The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-04

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ports and internal taxes continue Ia
exceed the ordinary expenditures of
the government, thanks mainly to the
reduced army expenditures. The ut
most care should be taken not to re-
duce the revenues so that there will be
any possibility of a deficIr; but, after
providing against any such conting-
ency, means should be adopted which
will bring the revenues more nearly
within the limit of our actual needs.
In his report to the Congress the Secre-
tary of the Treasury considers all
these questions at length, and | ask
your attention to the report and rec.
concentrations.
I call special attention to the need Of
strict economy in expenditures. The
fact that our national needs forbid us
to be niggardly in providing whatever
is actually necessary to our well-being,
should make us doubly careful to hus-
band our national resources, as each
of us husbands his private resources,
by scrupulous avoidance of anything
like wasteful or reckless expenditure.
Only by avoidance of spending money
on what is needless or unjustifiable
can we legitimately keep our income
to the point required to meet our needs
that are genuine.
IL 1887 a measure was enacted for
the regulation 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 commodi-
ties should be accorded equal
treatment. A commission was created
and endowed with what were sup
posed 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. pos
sibly that some of its requirements are
wrong, certainly that the means de-
vised for the enforcement of it's pro-
visions are defective. Those who COM
plain of the management of the rail-
ways allege that established rates are
not maintained; that rebates and SINH
lar devices are habitually resorted to;
that these preferences are usually in
favor of the large shipper; that they
drive out of business the smaller COM
petitor; that while many rates are too
low many others are excessive; and
that gross preferences are made, af-
fecting both localities and commodities.
Upon the other hand, the railways as
sert that the law by it's very terms
tends to produce many of these Illegal
practices by depriving carriers of that
right of concerted action which they
claim is necessary to establish and
maintain non-discriminating rates.
The act should be amended. The
railway is a public servant. Its rates
should be just to and open to all ship
pers alike. The government should see
to il that within it's jurisdiction this is
so and should provide speedy, mex
pensive, and effective remedy to that
end At the same time it must not be
forgotten that our railways are the ar
teries through which the commercial
lifeblood of this nation flows. Moth
ing. could be more foolish than the en-
actment of legislation which would un-
necessarily interfere with the develop
rnent and opera ton of these CONNER
cial agencies. The subject is one OF
great Importance and calls for the
earnest attention of the Congress.
The Department of Agriculture dur
ing the past fifteen years has steadily
broadened it's work on economic lines,
and has accomplished results OF real
value in upbuilding domestic and FIR
eign trade. 1t has gone into new fields
until il is now in touch with all sec
lions of our country and with two or
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 Vege-
tables specially fitted for INTRODUCTION
into localities in the several states ana
territories where they may add mate
tally 10 our resources. BY scientific
attention to soil survey and possible
new crops. to breeding of new var1e-
ties of plants, to experimental snip
n7ents to animal industry aho
applied chemistry, very practical
aid has been given our farm
ing and stock growing interests. ms
products of the farm have taken an un
precedented place in our export traos
during the year that has just closed
Preservation of Forests.
Public opinion throughout the Unit
ed States has moved steadily TOWARD
inst appreciation of the value OF Iof
ests. whether planted or OF natura!
growth. The great part played by tneii'
In the creation and maintenance of'the
national wealth is now more ruby re-
allied than ever before.
Wise forest protection does not mean
the withdrawal of forest resources
whether of wood, water, or grass, from
contributing their full share TO the
welfare Of the people, but. on the cor
trary. gives the assurance OF larger
and more certain SupplleS. i nc 49,
damental idea of forestry is the perpet-
uation of forests by use. Forest pro-
lection is not an end of itself; II is a.
means to increase and sustain the re-
sources of our country and the INDUS
tries which depend upon them the
preservat ton Of our forests is an I'M
perative business necessity. We nave
come to see clearly that whatever de-
stroys the forest. except to make way
for agriculture, threatens our well-be-
ing.
The practical usefulness of the ma
tional forest reserves to the mining,
grazing. irrigation, and other interests
Of the regions in which the reserves lie
has led to a widespread demand by the
people of the West for their nrotec-
ton and extension The forest re-
serves will inevitably be of still great
ei use i'm the future than in the past
Additions should be made to them
whenever practicable. and their use
fitness should be increased by thor
oughly business-like management.
At present the protection of the for
est reserves rests with the General
Land Office. the mapping and descrip--
ton of their timber with the United
states Geological Survey. and the prep
aration of plans for their conservative
use with the Bureau of Forestry. when
is also charged with the general ad-
vancement OF practical forestry in the
United States. These various func-
tions should be united in the Bureau
of Forestry, TO which they properly
II 30