Arizona republican., 1908-12-09


 of the Columbia river are now but a fraction of what they were twenty five years ago, and what they would be now if the United States govern ment had taken complete charge of them by intervening between oregon and Washington. During these twen- ty-five years the fishermen of each state have naturally tried to take all they could get, and the two legis- latures have never been able to agree on joint action of any kind adequate in degree for the protection of the fisheries. At the moment the fishing on the Oregon side is practically closed, while there is no limit on the Washington side of any kind, and no one can tell what the courts will de- eide as to the very statutes under which this action and non-action re- suit Meanwhile very few salmon reach the spawning grounds, and probably four years hence the fish cries will amount to nothing; and this comes from a struggle between the associated, or gill-net, fishermen on the one hand. and the owners of the fishing wheels up the river. The fisheries of the Mississippi, the Ohio and the Potomac are also in a bad way For this there is no remedy except for the United States to con trol and legislate for the interstate fisheries as part of the business of interstate commerce. In this case the machinery for scientific investigation and for control already exists in the United States bureau of fisheries. In this as in similar problems the obvi- ouS and simple rule should be fol- lowed of having those matters which no particular state can manage taken in hand by the United States; prob lems, which in tho seesaw of conflict ing state legislatures are absolutely unsolvable, are easy enough for the congress to, control.
 The federal statute regulating in- terstate traffic in game should be extended to include fish. New fed eral fish hatcheries should be estab- lished. The administration of the Alaskan fur seal service should be vested in the bureau of fisheries
 Foreign Affairs.
 This nations foreign policy is based on the theory that right must be done between nations precisely as between
 
 the last ten years we have in this matter proven our faith by our deeds. We have behaved, and are behaving, towards other nations, as in private life an honorable man would behave towards his fellows.
 The commercial and material pro gress of the twenty Latin-A American republic is worthy of the careful at tention of the congress. No other section of the world has shown greater proportionate development of it's foreign trade during the last ten years and none other has more spe- cial claims on the interest of the United States. It offers today prob ably larger opportunities for the le- gitimate expansion of our commerce than any other group of countries. These countries will want our pro- ducts in greatly increased quantities, and we shall correspondingly need theirs The international bureau of the American republics is doing a useful work in making these nations and their resources better known to us, and in acquainting them not only with us as a people and with our purpose towards them, but with what VIC have to exchange for their goods. | It is an international institution sup ported by all the governments of the two Americas.
 The Panama Canal.
 The work on the Panama canal is | being done with speed, efficiency | and entire devotion to duty, which | make it a model for all work of the l kind. No task of such magnitude has ever before been undertaken by any nation, and no task of the kind has | ever been better performed. The men | on the Isthmus, from Colonel GOe- ! thals and his fellow commissioners | through the entire list of employees | who are faithfully doing their duty, | have won their right to the ungrudg ! ing respect and gratitude of the | American people.
 I again recommend the extension of | the ocean mail act of 1891 so that ! satisfactory American mail lines to South America, Asia, the Philippines | and Australasia may be established. | The creation of such steamship lines | should be the naturally cOrollary of | the voyage of the battle fleet. It | should precede the opening of the | Panama canal. Even under favorable | conditions several years must elapse | before such lines can be put in oper- | ation. Accordingly I urge that. the | congress act promptly where fore sight already shows that action | sooner or later will be inevitable
 lnsular Possessions.
 I call particular attention to the | territory of Hawaii. The importance | of those islands is apparent, and the | need of improving their condition and | developing their resources is urgent. | In recent years industrial conditions | upon the islands have radically | changed. The importation of coolie | labor. has practically ceased, and there | is now developing such a diversity in | agricultural products as to make pos i sible a change in the land conditions i of the territory, so that an oppor- | tunity may be given to the small | land owner similar to that on the | mainland. To aid these changes, the | national government must provide the | necessary harbor improvements on | each island, so that the agricultural | products can be carried to the mar ketS of the world. The coastWise | shipping laws should be amended to meet the special needs of the islands. and the alien contract labor law