The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-04

needed to establish them upon sound
basis, and with those others where either
because of natural or of economic causes
we are beyond the reach of successful
competition.
| ask the attention of the senate to the
reciprocity treaties laid before it by my
predecessor.
Merchant Marine.
The condition of the American merchant
marine is such as to call for immediate
remedial action by the congress. 1t is dis
credtable to us as nation that our
merchant marine should be utterly insig-
nificant in comparison with that of other
nations which we overtop in other forms
of business. We should not longer submit
to conditions under which only trihlng
portion of our great commerce is carried
in our own ships. To remedy this state Of
things would not merely serve to build
up our shipping interests, but it would
also result in benefit to all who are inter-
ested in the permanent establishment OF
wider market for American products and
would provide an auxiliary force for the
navy Ships work for their own countries
just as railroads work for their terminal
points Shipping lines, if established to
the principal countries with which we
have dealings, would be of political as
well as commercial benefit. From every
standpoint it is unwise for the United
States to continue to rely upon the ships
of competing nations for the distribution
Of our goods. 1t should be made ;.dvan-
tageous to carry American goods in
American built ships.
At present American shipping is under
certain great disadvantages when put in
competition with the shipping of foreign
countries Many of the fast foreign
steamships, at a speed of fourteen knots
or above, are subsidized, and all our
ships, sailing vessels and steamers alike,
cargo carriers of slow speed and mail
carriers of high speed, have to meet the
fact that the original cost of building
American ships is greater than is the
case abroad. that the wages paid Ameri-
can officers and seamen are very much
higher than those paid the officers and
seamen of foreign competing countries
and that the standard of living on our
ships Is far superior to the standard of
living on the ships of our commercial RI
walls.
Our government should take such action
as will! remedy these inequalities. The
American merchant marine should be re-
stored to the ocean.
Financial.
The act of March "A. 1900 intended I'M
equivocally to establish gold as the stand
ard money and to maintain at a parity
Herewith all forms of money medium in
use with us has been shown to be timely
and judicious. The price Of our govern
ment bonds in the worlds market when
compared with the price Of similar obli-
cations issued by other nations is a fat
tering tribute to our public credit. This
condition it is evidently desirable to main
tain.
In many respects the national banking
law furnishes sufficient liberty for the
proper exercise of the banking function,
but there seems to be need of better safe
guards against the deranging influence of
commercial crises and financial panics.
Moreover, the currency of the country
should be made responsive to the demands
of our domestic trade and commerce.
The collections from duties on imports
and internal taxes continue to exceed the
ordinary expenditures of the government,
thanks mainly to the reduced army ex-
penditures The utmost care should be
taken not to reduce the revenues so that
there will be any possibility of a deficit,
but after providing against any such con-
tingency means should be adopted which
will bring the revenues more nearly with
in the limit of our actual needs. In his re-
port to the congress the secretary of the
treasury considers all these questions at
length. and l ask your attention to the re-
port and recommendations.
/ call special attention to the need Of
strict economy in expenditures. The fact
that our national needs forbid us to be
in providing whatever is actu-
ally necessary to our well being should
make us doubly careful to husband our
national resources as each of us husbands
his private resources by scrupuleus avoid
ance of anything like wasteful or reckless
expenditure. Only by avoidance Of spend
ing money on what is needless or unjusti-
fable can we legitimately keep cur in
come to the point required to meet our
needs that are genuine. 49,
The Interstate Commerce Law.
In 1887 a measure was enacted for the
regulation of interstate railways, COM
monty known as the interstate commerce
act. The cardinal provisions of that act
were that railway rates should be just
and reasonable and that all shippers, To-
calfties and commodities should be ac-
corded equal treatment A commission
was created and endowed with what were
supposed to be the necessary powers to
execute the provisions of this act.
That law was largely an experiment
Experience has shown the wisdom Of its
purposes, but has also shown possibly
that some of its requirements are wrong.
certainly that the means devised for the
enforcement of its provisions are defec-
tive. Those who complain of the manage
ment of the railways allege that estab-
lished rates are not maintained, that re-
bates and similar devices are habitually
resorted to. that these preferences are 1
usually in favor of the large shipper, that |
they drive out of business the smaller |
competitor that while many rates are too
low many others are excessive and that !
gross preferences are made affecting both /
localities and commodities. Upon the 9TH
er hand, the railways assert that the law |
by its very terms tends to produce many
of these illegal practices by depriving car
riers of that right of concerted action !
which they claim is necessary to estab- |
lsh and maintain nondiscriminating rates.
The act should be amended. The rail-
way is public servant Its rates should
be just to and open to all shippers alike. |
The government should see to il that
within it's jurisdiction this is so and
should provide a speedy. inexpensive and
effective remedy to that end. At the same
time it must not be forgotten that our
railways are the arteries through which
the commercial lifebloed of this nation
flows Nothing could be more foolish than
the enactment of legislation which would
unnecessarily interfere with the develop
ment and operation of these commercial
agencies. The subject is one of great i'm
portance and calls for the earnest atten- !
ton of the congress. 4
Agriculture. 4
The departments OF agriculture during !
the past fifteen years has steadily broad |
ened its work on economic lines and |
has accomplished results of real value in |
upbuilding domestic and foreign trade.
It has gone into new fields until 1t is now
in touch with all sections Of our country /
and with two of the island groups that
have lately come under our jurisdiction,
whose people must look to agriculture as
a livelihood. 1t is searching the world for /
grains grasses. fruits and vegetables spe- |
cially fitted for Introduction into local- /
ties in the several states and territories /
where they may add materially to our re- !
sn.ILc.. p. ..lar. tl.a !. -.