Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-05
PUBLIC REVENUES.
Expenditures Must be Reduced or
Laws Changed.

There Is more need Of stability than
or the attempt 10 attain an ideal per-
lection In the methods OF raising reve-
nue.; and the shock and strain to the
business world certain 10 attend any
serious change In these methods render
SUCH change lnadvisable unless for
grave reason. II Is not possible 10 lay
down any general rule by which TO
determine the moment when the rca-
sons for VIII outweigh the reasons
against such change. Much must de-
pend. not merely ON the needs. but on
the desires, OF the people as a whole;
for needs and desires are not neces-
sarily Identical. OF course no change
can be made on lines beneficial to. or
desired by, one section or one state
only, There must be something like n
general agreement among the citizens
or the several states. as represented In
the Congress, that the change Is need
cd and desired In the Interest OF the
people as whole: and there should
then be sincere intelligent, and dis
Interested effort To make It In such
shape as VIII combine, so far as possl-
bic, the maximum of good to the peo-
pie at large with the minimum OF nee
essary disregard FOR the special inter-
ests Of localities or classes. But
In time of peace the revenue
must on the average, taking
q series Of years together, equal the
expenditures or else the revenues must
be increased. Last year there was a
deficit Unless our expenditures can be
keut within the revenues then our
revenue laws must be readjusted, II is
as yet too early TO attempt 20 outline
what shape such a REIMBURSEMENT
should take, for II is as yet too early
20 say whether there will be need for
IT, 1t SHOULD he considered whether
1t is not desirable that the tariff laws
should provide for applying as against
or IN favor of any other nation maxi
mum and minimum tariff rates estab-
lished by the Congress, so as to secure
q certain reciprocity Of treatment be-
tween other nations and ourselves.
Having In view even larger considera-
tons OF policy than those OF purely
economic nature, 1t would. in my judy
ment. be well to endeavor 10 bring
about closer commercial connections
with the other peoples OF this contln-
ent. | am happy to be able TO announce
to you that Russia now treats us on
the most-favored- basis.
| earnestly recommend to the Con-
gress the need of economy and TO this
end of rigid scrutiny of approprla-
tOns. AS examples merely, | call your
attention 10 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 moneys for United States land
offices. This will effect saving Of
about s250000 year. AS the business
of the nation grows it is inevitable that
there should be from time to time
legitimate increase IN the number OF
officials. and this fact renders Il all
the more important that when offices
become unnecessary they should be
abolished, In the public printing also
large saving of public money can be
made. There is n constantly growing
tendency to publish masses of unlm-
portant information IL is probably
not unfair to say that many tens of
thousands OF volumes are published az
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-
lhg the false economy which Is In the
end the worst extravaganza. To cut
down on the navy, for instance. would
DC crime against the nation. To fail
To push forward all work on the Pana.
ma canal woull be as great folly.