men of great and singular men tal power can manage such corpora tions successfully, and such men must have great rewards. But these cor porations should be managed with due regard to the interest of the public as a whole. Where this can be done under the present laws it must be done. Where these laws come short others should be enacted to supple ment them. Good Sense n Determining Factor. Yet we must never forget the de termining factor in every kind of work, of head or hand, must be the man's own good sense, courage and kindliness. More important than any legislation is the gradual growth of a feeling of responsibility and for bearance among capitalists and wage workers alike; a feeling of respect on the part of each man for the rights of others; a feeling of broad commun ity of interest, not merely of capital ists among themselves, and of wage workers among themselves, but of capitalists and wage-workers in their relations to each other, and of both In their relations to their fellows who with them make up the body politic. There are many captains of industry, many labor leaders, who realize this. A recent speech by the president of one of our great railroad systems to the employes of that system contains sound common sense. It runs in part as follows: "lt is my belief we can better serve each other, better understand the man as well as his business, when meeting fact to face, exchanging views, and realizing from personal contact we serve but one interest, that of our mu tual prosperity. “Serious misunderstandings cannot occur where personal good will exists and opportunity for personal explana tion is present. "In my early business life I had experience with men of affairs of a character to make me desire to avoid creating a like feeling of resentment to myself and the interests in my charge, should fortune ever place me in authority, and I am solicitous of a measure of confidence on the part of the public and our employes that I shall hope may be warranted by the fairness and good fellowship I intend shall prevail in our relationship. Steps hot to Be Taken. "But do not feel I am disposed to grant unreasonable requests, spend the money of our company unnecessarily or without value received, nor expect the days of mistakes are disappear ing, or that cause for complaint will not continually occur; simply to cor rect such abuses as may be discovered, to better conditions as fast as rea sonably may be expected, constantly Striving, with varying success, for that improvement we all desire, to convince you there is a force at work in the right direction, all the time making progress—is the disposition with which I have come among you, asking your good will and encouragement. "The day has gone by when a cor poration can be handled successfully in defiance of the public will, even though that will be unreasonable and wrong. A public may be led, but not driven, and I prefer to go with it and shape or modify, in a measure, Its opinion, rather than be swept from my bearings, with loss to myself and the interests In mv dharge. Prejudice Towards Capital. "Violent prejudice exists towards corporate activity and capital to-day, much of It founded in reason, more in apprehension, and a large measure is due to the personal traits of arbitrary, unreasonable, incompetent and offen sive men in positions of authority. The accomplishment of results by Indirec tion, the endeavor to thwart the In tention, if not the expressed letter of the law (the will of the people), a disregard of the rights of others, a disposition to withhold what Is due, to force by main strength or inactivity a result not justified, depending upon the weakness of the claimant and his indisposition to become Involved in liti gation, has created a sentiment harm ful in the extreme and a disposition to consider anything fair that gives gain to the individual at the expense of the company. Wlmt Corporations Must no. "If corporations are to continue to do the world's work, as they are best fit ted to. these qualities In their repre sentatives that have resulted In the present prejudice against them must he relegated to the background. The cor porations must come out Into the open and sec and be seen. They must take the public Into their confidence and ask for what they want, and no more, and be prepared to explain satlefacto rlly what advantage will accrue to the public If they are given their desires, for they are permitted to exist not that they may make money solely, but that they may effectively serve those from whom they derive their power. "Publicity and not secrecy, will win hereafter, and laws be construed by their intent and not by their letter, otherwise public utilities will be owned und operated by the public which cre ated them, even though the service be less efficient and the result less satis factory from a financial standpoint." The Bureau of Corporations has made careful preliminary Investigation of many important corporations. It will make a special report on the beef Industry. The lliirenu of Corporation*. The policy of the bureau is to ac complish the purposes of Its creation by co-operation, not antagonism; by making constructive legislation, not destructive prosecution, the immediate object of its inquiries; by conservative investigation of law and fact, and by refusal to issue incomplete and hence necessarily inaccurate reports. Its policy being thus one of open in quiry into, and not attack upon, bus iness, the bureau has been able to gain not only the confidence, but, bet ter still, the co-operation of men en gaged in legitimate business. The bureau offers to the Congress the means of getting at the cost of production of our various great staples of commerce. Of necessity tho careful investiga tion of special corporations will af ford the commissioner knowledge of certain business facts, the publica tion of which might be an Improper infringement of private rights. The method of making public the results of these investigations affords, under the law, a means for the protection of private lights. The Congress will have all facts except such as would give to another corporation informa tion which would injure the legitimate business of a competitor and destroy the incentive for individual superiority and thrift. Ilrimrl* ou Corporal lon*. The bureau has also made exhaustive examinations into the legal condition under which corporate business is- car ried on In the various states; into all judicial decisions on the subject; and into the various systems of corporate taxation in use. I call special atten tion to the report of the chief of the bureau; and I earnestly ask that the Congress carefully consider the report and recommendations of the commis sioner on this subject. The business of Insurance vitally af fects the great mass of the people of the United States and is national and not local in its application. It in volves a multitude of transactions among the people of the different states and between American compa nies and foreign governments. I urge that the Congress carefully consider whether the power of the Bureau of Corporations can not constitutionally be extended to cover interstate trans actions in Insurance. Rebate*. Above all else, we must strive to keep the highways of commerce open to all on equal terms; and to do this it is necessary to put a complete stqp to all rebates. Whether the shipper or the railroad is to blame makes no difference; the rebate must be stopped, the abuses of the private car and pri vate terminal track and side track sys tems must be stopped, and the legis lation of the Fifty-eighth Congress which declares it to be unlawful for any person or corporation to offer, grant, give, solicit, accept, or receive any rebate, concession, or discrimina tion In respect of the transportation of any property In Interstate or foreign commerce whereby such property shall by any device whatever be transported at a less rate than that named in tho tariffs, published by the carrier must be enforced. For some time after the enactment of the act to regulate commerce it remained a mooted ques tion whether that act conferred upon the Interstate Commerce Commission the power, after it had found a chal lenged rate to be unreasonable, to de clare what thereafter should, prlmu facie, be the reasonable maximum rate for the transportation in dispute. The Commission's Powers l.imlted. The Supreme. Court finally resolved that question in the negative, so that as the law now stands the Commis sion simply possess the bare power to denounce a particular rate as unrea sonable. While I am of the opinion that at present it would be undesir able, if It were not impracticable, final ly to clothe the commission with gen eral authority to fix railroad rates, I do believe that, as a fair security to shippers, the commission should be vested with the power, where a given rate has been challenged and after full hearing found to be unreasonable, to decide, subject to judicial review, what shall be a reasonable rate to take Its place: the ruling of the commission to take effect immediately, and to ob tain unless and until it Is reversed by the court of review. Mnst Increase Supervision. The government must In Increasing degree supervise and regulate the workings of the railways engaged In interstate commerce; and such Increas ed supervision is the only alternative to an increase of the present evils on the one hand or a still more radical policy on the other. In my Judgment the most Important legislative act now needed as regards the regulation of corporations is this act to confer on the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to revise rates and regula tions. the revised rate to at once go into effect, and to stay In effect unless and until the court of review reverses It. Steamship companies engaged In in terstate commerce and protected In our coastwise trade, should be held to a strict observance of the Interstate com merce act. IX THE GREAT CITIES. Conditions Which Thrrntrn the Pub lic Welfare. In pursuing the set plan to make the city of Washington an example to other American municipalities several points should be kept in mind by the legislators. In the first place, the peo ple of this country should clearly un derstand that no amount of Industrial prosperity, and above all no leader ship in international industrial com petition. can In any way atone for the supping of the vitality of those who are usually spoken of as the work ing classes. The farmers, the mechanics, the skilled and unskilled laborers, the small shop keepers, make up the bulk of the population of any country; and upon their well-being, generation af ter generation, the well-being of the country and the race depends. Rapid development on wealthy and industrial leadership Is a go's! thing, but only If It goes hand In hand with Improvement and not deterioration, physical and moral. Overcrowding of cities. The overcrowding of cities and the draining of country districts srs un healthy nnd even dangerous symp toms In our modern life. We should not permit overcrowding in cities. In certain European cities it is provided by law that the population of towns shall not be allowed to exceed a very limited density for a given area, so that the increase in density must be continifally pushed back Into a broad zone around the center of the town, this zone having great avenues or parks within it. The death rate statistics show a ter rible increase in mortality, and es pecially in infant mortality. In over crowded tenements. The poorest fam ilies in tenement houses live in one room, and it appears that in these one room tenements the average death rate for a number of given cities at home and abroad is about twice what it is in a two-room tenement, four times what it is in a three-room tenement, and eight times what it is in a tene ment consisting of four rooms or over. These figures vary somewhat for dif ferent cities, but they approximate in each city those given above, and in all cases the increase of mortality, and especially of infant mortality, with the decrease in the number of rooms used by the family and wdth the con sequent overcrowding is startling. Hrallt llnle of llie Slum*. The slum exacts a heavy total of death from those who dwell therein; and this is the case not merely in the great crowded slums of high build ings in New York and Chicago, but In the. alley slums of Washington. In Washington people can not afford to Ignore the harm that this causes. No Christian and civilized community can afford to show a happy-go-lucky lack of concern for the youth of to-day; for. if so, the community will have to pay a terrible penalty of financial burden and social degradation in the to-morrow. There should be severe child-labor and factory-inspection laws. It Is very desirable that mar ried w’oinen should not work in fac tories. Tile Duty of Mail ami Womnn. The prime duty-of the man Is to work, to be the breadwinner; the prime duty of the woman Is to be the mother, the housewife. All questions of tariff and finance sink into utter Insignificance when compared with the tremendous, the vital importance of trying to shape conditions so that these two duties of the man and of the woman can be fulfilled under reasonably favorable circumstances. If a race does not have plenty of children, or if the children do not grow up, or if when they grow up they are unhealthy In body and stunt ed or vicious In mind, then that race is decadent, and no heaping up of wealth, no splendor of momentary ma terial prosperity, can avail in any de gree as offsets. Nlmiilil lie n Model Government. The Congress has the same power of legislation for the District of Co lumbia which the state legislatures have for the various states. The prob lems incident to our highly complex modern .industrial civilization, with Us manifold and perplexing tendencies both for good and for evil, are far less sharply accentuated In the city of Washington than In most other cities. For this very reason It Is easier to deal with the various phases of these, problems In Washington, and the District of Columbia government should be a model for the other mu nicipal governments of the nation, In all such matters as supervision of the housing of the poor, the creation of small parks In the districts inhabited by the poor, in laws affecting labor, In laws providing for the taking care of the children, In truant lawß, and In providing schools. Cnre of the Children. In the vital matter of taking care of children much advantage could be gained by a* careful study of what has been accomplished In such states as Illinois and Colorado by the Juvenile courts. The work of the juvenile court is really a work of character build ing. It is now generally recognized that young boys and young girls who go wrong should not be treated as criminals, not even necessarily ns needing reformation, but rather as needing to have their characters form ' ed. and for this end to have them tested and developed by a system of probation. Much admirable work has been done In many of our common wealths by earnest men and women who have made a special study of the needs of thosp classes of children which furnish the greatest number of Juvenile offenders, and therefore the greatest number of adult offenders: and by their aid, and by profiting by the experiences of the different states and cities In these matters, It would be easy to provide a good code for the District of Columbia. Structural a un<lit lone. Several considerations suggest the need for a systematic Investigation Into and improvement of housing con ditions In Washington. The hidden residential alleys are breeding grounds of vice and disease, and should be opened Into minor streets. For a num ber of years influential citizens have Joined with the District Commission ers in the vain endeavor to secure laws permitting the condemnation of Insanitary dwellings. The local death rates, especially from preventable dis eases, are so unduly high as to sug gest that the exceptional ivholesome r.css of Washington’s better sections is offset by bad conditions In her poorer neighborhoods. A special "Commission on Housing and Health Conditions in the National Capital" would not only bring about the reformation of existing evils, but would also formulate an appropriate building code to protect the city from mammoth brick tenements and other evils which threaten to develop here ns they have in other cities. That the nation's capital should be made a model for other municipalities Is an Ideal which appeals to all patriotic citizens everywhere, and such a spec ial commission might map out and organize the city’s future develop ment in lines of civic social service. Just as MaJ. L'Enfant and the recent Dark Commission planned the arrange ment of her streets and parks. Ear n Compulsory School tin. It Is mortifying to remember that Washington has no compulsory school attendance law and that careful In quiries Indicate the habitual absence from school of some 20 per cent, of all children between the ages of eight and fourteen. It must be evident to all who consider the problems of neglect ed child life or the benefits of com pulsory education in other cities that one of the most urgent needs of the national capital Is s law requiring the school attendance of all children, this law to be enforced by attendance agents directed by the Board of Edu cation. Public l*ln> sronnils Seeeesary. Public play grounds are necessary means for the development of whole some citizenship In modern cities. It Is Important that the work inaugurated here through voluntary efforts should he taken up and extended through congressional appropriation of funds sufficient to equip and maintain nu PAGES 9 TO 14 merous convenient small play grounds upon land which can be secured with out purchase or rental. It Is also desir able that small vacant places be pur chased affd reserved as small-park play grounds in densely settled sections of the city which now have no public open spaces and are destined soon to be built up solidly. All these needs should be met Immediately. To meet them would entail expenses; but a corresponding saving could be made by stopping the building of streets and levelling of ground for purposes large ly speculative in outlying parts of the city. , Severer Pnnl*linient* Needed. There are certain offenders, whose criminality takes the shape of bru tality and cruelty towards the weak, who need a special type of punish ment. The wlfc-beater, for example. Is Inadequately punished by Imprison ment; for Imprisonment may often mean nothing to him, w'hile it may cause hunger and want to the wife and children who have been the vic tims of his brutality. Probably some form of corporal punishment would be the most adequate veay of meeting this kind of crime. THE COI STBY’S AGRICULTURE. The Occnputlon of Nearly One Hair It* People. The Department, of Agriculture has grown Into an educational Institution with a faculty of 2,000 specialists mak ing research Into all the sciences of production. The Congress appropri ates, directly and Indirectly, six mil lions of dollars annually to carry on this work. It reaches every state and territory in the Union and the islands of the sea lately come under our flag. Co-operation ts had with the state ex periment stations and with many other Institutions and individuals. The world Is cafefully searched for new varieties of grains, fruits, grasses, vegetables, trees and shrubs, suitable to various localities In our country; and marked benefit to our producers has resulted. The activities of our age in lines of research have reached the tillers of the soli and Inspired them with am bition to know more of the principles thnt govern tho forces of nature with which they have to deal. Half tlie People Farmers. Nearly half of the people of this country devote their energies to grow ing things from the soli. Until a re cent date little has been done to pre pare these millions for their life work. In most lines of human activity col lege-trained men are the leaders. The farmer had no opportunity for special training until the Congress made pro vision for It forty years ago. During these years progress has been made and teachers have been prepared. Over 5,000 students are In attendance at our state agricultural colleges. The federal government expends ten millions of dollars annually toward this education and for research In Washington and in the several states and territories. The Department of Agriculture has given facilities for post-graduate work to 500 young men during the last seven years, preparing them for advanced work In the department and In the state institutions. The Science of Meteorology. The I‘acts concerning meteorology and its relations to plant and animal life are being systematically Inquired into. Temperature and moisture are controlling factors in all agricultural operations. The seasons of the cy clones of the Carribean Sea and their paths are being forecasted with in creasing accuracy. The cold winds thfit come from the north are anticipated and their times and Intensity told to farmers, gardeners, and fruiterers In all southern localities. We sell two hundred and fifty million dollars’ worth of animals and animal products to foreign countries every year. In addition to supplying our own people more cheaply and abundantly than any other nation Is able to pro vide for its people. Successful man ufacturing depends primarily on cheap food, which ‘accounts to a considerable extent for our growth in this direc tion. The department of Agriculture, by careful inspection of meats, guards the health of our people and gives clean bills of health to deserving exports; it Is prepared to deal promptly with Imported diseases of animals, and maintain the excellence of our flocks and herds In this respect. There should be an annual census of the live stock of the nation. *000.000,000 Worth of l-lanta. We sell abroad about six hundred million dollars worth of plants and their products every year. Strenuous efforts are being made to Import from foreign countries such gi'afns as are suitable to our varying localities. Seven years ago we bought three-fourths of our rice; by helping the rice growers on the Oulf coast to secure seeds from the Orient suited to their conditions, and by giving them adequate protection they now supply home demand and ex port to the islands of the Caribbean sea and to other rice-growing countries. Wheat and other grains have been imported from light-rainfall countries to our lands In the West and South west that have not grown crops because of light precipitation, resulting in an extensive addition to our cropping area and our home-making territory that cun not be Irrigated. Ten mil lion bushels of first-class macaroni wheat were grown from these experi mental Importations last year. Fruits suitable to our soils and climate* are being imported from all the countries of the Old World —the fig from Tur key. the almond from Spain, the date from Algeria, the mango from India. Poshing Into Foreign Markets. We are helping our fruit growers to get their crops Into European mar kets by studying methods of preserva tion through refrigeration, packing and handling, which have been quite auc eeasful. We are helping ouf hop grow ers by Importing varieties that ripen earlier and later than the klnda they have been ralalng. thereby lengthen ing the harvesting season. The cot ton crop of the country Is threatened with root rot, the boll worm and the boll weevil. Our pathologists will find Immune varieties that will resist the root disease, and the boll worm can be dealt with, but the boll weevil la a serioua menace to the cotton crop. It is a Central American insect that has become acclimated in Texas and has done great damage. A scientist of the Department of Agriculture has found the weevil at home In Guate mala being kept In check by an ant, which has been brought to our cotton fielda for observation. It Is hoped that it may serve a good purpose. Improving the l.nnda. The soils of tbe country are getting attention from the farmer’s standpoint, and Interesting results are following. We bate duplicates of the soils that grow the wrapper tobacco In Mumatra and the fitter tobacco In Cuba. It will be only a question of time when the large amounts paid to these countries will be paid to our own people. The reclamation of alkali lands Is progress-