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mis i^ir^MWwNli <a»y*N Ik -- v>*; h • ,r , f1,1 *&, fer: • 'i' v!*'i^4 .m*m 'fc' 3r;njf' • 'i1 "'*& "' "'1. • r?4*«* +WU$Sr* f . • . * *• * r . . . . , : TAFTON ECOMff President Sends Another Special Message to Congress. PUNS FOR BETTER SERVICE Results of Commission's Inquiry Into Methods of Saving Money and Getting Better Work From Government Employes. Washington, Jan. 17. -- President Taft submitted to congress today an­ other message, this time on economy and efficiency in the government serv­ ice. The message in part is as follows: iTo the Senate and House of Repre­ sentat ives: I submit for the Information of the 'congress this report of progress made in the inquiry into the efficiency and economy of the methods of transact­ ing- public business. Efficiency and economy in the gov­ ern ment service have been demanded with increasing insistence for a gener­ ation Real economy is the result of efficient organization. By perfecting the organization the same benefits may be obtained at less expense. A reduction in the total of the annual appropriations is not in Itself a "proof <of economy, since it Is often accom- ipanied by a decrease In efficiency. The needs of the nation may demand a large increase of expenditure, yet to [keep the total appropriations within 'the expected revenue is necessary to 'the maintenance of public credit Upon the president must rest a jlarge share of the responsibility for Ithe demands made upon the treasury {for the cument administration of the (executive branch of the government. [Upon the congress must, rest responsi­ bility for those grants of public funds jwhich are made for other purposes. Reason for the Inquiry. Recognizing my share of responsi­ bility for efficient and economical ad­ ministration, I have endeavored dar­ ling the past two years, with the as­ sistance of heads of departments, to •ecure the best results. As one of the means to this end I requested a Crant from congress to make my ef­ forts more effective. An appropriation of 1100,000 was 4nade June 25, 1910, "to enable the president to inquire into the methods of transacting the public business of the executive departments and other government establishments and to recommend to congress such legisla­ tion as may be necessary to carry into effect changes found to be desirable that cannot be accomplished by execu­ tive action alone." I have been given this fund to enable me to take action and to make specific recommendations with respect to the details of transact­ ing the business of an organization whose activities are almost as varied as those of the entire business world. The operations of the government af­ fect the interest of every person liv­ ing within the jurisdiction of the Unit­ ed States, its organization embraces stations and centers of work located in every city and in many local sub­ divisions of the country. Its gross ex­ penditures nrr.cunt to nearly Jl.CGO,- 000,000 annually Including the per­ sonnel of the military and naval es­ tablishments. more than 400,000 per­ sons are required to do the work im­ posed by law upon the executive branch of the government, i Plan of the Work. In accordance with my instructions, the commission on economy and effi­ ciency, which 1 organized to aid me in the inquiry, has directed Its efforts •primarily to the formulation of con­ crete recommendations looking to the betterment of the fundamental condi tlons under which governmental op •erations must be carried on. With a basis thus laid, it has proceeded to the prosecution of detailed studies of in­ dividual services and classes of work, and of particular practices and meth­ ods. pushing these studies as far, and covering as many points and services, {as the resources and time at its dis- jposal have permitted. ; In approaching its task it has di­ vided the work into five fields of in- t-qulry having to do respectively with ^organization, personnel business meth­ ods, accounting and reporting, and the budget I Organization. 1 1 have stated that the congress, the president, and the administrative offi­ cers are attempting to discharge the duties with which they are intrusted without full information as to the agencies through which the work of the government is being performed. To provide more complete information on this point the commission bSk sub­ mitted to me a report on the organiza tion of the government as Jt existed July 1, l9ii. This report, which is transmitted herewith, shows in great detail, by means of outlines, not only the departments, commissions, bu­ reaus and offices through which the government performs I t s varied ac­ tivities. but also the sections, shops, field stations, etc., constituting the subordinate division.-; through which the work is actually done. I t shows for the services at Washington each such f inal unit as a laboratory, l ibrary |shop and administrat ive subdivision; :and for the services outside of Wash ington each station and point at which any activity of the government Is car­ ried on. : Comprehensive Plan of Organization. With this outline as a basis, the commission has entered npon the preparation of three series of reports. The first series deals with the man* ner in which the services of the gov­ ernment should be grouped In depart­ ments. This Is a matter of fundament el importance. It is only after a sat­ isfactory solution of this problem that many important measures of reform be­ come possible. Only by grouping serv­ ices according to their character can substantial progress be made in elim­ inating duplication of work and plant and proper working relations be es­ tablished between services engaged in similar activities. Until the head of a department is called upon to deal exclusively with matters falling In but one or a very few distinct fields, ef­ fective supervision and control Is Im­ possible. As long as the same depart­ ment embraces services so diverse in character as those of life saving and the management of public finances, standardization of accounting methods esi Gf GtJi'T business practices is ex­ ceedingly difficult of attainment. So dependent are other reforms upon the proper grouping of services that I have instructed the commission to indicate in its report the changes which should be made in the existing organization and to proceed in the same way as would far-seeing archi­ tects or engineers In planning for the improvement and development of a great city. My desire is to secure and to furnish to the congress a scheme of organization that can be U6ed as a basis of discussion and action for years to come. In the past services have been cre­ ated one by one as exigencies have seemed to demand, with little or no reference to any scheme of organiza­ tion of the government as a whole. I am convinced that the time has come when the government should take stock of its activities and agencies and formulate a comprehensive plan with reference to which future changes may be made. The report of the commis­ sion is being prepared with this idea in mind. When completed it will be transmitted to congress. The recom­ mendations will be of such a charac­ ter that they can be acted upon one by one if they commend themselves to the congress and as action in re­ gard to any one of them is deemed to be urgent. Report on Particular Services. The second and third series of re­ ports deal, respectively, with the or­ ganization and activities of particular services, and the form of organization for the performance of particular busi­ ness operations. One of the reports of the second se­ ries is upon the revenue cutter service, which costs the government over two and a half million dollars each year. In the opinion of the commission its varied activities can be performed with equal, or greater, advantage by other services. The commission, therefore, recommends that it be abolished. It is estimated that by so doing a sav­ ing of not less than $1,000,000 a year can be made. Another report illustrating the sec­ ond series recommends that the light­ house and life saving services be ad­ ministered by a single bureau, instead of as at present by two bureaus lo­ cated in different departments. These services have much in common. Geo­ graphically, they are similarly located; administratively, they have many of the same problems. It is estimated that consolidation would result in a saving of not less than $100,000 an­ nually. General Technical Services. A t h i r r i R p r i p f l n f r p n n r t a i q K o | n a n r o . pared on those branches of the organ­ ization which are technical in charac­ ter and which exist for the service of the government as a whole--branches which have to do with such matters as public printing, heating, lighting, the making of repairs, the providing of transportation, and the compilation of statistics where mechanical equipment is essential. Abolition of Local Offices. Perhaps the part of the organization in which the greatest economy in pub­ lic expenditure is possible is to be found in the numerous local offices of the government. In some instances the establishment and the discontinuance of these local offices are matters of ad­ ministrative discretion. In other In­ stances they are established by per­ manent law in such a manner that their discontinuance is beyond the power of the president or that of any executive officer. In a number of serv­ ices these laws were passed nearly a century ago. Changes in economic con­ ditions have taken place which have had the effect of rendering certain of­ fices not only useless, but even worse than useless in that their very exist­ ence needlessly swells expenditures and complicates the administrative system. The attention of congress has been called repeatedly to these conditions. In some instances the congress has ap­ proved recommendations for the abo­ lition of useless positions. In other cases not only do the recommenda­ tions of the executive that useless po­ sitions be abolished remain unheeded, but laws are passed to establish new offices at places where they are not needed. The responsibility for the main­ tenance of these conditions must nat­ urally be divided between the con­ gress and the executive. But that the executive has performed his duty when he has failed the attention of the congress to the matter must also be admitted. Realizing my responsibility in the premises, I have directed the commission to prepare a report setting forth the positions in the local serv­ ices of the government which may be discontinued with advantage, the sav­ ing which would result from such ac­ tion and the changes in law which are necessary to carry into effect changes in organization found to be desirable. On the coming in of the report, such office* as may be found useless and can be abolished will be so treated by executive order. In my recent message to the con­ gress I urged consideration of the necessity of placing In the classified service all of the local officers under the departments of the treasury, the In­ terior, postofflce, and commerce and labor. Classification of Local Officers. The importance of the existence of a competent and reasonably perma­ nent civil service was not appreciated until the last Quarter of the last cen­ tury. At that time examinations were Instituted as a means of ascertaining whether candidates for appointment possessed the requisite qualifications for government positions. Since then It has come to be universally admitted that entrance to almost every subor­ dinate position in the public service should be dependent upon the proof in some appropriate way of the ability of the appointee. As yst, however, little if any attempt has been made by law to Becure, either for the higher administrative posi­ tions in the service at Washington or for local offices, the qualifications which the incumbents of these posi­ tions must have if the business of the government Is to be conducted in the most efficient and economical man­ ner. Furthermore, in the case of many of the local officers the law positively provides that the term of office shall be of four years' duration. The next step which must be taken is to require of heads of bureaus in the departments at Washington, and of most of the Jocal officers under the departments, qualifications of ca­ pacity similar to those now required of certain heads of bureaus and of lo­ cal officers. The extension of the merit system to these officers and a needed readjustment of salaries will have important effects in securing greater economy and efficiency. In the first place, the possession by the incumbents of these positions of requisite qualifications must in itself promote efficiency. In the second place, the removal of local officers from the realm of po­ litical patronage in many cases would reduce the pay roll of the field serv­ ices. At the present time the Incum­ bents of many of these positions leave the actual performance of many of their duties to deputies and assist­ ants. The government often pays two persons for doing work that could easily be done by one. What is the loss to the government cannot be stated, but that it Is very large can­ not be denied, when it is remembered how numerous are the local officers In the postal, customs, internal reve­ nue, public lands, and other field serv­ ices of the government. In the third place, so long as local officers are within the sphere of po­ litical patronage it is difficult to con­ sider the question of the establish­ ment or discontinuance of local offices apart from the effect upon local po­ litical situations. Finally, the view that these vari­ ous offices are to be filled as a result of political considerations has for its consequence the necessity that the president and members of congress devote to matters of patronage time which they should devote to questions of policy and administration. The greatest economy and effi­ ciency, and the benefits which may accrue from the president's devoting his time to the work which is most worth while, may be assured only tjy treating all the distinctly administra­ tive officers in the departments at Washington and in the field in the same way as Inferior officers have been treated. The time has come when all these officers should be placed in the classified service. The time has also come when those pro­ visions of law which give to these officers a fixed term of years should be repealed So long as a fixed term Is provided by the law the question of reappointment of an officer, no matter how efficiently he may have performed his duties, will Inevitably be raised periodically. So long as ap pointments to these offices must be confirmed by the senate, and so long as appointments to them be made ev­ ery four years, just so long will it be impossible to provide a force of em­ ployes with a reasonably permanent tenure who are qualified by reason of education and training to do the best work. Superannuation. Attention has been directed in re­ cent years to the need of a suitable plan of retiring the superannuated employes in the executive civil serv­ ice. In the belief that it is desira­ ble that any steps toward the estab­ lishment of such a plan shall be tak­ en with caution, I instructed the com­ mission to make an inquiry first in­ to the conditions at Washington. This inquiry has been directed to the as­ certainment of the extent to which superannuation now exists and to the consideration of the availability of the various plans which either have been proposed for adoption in this country or have actually been adopt­ ed in other countries. 1 shall submit in the near future, for the considera­ tion of the congress a plan for the re­ tirement of aged employes in the civ­ il service which will safeguard the interests of the government and at the same time make reasonable pro­ vision for the needs of those who have given the best part of their lives to the service of the state. Efficiency of Personnel. I have caused Inquiry to be made into the character of the appointees from the point of view of efficiency and competence which has resulted from present methods of appoint­ ment; into the present relation of compensation to the character of work done; into the existing methods of promotion and the keeping of ef­ ficiency records In the various de­ partments; and into the conditions of work' in government offices. This Inquiry will help to determine to what extent conditions of work are uniform in the different departments and how far uniformity in such conditions will tend to improve the service. I have felt that satisfaction with the condi­ tions in which they worked was a necessary prerequisite to an efficient personnel, and that satisfaction was not to be expected where conditions in one department were less favora­ ble than in another. This inquiry has not been complet­ ed. When It has been ascertained that evils exist which can be rem­ edied through the exercise of the pow­ ers now vested, in the president, I shall endeavor to remedy 1lu>se evils. Where that Is not the case, I shall present for the consideration of the congress plans which, I believe, will be followed by great Improvement in the service. Business Methods. In every case where technical pro cesses have been studied it has been demonstrated beyond question that large economies may be effected. The subjects first approached were those which lie close to each administrator, viz, office practices. An Illustration of the possibilities within this field may be found in the results of the in­ quiry into the methods of handling and filing correspondence. Every of­ fice in the government has reported its methods to the commission. These reports broughVto light the fact that present methods were quite in the re­ verse of uniform. Some offices fol­ low the practice of briefing all corre­ spondence; some do not. Some have flat files; others fold all papers be­ fore filing. Some use press copies; others retain only carbon copies. Unnecessary Cost of Handling and Filing Correspondence. The reports $lso show not only a very wide range in the methods of doing this comparatively simple part of the government business, but an ex traordinary range in cost. For the handling of Incoming mail the aver­ ages of cost by departments vary from $5.84 to $84.40 per 1,000. For the handling of outgoing mall the aver­ ages by departments vary from $5.94 to $69.89 per 1,000. This does not In­ clude the cost of preparation, but Is confined merely to the physical side of the work. The variations between individual offices is many times great­ er than that shown for averages by departments. Jf It Is at once evident either that is is costing some of the offices too little or that others are being run at an unwarranted expense. Nor are these variations explained by differences In character of work. For example, there are two departments which handle practically the same kind of business and in very large volume. The aver­ age cost of handling Incoming mall to "bno was found to be over six times as great as the cost of handling incoming mall to the other. Excluding the cost of preparation, the average cost per 1,000 for outgoing mail to one was nearly 50 per cent greater than that for the other. It has been found that differences of average cost by departments closely follow differences in method and that the greatest cost is found in the de­ partment where the method Is most involved. Another fact is of interest, viz., that in the two departments above referred to, which show the low­ est averages, orders have been issued which will lead to large saving with­ out impairing efficiency. It cannot be said what the saving ultimately will be when the attention of officers in all of the departments has been fo­ cused on present methods with a view to changing them in such manner as to reduce cost to the lowest point compatible with efficient service. It, however, must be a considerable per eentage of nearly $5,000,000, the total estimated cost of handling this part of the government business at Wash­ ington. Results have already been obtained which are noteworthy. Mention has been made of the orders issued by two departments. Of these the order of one is most revolutionary in charac­ ter, siqce it requires flat filing, where before all corfespondence was folded; the doing away with letterpress cop­ ies; and the discontinuance of in­ dorsements on slips, one of the most expensive processes and one which in the other department has been carried to very great length. Need for Labor-8avlng Office Devices. The use of labor-saving office de­ vices in the service has been made the subject of special inquiry. An im­ pression prevails that the government is not making use of mechanical de­ vices for economizing labor to the same extent as are efficiently managed private enterprises. A study has been made of the extent to which devices of this character are now being em­ ployed in the several branches of the government and the opportunities that exist for their more general use. In order to secure Information as to the various kinds of labor-saving devices that are in existence and as to their adaptability to government work, an exhibition of labor-saving office appli­ ances was held in Washington from July 6 to 15, 1911. One hundred and ten manufacturers and dealers partici­ pated, and more than 10,000 officers and employees visited the exhibition. There is no doubt that the exhibi­ tion served the purpose of bringing to the attention of officers devices which pan be employed by them with advan­ tage. The holding of this exhibition was, however, but a step preparatory to the contemplated investigation. Unnecessary Cost of Copy Work. The efforts of the commission re­ sulted also in the adoption by several bureaus or departments of Improved methods of doing copying.. The amount of copy work heretofore done by hand each year in the many offices Is esti­ mated to aggregate several hundred thousand dollars. The commission ex­ hibited, at its offices, appliances that were thought to be especially adapt­ ed to this kind of government work. Following these demonstrations meth­ ods of copying were introduced which have brought about a saving of over 75 per cent, in offices where used for six months. This change in one small cross-section of office practice will more than offset the whole cost of my inquiry. Wsste 'In the Distribution of Public Documents. Going outside the office, one of the business processes which have been investigated is the distribution of de­ partmental documents. This is a sub­ ject with which both the congress and administration heads are familiar. The prevailing practice In handling depart­ mental publications fas to have them manufactured at the government printing office; each job when com­ pleted Is delivered to the department; here the books or pamphlets are wrapped and addressed; they are then sent to the postofflce; there they are assorted and prepared for shipment through the mails; from the postofflce they are sent to the railroad station, which is only a few steps from the government, printing office, whence they started. The results of this labo­ rious and circuitous method Is to make the use of the best mechanical equipment Impracticable and to waste each year not less than a quarter of a million dollars of government funds in useless handling, to say nothing of the indirect loss due to lack of proper co-ordination. Wasteful Use of Properties and Equip­ ment. The use of equipment is a matter which also has been investigated. Up to the present time this investigation has been in the main confined to the subject of electric lighting. The gov­ ernment pays over $600,000 per year for electric current; it has made large capital outlays for wiring and fixtures. With the increasing demands in many buildings the present equipment is taxed to its limit and If the present methods are continued much of this wiring must be done over; in many ^places employees are working at a great physical disadvantage, due to in­ adequate and improper lighting, and thereby with reduced efficiency. In every place where the Inquiry has been conducted It appears that there is large Waste; that without the cost of rewiring, simply by giving proper attention to location of lights and the use. of proper lamps and reflectors, the light efficiency at points where needed may be much Increased and the cost of current reduced from 30 to 60 per cent. Other inquiries into the use which is being made of prop­ erties and equipment are contemplat­ ed which promise even larger results. Unnecessary Cost of Insurance. It Is the policy of the government not to insure public property against fire and other losses. Question has been raised whether the government might not apply the same principle to other forms of risk, including in­ surance of the fidelity of officials and employees. A report Is now In prepa­ ration on the subject which will show opportunities for large savings. I be­ lieve that the present expense for in­ suring the faithful execution of con­ tracts, which, though paid by tlie con­ tractor, is more than covered in the added price to the government, can be largely reduced without taking away any element of security. Lack of Specifications. The Importance of establishing and maintaining standard specifications is found not only in the possibility of very materially reducing the direct cost of government trading, but also in insuring to the service materials, supplies and equipment which are bet­ ter adapted to its purposes. One of the results of lndefiniteness of specifi­ cations is to impose contract condi­ tions which make it extra hazardous for persons to enter into contractual relations. This not only deprives the government of the advantage of broad competition, but causes it to pay an added margin in price to vendors who must carry the risk. Excessive Cost of Travel. One of the first steps taken toward constructive work was the reclassifi­ cation of the expenditures for the year 1910 by objects. The foundation was thus made for the investigation of gdvernment trading practices. While it»was recognized that this large field could not be covered within a year except at enormous cost, the subjects of "Transportation of per­ sons"' and "Subsistence while in trav­ el status" were taken as concrete ex­ amples. The annual cost of travel to the government was found to be about $12,000,000. It was also found that the government employees were traveling in practically every way that was open to the public; it was fur­ ther found that although the govern­ ment was the largest user of trans- pdrtation, it was buying railroad tick­ ets on a less favorable basis than would be possible if the subject of traveling expenditures were systemat­ ical handled from the point of view of the government as a whole. The form of ticket most often used be­ tween such points as New York. Phil­ adelphia and Washington was the sln- gle-trlp*. first-class ticket. In two de­ partments definite tests have been made in the use of mileage books and in each practically the same result has been reported, viz., an average saving of a little over one-half of one cent per mile. Better Methods for Purchasing. Through a long period, of years and by numerous laws and orders there has grown up a procedure governing public advertising and contracting that is more burdensome and expen­ sive in some cases than is necessary. The procedure is not /uniform in the .various departments; it Is not uni­ form in many cases for the different services in the same department To make uniform the requirements so far as practicable will be in the interest of economy and efficiency and bring about that simplicity that will secure the largest opportunity for contract­ ors to bid for government work, and will secure for the government the most favorable prices obtained by any purchaser. The Budget. The United States is the only great nation whose govenynent is operated without a budget. This fact seems to be more striking when it is consid­ ered that budgets and budget pro­ cedures are the outgrowth of Demo­ cratic doctrines and have had an im­ portant part in the development of modern constitutional rights. The American commonwealth has suffered much from irresponsibility on the part of its governing agencies. The consti­ tutional purpose of a budget Is to make government responsive to pub­ lic opinion and responsible for its acts. The Budget as an Annual Program. A budget should be the means for getting before the legislative branch, before the press, and before the peo­ ple a definite annual program of busi­ ness to be financed; it should be in the nature of a prospectus both of revenues and expenditures; it should comprehend every relation of the gov­ ernment to the people, whether with reference to the raising of revenues or the rendering of service. In many foreign countries the an­ nual budget program is discussed with special reference to the revenue to be raiEed, the thought beihg that the raising of revenue bears more direct relation to welfare than does govern­ ment expenditure. Around questions of source of revenue political parties have been organized, and on such questions voters in the tfnlted States have taken sides since the first reve­ nue law was proposed. Public-Welfare Questions. The principal government objects in which the people of the United States are interested Include: The national defense; the protec­ tion of persons and property; the pro­ motion of friendly relations and the> protection of American interests abroad; the regulation of commerce and 'industry; the promotion of agri­ culture, fisheries, forestry and min­ ing; the promotion of manufacturing, commerce, and banking; the promo­ tion of transportation and communica­ tion; the postal service, including pos­ tal savings and parcels post; the care for and utilization of the public do­ main; the promotion of education, art, science and recreation; the promotion of the public health; the care and education of the Indians and other wards of the nation. These are public-welfare questions in which I assume every citizen has a vital interest. I believe that every member of congress, as an official rep­ resentative of the people, each editor, as a non-official representative of pub­ lic opinion, each citizen, as a bene­ ficiary of the trust imposed on offi­ cers of the government, should be able readily to ascertain how much has been spent for each of these pur­ poses; how much has been appropri­ ated for the current year; how much the administration is asking for each of these purposes for the next fiscal year. Furthermore, each person interest­ ed should hf»ve lnid before him a clear, well-digested statement show­ ing in detail whether moneys approp­ riated have been economically spent and whether each division or office has been efficiently run. This Is the information which should be available each year in the form of a budget and in detail accounts and reports support­ ing the budget. Continuance of the Commission. I ask the continuance of this com­ mission on economy and efficiency be­ cause of the excellent beginning which has been made toward the re­ organization of the machinery of this government on business principles. I ask it because its work is entirely non-partisan in character and ought to apply to every citizen who wishes to give effectiveness to popular govern­ ment, in which we feel a Just pride. The work further commends itself for the reason that the cost of or­ ganization and work has been careful­ ly considered at every point Three months were taken in consideration of plans before the inquiry was be­ gun; six months were then spent in preliminary investigations before the commission was organized; before March 3, 1911, when I asked for a con­ tinuation of the original appropria­ tion for the current year, only $12,000 had been spent The expenditure for the inquiry dur­ ing the present fiscal year is at the rate of $130,000. The mass of infor­ mation which must be collected, di­ gested and summarized pertaining to each subject of Inquiry is enormous. From the results obtained it is evi­ dent that every dollar which Is spent In the prosecution of the inquiry in the future will result in manifold sav­ ings. Every economy which has been or will be effected through changes in organization oij method will inure to the benefit of the government and of the people in ' Increasing measure through the yearB which follow. It is clearly tho part of wisdom to provide for the coming year means at least equal to those available during the current year, and In my opinion the appropriation should be increased to $200,000, and an additional amount of $50 000 should be provided for the pub­ lication of those results, which will be of continuing value to officers of the government and to the people. WM. H. TAFT. The White House, January It. 1912. OFTEN MEANS QUICK DEATH Aeut* Indigestion a Condition In * Which Digestive Organs Fall to# Perform Functions. ; • f A frequent cause of death nowadays, ..W St least frequently assigned as a cause, is acute indigestion. Two pro- pounced cases have occurred within a few days. Alfred Tennyson Dickens and Rear Admiral Evans, and every natter will recall other Instances. The designation is somewhat vague, and yet it conveys a distinct idea of a con­ dition. Indigestion, a phase of dys­ pepsia, which has been called the American disease, is very common, an(j its disagreeable symptoms are but too well known. Chronic indigestion, or dyspepsia, is very prevalent and in medical phrase an acute diseuse is op­ posed to chronic in the sense that while a chronic disease runs a long time, the acute form is attended with severe symptoms and is likely to come speedily to a crisis. Acute indigestion, ^therefore, is a condition In which the digestive organs, because they are ei­ ther naturally .weak or are worn out, overworked or temporarily abused, J fall to perform their functions, and the whole system is thrown "out of gear." This may be due primarily and directly to overeating or to eating im­ proper food, to gorging the stomach with Inadequately masticated food, to retarding its normal action with too much liquid, or to other Ideal influ­ ences. In cases of acute Indigestion or dyspepsia there generally is intense pain, often followed by sickness and vomiting of the surplus or offensive matter by which the stomach seeks to correct the effects of abuse and re­ gain a normal condition. But it does not always succeed,.other measures of relief also fail, the machinery breaks down and death ensues. The main dif­ ference between chronic dyspepsia and acute indigestion is that one Is slow death and the other quick. The moral as to dietetic habits, eating and drinking, is too obvious to need point­ ing out. Reviving Old Customs. A revival of the old customs of our ^rest-great grandmothers is the com­ mendable task to which the newly or­ ganized Illinois Colony dlub has eet itself. "The women," says Mrs. George E. Colby, president of the or­ ganization, "may bring their darning to the meetings, or their sewing. Then we are going to study the lives of the colonial women and emulate them. For example, we shall make our own preserves and pickles and attend to the other household duties as women once did." There are a lot of won en who have never given these cut toms of our grandmothers up but it sounds good to hear women Of leisure talking about darning, pickling and preserving.--Leslie's Weekly. REACHED LIMIT OF TORTURg ------ * , Real Rafson Why Burylar Gave Even­ ing Papers Chance to Use Effec­ tive Headline. A burglar broke into a New York mansion early the other morning and found himself after wandering about the place in the music room. Hearing footsteps approaching, he took refuge behind a screen. From eight to nine the eldest daughter bad a singing lesson. From nine to ten the second daughter took a piano lesson. From ten to eleven the eldest son got his instruction on the violin. From eleven to twelve the younger boy got a les­ sen on the flute and piccolo. Then, at 12:15, the family got together and practiced music on all their instru­ ments. They were fixing up for a ooncert At 12:45 the porch-climber staggered from behind the screen, "For heaven's sake, send for the po- Sice!" he shrieked. "Torture me no longer!" And in the evening paper there was the headline: "Nervy Chil­ dren Capture Desperate Burglar." i' * TAKING CHANCE8 OTHERWISE* Hoax--He Is exceedingly ill, but he Is still holding his own. Joax--He has to. There are two doctors with him all the time. Eager to See. "I have a poem here entitled 'Alone with Nature,'" said the 6allow young man with the long hair and the frayed trousers. "It Is a personal Impres­ sion." "Is it?" replied the editor of the Chicago Record-Herald, as he hastily glanced at the opening lines. "Have you ever been alone with nature?" "I have, and, oh, it is glorious--glo­ rious!" "Here's a dime. Get on a trolley car and ride as far as you® can. Go back to nature and spend another hour or two alone with her. You say you plucked the hazel blossoms by the stream. If you are able to find any place where you can do that let me know. I want to watch you while you do It." Saw No Difference. "People who seek books from the fiction section make some funny breaks," says a librarian of the Libra­ ry of Congress. "I have made note of a number of these, but none of them amused me more than the request of a sour-looking spinster. "She sternly demanded of me a copy of 'The Recollections of a Liar.' I told her that I didn't know of it, but that I could give her 'The Recollections of a Married Man.' " '.That will do,' said she acidly. It's practically the same thing.'"-- Lippincott's. Walking for Nerves. The nerves suffer from want of pure oxygen. They run like a network all through the skin and when they are overwrought the skin is apt to be dry* and colorless. Walking is an excellent tonic for the nerves. It gives them strength to control themselves. If one has means or leisure, there are plenty of other more enjoyable ex­ ercises. But few forms are so bene­ ficial as the regular dally jaunt of four or five miles for obtaining a good complexion. Mistaken There. The phrenologist was examining the bumps on Sambo's head. "Curiosity and acquisitiveness ab­ normally large." Sambo rolled his eyeballs and showed two rows of white Ivory. "Imitatlveness, casuallty and consci­ entiousness smtill; which with your weak mouth indicates--" "Don' yu be so shu 'bout me hab- bin' a weak mouf. I kin crack nuts in ma teef." v Before the Scrap. "Why are you rushing around so to­ day?" "I'm trying to get something for my wife?" "Had any offers?"-- Louisville Courier-Journal. It is the common lot of man not to get an uncommon lot Ton „ MHNT fi Dividing i to cure any case 01 xtcning, bum Protruding Pll«s l»<i to 14 fifla- There is a difference between being useful and being used. The Wretchedness of Constipation Car quickly be overco CARTER'S LITTLE LIVER PILLS. Purely vegetable --act surely and gently on the liver. Cure Biliousness, Head­ ache, Dizzi­ ness, and Indigestion. They do their duty. SHALL PILL, SMALL DOSE. SMALL PUCE. Genuine must bear Signature CARTER* ITTLE PILLS. It Is one thing to compile a list of twenty greatest men and it is another thing to make It stay put. PARKER'S HAIR BALSAM , Cleuuct t»autiiW the hale, j FromaUEf a luxuriant growth. I Never F'aila to Hestoro Gray I Hair to it a Youthful Color. U;ia frc&l^ M tail' ttc, acd 11-00 at Drugiata R E M E M B E R for COUGHS t COLDS