Hutchinson gazette., 1901-12-05

1
reYlAlonH OF the tarlh are apt 20 produqo
| conditions closely approaching panic IN the
| business world, Yet II Il not only possible,
but emlnontly desirable, Ia combine with the
| stability NJ our economic hy6tem supple
mentary system OF reciprocal benent and 0bll'
CATION With other nations Such reciprocity
10 an incident and result Of the hrm ostab'
| llHhment aud preservation OF our present
economic policy, Il was specially provided
for In the present tarf law,
"our first duty Ia 70 see that the protection
| granted by the tarln IN every case where II
" needed Is maintained, ana that reciprocity
bo sought for 30 fur ~ II can safely he done
| without Injury to our home industries Just
how far this Is must be determined accord
| Ing to the individual case, remembering al'
ways that every application OF our tariff pol
| Icy 10 meet our ahlftlng national needs must
b0 conditioned upon the cardinal fact that tho
duties must never be reduced below the point
that viii cover the difference between the
labor cost hero and abroad The well l-bong
Of the wage'worker IL u prime consideration
OF our cntre policy of economic legislation,
Subject 10 this pr0ylsO Ut tho proper pro-
lection necessary TO our industrial wcll-bolnB
at home, tho principle OF reciprocity must
command our hearty support, The phcno'
menal growth 0f our export trade emphaalEoa
the urgency. Of the need for wider markets
and for liberal policy In DEALING with for.
olgn nations, Whatever Ia merely petty and
yoxatloua In the way " trade restrictions
should bo avoided, The customers 10 whom
We dispose OF our surplua products In the
long run, directly or Indirectly, purchase
those surplus producta by glvas us some,
thing In return, Their ability to purchase
our products should na far ~ possible be
secured by no arranging our turin as TO on
able ua TO take from them those products
which We can use without harm 10 our own
industries and labor or tho uso OF which VIII
b0 Of marked benefit TO us,
1--WE have now reached the point IN tho
development OF our Inorests where we are
a .IaN uNl A. FaNm
but 10 produce constantly growing surplus
for which wo must find markets. nbrond To
secure thOge markets we can utilize existing
duties IN any case where they arc no longer
needed for the purpose OF proicton or IN amy
case whore the article la not produced hero
and the duty is no longer necessary FOR
revenue, nB giving uH something to Oller IN
exchange for whnt We ask Tho cordial re-
AtlOna with other nations which are 80 de-
sIrablo viii naturally bo promoted by the
"rho natural line OF development for
policy OF reciprocity VIII bo In connection
with those OF our productions which no long.
er require nll Of tho support once needed
to establish them upon sound basis, nnd
with those others whore either because OF
natural or OF economic cnuses we are beyond
the reach OF successful competition,
~ ask the attention OF the Senate 10 the
reciprocity treaties laid before II by my pre-
decessor,
Our Merchant Marine.
"The condition OF tho American merchant
marine is such us TO call for immediate
remedial action by the Congress II s dis.
chant marine should bo utterly insignificant
In comparison TO that OF other nations which
We overtop In other forms OF business
american shipping Is under certain great
disadvantages when put In competition with
tho shipping OF foreign countries, Many Of
tho fast foreign steamships, at speed Ot
fourteen knots or above, are subsldIed and
all our ships sailing vessels and steamers
alike, cargo carriers OF slow speed and mail
carriers OF hIgh speed, have TO meet tho
fact that the original cost OF building Anerl-
can ships Is greater than la tho case abroad
SsSmcn arc ySfy kacA StsScr tSon Nose paid
tho officers and seamen OF foreign competing
countries; and that the standard OF living
on our ships 10 far superior to tho standard OF
living on the ships OF our commercial rivals.
"our government should take such action
aS Will remedy those inequalities, The Amer
lean merchant marine should bo restored to
the ocean.
"The Act OF March n, 1900, intended un.
odulvocally TO establish gold Ns the standard
money aud 10 maintain at q parity herewith
all forms OF money medium In use with us,
has been shown TO be timely and judiCous.
Tho price OF our government bonds In the
worlds market, when compared with the
price OF similar obligations Issued by other
nations, is u flattorlng tribute 70 our public
credit This condition IL Ii emlnenty dcslr-
nblo to maintain,
"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 safeguards against
the. derangng influence of commercial crises
and financial panics Moreover, the currency
OF the country should be made responsive
TO tho demands Of our domestic trado and
commerce,
Reduction of Revenues
"Thc collections from duties on imports and
Internal taxes continue TO exceed the Ordl-
nary expenditures The utmost care should
be tak0n not to reduce the revenues so that
thre will be any possibility Of donclt; but,
after providing against any such contingency,
means should be adopted which VIII bring the
revenues more nearly Within the limit OF our
actual needs,
81 call special attention to the need OF strict
economy in expenditures, Tho fact that our
national needs forbid us to be nigg0rdly In
providing whatever is actually necessary to
our well-beng should make us doubly care
ful to husband our national resources, as
each ot us husbands his private resources by
Scrupulous avoidance OF anything like waste
ful or reckless expenditure
Regulation OF Railroads.
In 1887 n measure was enacted for the reg.
ulation OF interstate railways commonly
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, localities, and commo-
dlties should be accorded equal treatment a
commission was created and endowed with
what were supposed TO be the necessary pow
ers to execute the provisions OF this act
THAT law was largely an experiment, Bx-
pcrience has shown the wisdom OF It's pur-
poses but has also shown, possibly that some
u It's requirements are wrong, certainly that
the means devised for the enforcement OF It's
provisions are defective.
"The act should be amended, Tho railway
is public servant, Its rates should bo Just
to and open 10 all shippers alike The gov
crnment should sec to II that within Its jurls-
dIctlon this ls so and should provide a speedy,
inexpensive, and effective remedy to that end.
the same time II must not be forgotten thnt
our railways nrc the nrterics through which
the commercial lfebloOd Of this nation flows.
Nothing could be more foolish than the en-
actmcnt OF legislation which would unneces-
sarlly interfere with the development and
operation OF these commercial agencies, The
subject Is one OF great Importance and calls
for tho earnest attention ot the Congress,
The message points out the value OF the
American forests aud the necessity for their
conservation, and urges the construction and
maintenance OF reservoirs ana lfrlghtlnS
systems for tho reclamation OF the arid lands
Of the West OF tho water rights II says!
"In the arid states the only right TO water
which should be recognized IL that OF use. In
irrigation this right should attach to the
land reclaimed aud be inscparable thcrefrom,
Granting perpetual water rights to others
than users, without compensation 10 the
public, is open to all the objections which
apply to giving away perpetual franchises to
tho public utilities OF cities. A few OF the
Western states have already recognized this
and have incorporated In their constitutions
the doctrine Of perpetual state ownership OF
water
Development Of Hawaii
"our aim should be not simply TO reclaim
the largest area Of land and provide homes