Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-12-13


vision should be made for establishing
GERS In the navy which should be open to
the enlisted men who serve sufficiently
long and who do their work well.
Among the officers there should be Sc
we're examinations to weed out the unit
up to the grade OF major.
Practice marches and field maneu-
vers OF the last two or three wears
nave been invaluable to the army. They
should be continued and extended. A rigid
and not a ~perfunctory examination of
physical capacity has been provided for
well.
Perhaps the most important of all legis-
iation needed for the benefit OF the army
Is a law to equalize and increase the pay
or officers and enlisted men Of the army.
navy, marine corps. and revenue cutter
To build one battleship OF the hest and
most advanced type a year would barely
keep our fieet up to its present force. This
Is not enough. In my judgment. we should
this year provide for four battleships. But
II is idle to build battleships unless in ad-
dltion TO providing the men. and the
means Tor thorough training, we provide
the auXlllaries for them. unless we provide
docks, the coaling stations. the GOLFERS
and supply ships that they need. We are
extremely deficient In coalin~ stations and
DOCKS on the Pacific. and this deficiency
snouio not longer be permitted to exist.
flenty or torpedo boats and destroyers
should be built. Both on the Atlantic
ana Pacific coasts, Notifications of the
best type should be provided for all our
greatest harbors.
The battle fleet is about starting
o. me Straits of Magellan to visit the
Ing under the command of Read Admiral
Evans, while eight armored cruisers and
s sSO other p battieships will meet him at
DESTROYER are also going. No fleet of
such size has ever made such a voyage,
and 1T 1t VIII n be Of very great educational
by which to teach officers and men how
TO handle the feet so as to meet every
possible strain and emergency in time Of
war is to have them practice under SINH
lar conditions In time OF peace. More
over, the only way to find out our actual
m9eas IS TO perform in time of peace
Whatever maneuvers might be necessary
in time of war.
The Japanese Exposition.
An invitation has been extended by ia
pan to the government and people Of the
national exposition to be held at Toxic
from April / to October 81. 1912, and In
winch the principal countries of the
world are to be invited to take part. This
IS an occasion of especial interest to all
the nations of the world, and peculiarly
so TO us; for it is the first instance in
Which sUch a great national exposition
mas been held by a great power dwelling
on the Pacific; and all the nations OF
| europe and America will, L trust, join in
helping TO success this first great expo-
sition ever held by a great nation of
Asia.
l heartily recommend such legislation
as VIII provide in generous fashion for
the representation OF this government
and its people in the proposed EXPOSE
ton.
The adoption Of a new tariff by Ger
many, accompanied by conventions for re-
ciprocal tariff concessions between that
country, and most of the other countries
OF continental Europe, led the German
government to give the notice necessary
10 terminate the reciprocal commercial
agreement with this country proclaimed
July IL, 1900. The notice was to take effect
on the lst OF March, 1906, and In default
or some other arrangements this would
have left the exports from the United
states to Germany subject to the general
German tariff duties, from Is to 80 per
cent. higher than the conventional duties
imposed upon the goods OF most Of our
competitors for German trade.
A further temporary commercial agree
ment was entered into by the two coun-
tries, pursuant to which, in the exercise
OF the authority conferred upon the presi-
dent by the third section of the tariff act
tariff rates provided for in that Section to
champagne and all other sparkling wines,
ana pursuant TO which the German con-
Vcntional or minimum tariff rates were
extended to about 96h per cent. of all the
exports from the United States to Ger
many. This agreement is to remain in
force until the 30th of June, 1908, and until
six months after notice by either party
to terminate It.
The agreement and the report of the
commission on which 1t is based will be
laid before the congress for It's informa-
ton.
This careful examination into the tariff
relations between the United States and
Germany involved an inquiry into certain
of our methods of administration which
had been the cause Of much complaint on
the part of German exporters. In this in
quiry l became satisfied that certain vi
cious and unjustifiable practices had
grown up in our customs administration,
notably the practice of determining values
OF imports upon detective reports never
disclosed 10 the persons whose interests
were affected. The use of detectives,
though often necessary, tends towards
abuse, and should be carefully guarded.
Under our practice as / found IL to exist
in this case, the abuse had become gross
and discreditable Under It. instead of
seeking Information as to the market
value of merchandise from the well-known
and respected members Of the commercial
community in the country Of its produc-
ton, secret statements were obtained from
informers and discharged employees and
secret evidence the values of imported
goods were frequently raised, and heavy
penalties were frequently imposed upon
Importers who were never permitted To
know what the evidence was and who
never had an opportunity to meet It. 1t is
quite probable that this system tended
towards an. increase of the duties col
lected upon imported goods. but | conceive
1t to be q violation of law TO exact
more duties than the law provides. iust
as IL is a violation to admit goods upon
the payment Of less than the legal rate
OF duty.
/ accordingly caused the regulations
governing this branch of the Gus
toms service TO be modified so that val
ues are determined upon a hearing in
which all the parties Interested have an
opportunity to be heard and to know the
evidence against them. Moreover our
treasury agents are accredited to the
government OF the country in which they
seek information, and In germany receive
the assistance OF the quasi-ofiicial cham
bers OF in determining the act
ual market value of goods, ia accordance
with what | am advised to be the true
construction OF the law.
These changes OF regulations ware
adapted 20 the removal or such manifest
abuses that / ave not felt that they
ought to be confined to our relations with
Germany; and / have extended their OPP
Grafton TO ali other countries which have
expressed u desire TO enter into similar
administrative relations.
| ask for authority to reform the agree
ment with China under which the indem-
nifty OF 1900 was fixed. by rcmitung and
canceling the obligation of China for the
aymen oil all that part of the stipulated
Indemnity which Is in excess OF the sum
OF Sl1,0S. ie2. GO. and interest 1T 4 per
cent.
Mexico and Central America.
On the courteous invitation OF IN. prcsi- |
dent OF Mexico, the secretary Of state WIS.,