The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-04

THE ST. PAUL I'll
obligation with other nations. Such
reciprocity is an incident and result OF
the firm establishment and preservation
Of our present economic policy. 1t was
| specially provided for in the present tar
| iff law.
| Reciprocity must be treated as the
| hand-maiden of protection. Our first
| duty is to see that the protection grant
| is needed is maintain and that reciproc-
ity be sought for so far as 1t can safely
| be done without injury to our nome IN
| dustries. Just how far this is must be
/ determined according to the Individual
case, remembering always that every
application of our tariff policy to meet
/ our shifting national needs must be con-
| dit:oned upon the cardinal fact that the
| duties must never be reduced below the
| point that will cover the difference be-
/ tween the labor cost here and abroad.
| The well being of the wage worker Is
/ a prime consideration of our entire pohcy
of economic legislation
Subject to this proviso of the proper
1 protection necessary to our industrial
well being at home the principle of reel
prccity must command our hearty sup
! port. The phenomenal growth OF our
export trade emphasizes the urgency OF
| the need for wider markets and Tor lib
| eral policy in dealing with foreign ma
tions. Whatever Is merely petty and Fex-
/ atious in the way of trade restrictions
| should be avoided. The customers TO
| whom we dispose of our surplus products
| in the long run directly or indirectly pur-
1 chase those surplus products by giving
! us something in return Their ability to
| purchase our products should as lar as
possible be secured by SO arranging our
| tariff as to enable us to take from them
| those products which we can use without
| ha tn Industries and labor
| the use Of which will be of marked bepe-
fit to us.
1t is most important that we should
/ maintain the high. level Of our present
prosperity. We have now reached the
point in the development of our interests
| where we are not only able to supply our
! ~ growing surplus for which We must
/ find markets abroad. To secure theSe
markets we can utilize existing duties in
| any case where they are no longer need
| ed for the purpose of protection, or IN
any case where the article is not produced
here and the duty is no longer necessary
| for revenue, as giving US something to
offer in. exchange for what we ask. The
| cordial relations with other nations
/ which are so desirable will naturally be
/ promoted by the course thus required
/ by our own interests.
! The natural line of development for a
| policy of reciprocity will be in connec-
ton with those of our productions Which
no longer require all of the support once
| 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.
| I ask the attention of the senate to the
reciprocity treaties laid before it by my
| predecessor.
MERCHANT MARINE.
The condition of the. American mer-
| chant marine is such as to call for I'M
mediate remedial action by the congress.
It is diScreditable to us as nation that
our merchant marine should be utterly
insignificant in comparison with that Of
| other nations which we overtop in other
forms of business. We should not longer
submit to conditions under winch only
a trif1ing 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 interested in the permanent es-
| tablisnment of wider market for Amerf-
can products and would provide an aux
| Hilary force to the navy. Ships work for
their own countries just as railroads
work for their terminal points. Snip
| ping lines, if established to the principal
| countries with which we have dealings,
would be of political as well as CONNER
| cial benefit. From every standpoint it is
unwise for the United States to con-
| tinue to rely upon the ships OF competing
| nations for the distribution of our goods.
| 1t should be made advantageous to carry
/ American goods in American built ships.
At present American shipping is under
certain great disadvantages " en- 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 aIlk 9
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-
4 can officers and seanen 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 r.
vals
Our government should take such ac-
ton as will remedy these inequalities.
The American merchant marine should
be restored to the ocean.
i FINANCIAL.
The act of March IA. 1900, intended I'M
equivocally to establish gold as the
standard money and to maintain at
parity Herewith all forms OF money
medium in use with US, has been shown
! to be timely and judicious. The price
of our government bonds in the world s
market when compared with the price
u of similar obligations issued by other
nations is a fattering tribute to ou1
public credit. This condition It IS evil
IDENTIFY desirable to maintain.
In many respects the national banking
!. law furnishes SUFFICIENT Liberty sIOI Liz
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 panlcs
i MorecSer, the currency Of the country
| should be made responsive to the de-
mands of our domestic trade and COM
n1erce
The collections from duties ON import.
, and internal taxes continue to exceed The
/ ordinary expenditures of the govern
ment. thanks mainly to the reduced arm!
expenditures. The utmost care should bt
taken not to reduce the revenues so tina
/ 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 hi!
report to the congress the secretary o.
the treasury considers all these question:
, at length, and I ask your attention Il
the report and recommendations.
1 call special attention to the need O
strict economy in expenditures. The fac
that our national needs forbid us to bt
niggardly in providing whatever is actu
ally necessary to our well being SHOULD
make us doubly careful to husband oul
national resources as each of us husband.
his private resources by scrupulouS avoid
ance of anything like wasteful or Teck
less expenditure. Only by avoidance O.
spending money on what is needless OF
unjustifable can we legitimately keep GU
income to the point required to meet oul
: needs that are genuine.
THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE. Law
In 1887 measure was enacted for the
regulation Of interstate railways, com
mcnly known as the interstate commerce
, act. The cardinal provisions of that act
G We're that railway rates should be just
and reasonable and that all shippers, 10.
calities and commodities should be ac-
: corded equal treatment. A commission
was created and endowed with what were
| supposed to be the necessary powers te
, execute the provisions of this act
That law was largely an experiment
Experience has shown the wisdom of its