The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-12-06

lines beneficial to, or desired by. one section or one state only. There must be smething 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 in- terest of the people as q whole. and there should ba a since, Intelligent. and disinterested effort 10 make it ia such shape as will combine, so far as possi- bic, the maximum of good tO the people at large with the minimum of necessary ! disregard for the special interests of localities or classes. But in time of peace the revenue must on the average, taking series of years together, equal the expenditures or else tn erevenUes must be increased. Last 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 earl yto attempt to cut line what shape such readjustment should take, for it is as yet too early to say whether there will be need for it. It should be considered whether it is not desirable that the tariff laws should provide for applying as against or in favor of any other nation maxi mum and minimu miariff rates estab- lished by the congress, so as to secure a certain reciprocity of treatment be- tween other nations and ourselves Having in view either larger consider ations of policy than those of a purely economic nature, it would, in my judg- ment, be well to endeavor to bring about closed commercial connections with the other peoples of this continent. I am happy to be able to announce to you that Russia now treats US on the most favored nation basis
 Economy in Expenditures.
 I earnestly recommend to the con- gress the need of economy, and to this end of a rigid scrutiny of appropIia- tions As examples merely, I call your attention to one or two specific mat ters. All unnecessary offices should be abolished. The commissioner of the general land office recommends the abolishment of the office of receiver of public moneys for United States land offices. This will effect a saving of about a quarter of million dollars year. As the business of the nation grows it is inevitable that there should be from time to time general increase in the number of officials, and this fact renders it all the more important that when offices become unnecessary they should be abolished. In the public printing also a large saving of public money can be made. There is a con- stantly growing tendency to publish masses of unimportant information. It is probably not unfair to say that many tens of 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, I must in no wise be understood as advocat- ing the false economy which is in the end the worst extrava gance. To cut down on the navy, for instance, would be 8 crime against the nation. To fail to push forward all work on the Pan. anna canal woull be as great folly.
 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 capitalized to meet the varying needs of the seasons and of widely separated communities, and to prevent the recurrence of financial stringencies which injurtously affect legitimate business, it is necessary that there should be an element of elasticity in our monetary system.