The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-05
ganizations which contract for lie in

ganlzaUOnS Wnlch contract Tor lie IN
The Revenues.
There is more need Of stability than
/ Of the attempt to attain an ideal per-
lection in the methods of raising reve-
nue.: and the shock and strain to the
business world certain TO attend any
| serious change in these methods rem
der such change inadvisable unless for
grave reason. 1t is not possible to lay
dawn any general rule by which to
/ determine the moment when the rea-
sons for Will outweigh the reasons
against such a change. Much must
depend, not merely on the needs, but
on the desires of the people as
whole; for needs and desires are not
necessarily identical OF course no
change can be made on lines beneh-
cial to, or desired by, one section or
one state only. There must be sone-
| thing like a general agreement among
the citizens of the several states, as
| represented in the congress, that the
change is needed and desired IN the
/ interest of the people as a whole; ana
/ there should then be a sincere, intel
! ligent, and disinterested effort to make
/ 1t IN such shape as will combine, so Tar
as possible, the maximum OF GOOD 10
| the people at large with the mimi
mum of necessary disregard Tor the
special interests of localities or classes.
I But in time of peace the revenue must
! on the average, taking series or years
/ together, equal the expenditures or else
year there was a deficit. Unless our
expenditures can be kept within the
| revenues then our revenue laws must
| be readjusted. It Is as yet too early
to attempt to outline what shape such
| a read justrnent should take, for it is
as vet too early to say whether there
/ will be need for it. 1t should be con-
sidered whether it is not desirable
/ that the tariff laws should provide for
/ applying as against or in favor of any
other nation maximum and minimum
tariff rates established by the con-
/ gress so as to secure g. certain reel
procity OF treatment between other ma
tons and ourselves. Having in view
even larger considerations of policy
1 than those OF a purely economic ma
ture, it would, in my judgment, be well
to endeaVor to bring about closer COM
nercial connections with the other
peoples of this continent am happy
to be able to announce to you that
Russia now treats us on the most-fav-
ordination basis
I earnestly recommend to the con-
gress the need of economy and to this
END of a rigid scrutiny Of apprOpria
| lions. AS examples merely, call your
attention to one or two specific mat
tiers. All unnecessary offices should be
abolished. The commissioner of the
general land Office recommends the
! adjustment of the Office of receiver
of public money for United States
! land offices. This will effect a saw
| ing of about quarter Of million dol
lars a year. As the business of the
nation grows it is inevitable that there
should be from time to time a legiti-
| mate increase in the number of Off
Gals, and this fact renders it all the
| more important that when offices be-
| come unnecessary they should be abol-
| ished. In the public printing also a
/ large saving of public money can be
made. There is a constantly growing
| tendency to publish masses Of unim-
! portant information. It is probably
Ct t. -
thousands of volumes are published
| at which no human being ever looks
and for which there is no real demand
whatever.
Yet, in speaking of economy, must
in no wise be understood as advocat-
ing the false economy which is in the
end the worst extravaganza. To cut
i down on the navy, for instance, would
be a crime against the nation. To fail
to push forward all work on the Pana-
] ma canal would be Is great a folly.
The Currency.
In my message of December 2, 1902,
to the congress said:
Interest rates are a potent factor
in business activity, and in order that
these rates may be equalized to meet
the varying needs of the seasons and
of widely separated communities, and
to prevent the recurrence of financial
i stringencies which injuriously affect
legitimate business, it is necessary that
there should be an element of elias
ITCHY in our monetary SYSTEM Banks
are the natural servants of commerce.
and upon them should be placed as
far as practicable, the burden of fur
nishing and maintaining a circulation
adequate to supply the needs of our
diversified industries and of our do
nestle and foreign commerce; and the
issue of this should be so regulated
that a sufficient supply should be al
ways available for the business inter
ests of the country
Every consideration of prudence de-
mands the addition of the element of
elasticity to our currency system. The
evil does not consist in an inadequate
volume of money, but in the rigidity
Of this volume, which does not re-
Spond as it should to the varying needs
of communities and of seasons. In
hation must be avoided; but some pro-
vision should be made that will insure
a larger volume of money during the
fall and winter months than in the
less active seasons of the year; so that
the currency Will contract against
speculation, and will expand for the
needs OF legitimate business At pres
ent the treasury department is at ir-
regularly recurring intervals obliged,
in the interest Of the business world
that is, in the interests of the Ameri-
can public-to try to avert financial
crises by providing a remedy which
should be provided by congressional
action.
At various times have instituted
Investigations into the organization and
conduct of the business of the execu-
tive departments. While none of these
inquiries have yet progressed far
enough to warrant final conclusions,
they have already confirmed and en-
phasized the general impression that
the organization of the departments
is often faulty in principle and waste
ful in results, while many of their
business methods are antiquated and
inefficient. There is every reason why
our executive governmental machinery
should be at least as well planned. eco
nomical, and efficient as the best ma
chinery of the great business organ
izations, which at present is not the
case. To make it SO is a task of com
pick detail and essentially executive in