The San Francisco call., 1898-12-06
Treasury gold bullion amounting to s13s,-

5o2,545. w ''
 The provision made for strengthening the resources of the Treasury In connec- ton with the war has given increased confidence in the purpose and power of the Government to maintain the present standard and has established more firmly than ever the national credit at home and abroad. A ] orked evidence of this is found in the inflow of gold to the Treas ury. Its net gold holdings on November l, 1S9S were S2S9 SS5. .1e0 as compared with S153. .573 147 on November l, 1897; an an in- crease of net cash of $207 ,756, 100 on Novem- Der 1, 1897, to $300 2SS .2I5 November l, 1S9S The present ratio of net Treasury gold outstanding. giving liabilities including United States Treasury notes of lsg0. sil- yer certificates, currency certificates, standard silver dollars and fractional sil- yer coin. November l, 1898. was 25.31 per cent, as compared with 1896 per cent No Vember 1. 1897.
 I renew so much of my recommendation of December. 1897, as follows:
 That when any of the United States notes - are presented for redemption and are re, deemed in gold, such notes shall be kept and set apart and only paid out in exchange for
 gold. This Is an obvious
 Pronosed duty. If the holder of a
 United States note prefers
 Currency gold and gets it from the
 Taor;e1o+;oo Government he should not
 AeS AsIatAoh' receive back from the
 United States a note with cut paving gold for 1t in exchange. The req son for this is made all the more apparent when the Government issue interest bearing debt to provide gold for the redemption of United States notes. a non-interest bearing debt Surely it should not pay them out again except on demand and for gold. If they are put out in any other way they may return again. to be followed by another bond issue to redeem them, another interest bearing debt to redeem a non-nterest bearing debt.
 This recommendation is made in the be- lief that such provision of law would ln- sure to a greater degree the safety or the present standard and better protect our currency from the dangers to which IL IS subjected from disturbance In the gen. eral business conditions of the country. In my Judgment the present condition of the treasury iustifieS the immediate en- actment of the legislation recommended one year ago, under which portion of the gold holdings should be placed in trust fund from which greenbacks should be redeemed upon presentation, but when once redeemed should not thereafter be paid out except for gold.
 It is not to be inferred that other legiS- lation relating to our currency is not re- Quired. On the contrary. there is an Ob Vious demand for it. The importance of adequate provision which will insure to our future a money standard related as our money standard now is to that of our commercial rivals, is generally recog- nized.
 The companion proposition that our do- mestic paper currency shall be kept safe and yet be so related to the needs of our industries and internal commerce as 10 be adequate and responsive to such needs is proposition scarcely less important. The subject in all its parts is commended to the wise consideration of Congress.
 The annexation of Hawaii and the changed relations of the United States to
 Cuba, Porto Rico and
 Changed the Philippines result
 Maritime pei the prompt adoption
 pol;ov Of maritime policy by
 frequent steamship com
 munication. encouraged by the United States under the American flag with the newly acquired islands Spain furnished to its colonies, at an an- steamship lines communicating with a portion of the worlds markets. as well as with trade centers of the home Govern ment. The United States will not under take to do less It is our duty to furnish the people of Hawaii with facilities under national control for their export and i'm port trade. It will be conceded that the present situation calls for legislation which shall be prompt, durable and lib- The part which the American merchant vessels and their seamen performed in ,he war With Spain demonstrates that this service, furnishing both pickets and the second line of defense. is national ne- cessity and should be encouraged in every constitutional way.
 Details and methods for the accomplish ment of this purpose are discussed in ury to which the attention of Congress is respectfully invited.
 In my last annual message recom- mended that Congress authorize the ap- EOlAlAlltHl Ol d committee TOT the purpose Of making systematic Investigations with reference to the cause and prevention of yellow fever. This matter has acquired an increased importance as result of the military occupation of the island of Cuba and the commercial intercourse between this island and the United States which we have every reason to expect Thefsan- itary problems connected with our rela- tions with the island of Cuba anu the ac- quisition of Porto Rico are no less impor- tant than those relating to finance com mefC6 and | is az grr1- est wish that these problems may be con- sidered by competent experts. and that everything may be done which the most recent. advances in sanitary science can offer for the protection of the health of our soldiers in those islands and of our citizens who are exposed to the dangers of infection from the importation of vel low fever. 1 therefore renew my recom- mendation that the authority of Congress may be given and a suitable appropriation made to provide for a committed of ex- perts to be appointed for the purpose in- dicated.
 Under the act of Congress approved April 26, 1898, authorizing the President in
 his discretion upon a
 Increase declaration of war by
 Congress or a declara-
 or the tion by Congress that Regular Army the % increase crease of the Sareeeea reeg
 lar army to the maxi mum of 62 900, authorized in said act.
 There are now in the regular army 57 ,S62 officers and men. In said act 1t was pro- vided that at the end of any war in which the United States may become in- Volved the army shall be reduced to a peace basis by the transfer in the same arm of the service or absorption by pro- motion or honorable discharge, under such regulations as the Secretary of War may establish. of supernumerary commanding officers and the honorable discharge or transfer of supernumerary enlisted men. and nothing contained in this act shall be construed as authorizing the permanent increase of the command or enlisted force of the regular army beyond that now pro- vided by the law in force prior to the passage of this act. except as to the in- crease of twenty-five majors provided for in section thereof.
 The importance of legislation for the permanent increase of the army is, there fore, manifest. and the recommendation of the Secretary of War for that purpose has my unqualified approval. There can be no question that at this time, and probably for some time in the future 100.- 900 men will be none too many to meet the necessities of the situation. At all events. .lzoRl, @1,1,- s-t4,