East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-03-04


matter attention. The direct effec
Of free trade between this countr!
and the Philippines will be marked
upon our sale of cottons, agriculture
machinery and other manufactures
The necessity Of the establishment o.
direct lines Of steamers between
North and South America has beer
brought 10 the attention Of congress
by my predecessor, and by Mr.. Roo
before and after his noteworthy vlsi
TO that continent, and | sincerely hope
that congress may be induced to Sc,
the wisdom Of a tentative effort tC
establish such lines by the use oi
mail subsidies.
The Importance which the depart
ment Of agriculture and Of commerce
and labor may play in riddlng the
markets Of Europe of prohibitions
and Determinations against the inn
portation Of our products is fully un-
derstoOd, and it Is hoped that the use
Of the maximum and minimum fea-
ture Of our tariff law to be soon
passed will be effective to remove
many Of the restrictions.
Panama Canal Important.
The Panama canal will have a most
important bearing upon the trade be-
tween the eastern and the far west
ern sections of our country and will
greatly increase the facilities for
transportation between the eastern
and the western seaboard, and may
possibly revolutionize the transcon-
tinental rates with respect to bulky
merchandise. 1t will also have a
most beneficial effect to increase the
trade between the eastern seaboard
of the United States and the western
coast Of South America, and, indeed,
with some of the important ports on
the east coast of South America
reached by rail from the west coast.
The work on the canal is making
most satisfactory progress.
The type of the canal as a lock
canal was fixed by congress after a
full consideration Of the conflicting
reports Of the majority and minority
Of the consulting board, and after the
recommendation of the war depart
ment and the executive upon these re-
ports. Recent suggestion that some
thing had occurred on the Isthmus
to make the lock type of the canal
less feasible than it was supposed to
be when the reports were made and
the policy determined on, led to a
competent engineers to examine the
Gatum dam and locks which are the
key to the lock type. The report of
that board shows that nothing has oc-
CURED in the nature of newly develop
ed evidence which should change the
views once formed in the original dis
cussion. The construction will go on
under most effective organization
controlled by Colonel Goethals and
his fellow army engineers associated
with him, and will certainly be COM
pleted early in the next administra-
tion, If not before.
Hits at Canal Critics.
Some type of canal must be con-
structed. The lock type has been Sc
lected We are all in favor of hav-
ing it built as properly as possible.
We must not now, therefore, keep UP
a fire in the rear of the agents whom
we have authorized to do our work
on the Isthmus. We must hold up
their hands, and, speaking for the in
coming administration, l wish to say
that ! propose to devote all the en-
ergy possible and under my control,
to the pushing of this work on the
plans which have been adopted. and
to stand behind the men who are
doing faithful hard work to bring
about the early completion of this, |
the greatest constructive enterprise !
# modern times.
The governments of our depend |
pines are progressing as favorably as
'ould be desired. The prosperity of .
Porto Rico continues unabated. The 1
business conditions in the Philippines
ire not all that We could wish them
o be, hut with the passage of the
lew tariff bill permitting free trade .
between the United States and the
with such limitations in II
ugar and tobacco as shall prevent
injury to the domestic interests on
hose products, we can count on an
in business conditions in
he Philippines and the development
# mutually profitable trade between
his country and the islands. Mean
ime our government in each depen-
ency is upholding the traditions of
ivil liberty and increasing popular
ontrol which might be expected un-
er American auspices. The work
'hich we are doing there rebounds
o our credit as a nation.
Wipe Out Section Lines.
| look forward with hope to in
reasing the already good feeling be-
ween the South and the other sec
ons of the country. Ny chief pur-
ose is not to effect change in the
lectoral vote of the southern states. |
hat is a secondary consideration.
What look forward to is an increase
the tolerance of political views of
Il kinds and their advocacy through
ut the south, and the existence of a
political opposition in