Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-09

w both houses of congress centered
today in the presidents message.
Senator Aldrich, on behalf of the
senate committee, and Representative
Payne for the house committee, ap-
pointed to notify the president that the
two bodies were in session, informed
their respective houses that they had
performed their duty and each re-
ported the president had responded
with a statement he would Immediately
submit a message in writing.
Secretary Latta then appeared with
the message, appearing first in the SEN
ate and then in the house.
The reading of the message began in
the senate at 12:15, and in the house
few minutes later.
The galleries of both houses were
well filed. All senators and representa-
tives were supplied with printed copies
of the message, which contained an
elaborate appendix, accompanied by
numerous illustrations showing the re-
suits of the work of the forestry
bureau.
atively little attention to the reading
of the message, but most of them
busied themselves with the printed
copies before them.
Emergency Army Bill
An emergency volunteer army meas
ure was adopted, also submitted to-
congress today, and the draft of the
bill accompanying the message was in
troduced in the senate by Mr.. Cullom.
The president says the bill is intended
to replace the present law. which was
placed on the statute books ''peeer
meal and hurriedly, partly on the eve
of the war with Spain and partly after
hostilities had actually commenced.
After declaring the present law to be
faulty and wholly Inadequate to
speedy and proper organization of
volunteer force, the president says the
bill proposed, which was drawn under
supervision of the chief of staff of the
army. has the hearty approval of the
war department. The message says
further:
at is designed to afford the complete
machinery by which, should we be con-
fronted with a foreign war, the execu-
tive power could proceed at once to
transform enthusiastic and patriotic
citizens into efficient and organized
soldiers.
Happily there is at present no cloud
upon our horizon, but that very fact
affords us the best opportunity to pro-
ceed with deliberation and care in the
preparation of laws adequate and in
dispensable for our possible war needs.
Bill Is Elastic
The proposed bill is elastic; under
its provisions force of 100000 men
could be raised as well as one of 50,-
900.
Soreno E. Poyne today introduced a
bill to amend the internal revenue act
by which it is proposed TO place a
revenue tax on bay rum imported from
Porto Rico.
Several important amendments to
the Hepburn railroad rate law were
proposed in bills introduced by Repre-
sentative Townsend of Michigan, one
of the most active advocates of reme-
dial legislation along interstate con-
merce lines.
He would have the law declare that
in case the shipper designates no route
the lowest published rate between tho
points of origin and Of destination
should apply.
Another amendment provides that
the carriers shall quote rates in writ
ing upon application and give the rates
upon bills of lading, and that the rates
be reckoned thereon. In the event
that error is made in these rates, 1t IS
provided that claims for recovery shall
be made only through the interstate
commerce commission.
While the house committee on naval
affairs has not given formal considera-
tion to the proposed increase in the
navy, it was learned today that the
members of the committee stand prac-
tically the same as last winter, when
an authorization for two battleships
was made. That the committee will
vote down the proposition of President
Roosevelt for four battleships is now
indicated.
The Presidents Message
To the Senate and House of Representatives;
The financial standing Of the nation at the
present time is excellent and the hnaneial
management of the nations interests by the
government during the last seven years has
shown the most satisfactory results But
our currency system is imperfect, and II IS
earnestly to be hoped that the currency COM
mission will be able to propose thoroughly
good system which Will do away with the
existing defects.
During the period from July 1. 1901. TO Sep
tember 80, 1908. there was an increase In the
amount Of money in circulation of $500. s9l.-
399 The increase in the per capita during this
period was s7O6 Within this time there were
several occasions when 1t was necessary Tor
the treasury department to come 10 the re-
lief of the money market by purchases or re-
demptlons of United States bonds; by in
creaSlng depOSlts IN uhtioiai baiAef py sum
uIating additional issues of national bank
notes and by facilitating importations from
abroad of gold. Our imperfect currency sys-
tenn has made these proceedings necessary
and they were effective until the monetary
disturbance in the fall OF 1907 immensely de-
creased the difficulty of ordinary methods Of
relief By the middle of November the
available working balance in the treasury had
had been reduced to approximately 5000 0oo
Clearing house associations throughout
the country had been obliged to resort
to the expedient Of issuing clearing
house certificates TO be used as money. In
this emergency 1t was determined to invite
subscriptions for $4,000. coo Panama canal
bonds and $780, 100000 per cent certificates
of indebtedness authorized by the net OF
June ls, 1898. 1t proposed TO redeposit
in the national banks the proceeds OF these
issues and to permit their basis for