Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-04
Merchant Marine.

marine is such as to call for immediat te
remedial action by the congress. II is dis
creditible to us as nation that our
merchant marine should be utterly insig-
niicant 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 a trifiing
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-
estcd in the permanent establishment Of a
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
haNc dealings. would be of political as
Well as commercial benefit. From every
standpoint il is unwisc for the United
, states to continue to rely upon the ships
Of competing nations for the distribution
OF our goods. Ii should be made advan-
taEeous 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, ut 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 tile ships OF our commercial RI
V1is.
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 un-
equivocalIy TO establish gold as the stand
ard money and 70 maintain at a parity
herewith aIl forms of money medium i'll
use with US. has been shown 10 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 fiat
tcrine tribute to our public credit This
condition 1t Is evidently desirable to nai.:-
a I'M.
y. many respects the national banking
Law furnishes sufficient liberty Tor the
pcoy-r exercise Of the haukiug function,
but there seems To be need ot better safe
guards against the Ieranging influence OF
commercial crises ana financial panics.
Moreover. the currency CT the country
Should ~ made responsive to the demands
Of our domestic trade ana 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-
pendit-!res. The utmost care should be
taken not to reduce the revenues so thai
there will be any possibility of deficit
but after providing against any such con-
tingency means should be adopted which
viii bring the revenues more nearly with
in the limit OF our actual needs. IN his re-
port to the congress the secretary of the
trea snry considers all these questions at
length. and ask your attention 10 the re-
port and recommendations.
| CaIt special attention TO the need OF
strict economy in expenditures. The fact
that our national needs forbid us 10 be
niggardly in providing whatever is actU-
ally necessary TO our well being should
make Us doubly careful 10 husband our
national resources as each of us husbands
his private resources by scrupulous avoid
ancc of anything like wasteful Or reckless
expenditure. Only BY avoidance OF spend
ing money what is needless or unjusti-
fable can We legitimateIy keep our in
come 10 the point required TO meet our
needs that are genuine. :.
The Interstate Commerce Law.
In 1857 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 oil shippers, To-
calities and commodities should be ac-
corded equal treatment commission
was created and endowed with what were
supposed ~ 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 ara 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 habtually
resorted to. that these preferences are
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 ana commodities. Upon the 9TH
er hand. thr railways assert that the law
by its very terms tends to produce many
OF these Illegal practices by dcprivinS car
riers of that right OF concerted action
which they claim is necessary to estab-
liSh and maintain nondiscriminating rates.
The act should be amended. The rail-
way is d public servant. Its rates should
be just to and open TO all shippers alike.
The government should see to it that
within its jurisdiction this Is 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 comm rrcial lifeblood 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. Tho subject is one Of great i'm
portance and calls for the earnest stten-
tion Of the congress.
Aericplture.
The department. of agriculture during
the past fifteen years has steadily broad
ened its work on economic lines and
has accomplished results of real value in
upbuiIdinS domestic ana foreign trade
It has gone into new fields until il is now
in touch with all sections OF OUT country
and with two ot the island groups thar
have lately come under our jurisdiction,
whose people must look 10 agriculture as
a livelihood. il is searching the world for
grains. grasses. fruits and vegetables spc-
cially fitted for introduction into locali-
ties in the several states and territories
whore they MAJ add materially TO our re-
sources. BY scientific attention TO soil sur