Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-10-13

President Roosevelt has begun his
message to the regular session of Con-
gress. He is working on it during spare
hours at night, He will have to prepare
two messages-one to the extra session
TO be called Nov. Q, the other to the De-
cember session. The message to the ex-
ira session will deal with little except
the question of Cuban reciprocity. while
I that IN December will cover a variety
OF topics. 1t has been pretty well agreed
already between the President and his
advisers, il is learned. that his messages
this year will not bring forward any new
issue. The most important issue with
which he must deal is that Of an 18th
milan canal. The President is going to
so slow about this topic and viii talk
with all the party leaders before he does
anything.
The chapter on the tariff will not be
of tne strikingly characteristic kind. The
understanding is that the President will
throw out the idea that the time is com
ing when tariff schedules must be revis-
ed, but will not say when that time will
arrive. The deliverances on This subject
will be nothing like as positive as those
of a year ago, when the President rather
freely discussed the "readjustment" of
tariff schedules. The President will again
recommend proper reform in the curren-
cy system of the country SO as to meet
the needs of business. He made recon-
mendationS along this line year ago
and will repeat them in more detail this
year. The President will suggest legis-
lation by Congress that will furnish the
country with n currency that will admit
of adjustment to all conditions. The gov
ernment of the Philippines will come in
for goodly share of the message He
will dwell upon the fact that the people
are at peace and that business is becoDl-
ing better and confidence more wide
spread among all classes A large navy
viii again be a theme of the Presidents
message. He viii discuss what he re-
CARDS as the increasing efficiency of the
navy as Illustrated in the maneuvers that
are annually held. He will declare that
there should be no halt in the building
up of the navy, and will urge Congress
to be liberal and progressive in this re-
spect. The postofce and other govern
ment scandals viii be discussed in the
message, and the President will point
out just what was done and the Intention
of the administration to prosecute all
offenders to the bitter end. The need
of wise legislation for Alaska will be
discussed. The President is learning all
he can about that country with the view
Of presenting a recommendation that Con
gress give Alaska good laws as quickly
as possible. The needs of the Indians
in the West and the necessity of add
tional legialation Cor safety appliances
on railroads will be among the other
question: discussed
-
The decline in customs receipts in Sep
TENDER over those Of the same month
year ago might be regarded as foreshad-
owing some lessening business activity
were the shrinlage not in all probability
so largely due to two articlcS-Steel and
sugar The figures regarding detailed
importations for September have not yet
been received by the treasury bureau of
statistics. 1t knows merely the amount
of custom house receipts and that only
roughly reflec,s mportatn0ns. Rates of
duty vary grcatly on different articles
and the proportion which the free list
holds to the total also varies, so that
revenues might fall off and importations
still increase. But what has happened
in September was doubtless foreshad-
owed by August. Returns for that month
show decreased importation of iron aud
steel products of 100000 or about 20
per cent of this years Importation Our
sugar importation was il August of this
year s-ortb only $3.50 500, against 81
417,6S5 last year, a difference Of nearly
40 per cent of this years importation.
Since sugar pays a duty approximating
its foreign value, a continuation of this
tendency during September wond ac-
count for the greater part of the shrink
age in receipts.
-
One of the men henceforth to be prom
inently lin the public eye" is James A.
of Indiana. who succeeds to