Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-12-10
CONGRESS MEETS
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Demand for Economy Is the Watch
word of the Nations Exc
cutive.

The first session of the 61st con-
gress opened last Monday and Presi-
dent Taft's message and its recon-
mendations was the all absorbing
theme of general discussion. The
message is 10000 words and it was
read on Tuesday, taking an hour and
half in each house.
Features of the message were its
insistent demand for economy in the
public expenditures, the declaration
of changing attitude toward the Mon
roe Doctrine, the assurance that no
tariff war is even in prospect, the
request for the appointment of a
commission to provide against veXa-
tious delays in litigation and the
passage of a law against the granting
of injunctions without notice, the
abandonment for the present Of plans
for the enlargement of the navy and
for recruiting the army to it's full
strength, the declaration that Alaska
should be governed by a commission
and not legislature, and request
that congress pass laws making the
white slave trade" between states
punishable by heavy penalties, under
the power of congress to regulate in
terstate affairs.
Several subjects that were expect
ed to add interest to the message are
reserved for future communications
Among these are the question Of
antitrust and interstate commerce
laws, the situation in Nicaragua and
the conservation Of the country's ma
tural resources, with It's correlated
topics Of the reclamation of arid and
semi-arid lands, the preservation of
the forests and the improvement of
the waterways.
President Taft indorses the prin-
ciple OF ship subsidy, but does not
dwell at length upon the subject. He
indorses the party platform declara-
tion in favor of postal savings banks.
He urges congress, in passing the law
for the separate statehood Of New
Mexico and Arizona that is demanded
by the party platform, to guard
against permitting the adoption of
the constitution Of these states and
the election of their officials at the
same time. The adoption of con-
stitution he deems to be too import
ant to be thrown into the broil of a
campaign to fill offices.
Curtailment of expenditures the
president takes under more than one
heading, Perhaps the most import
ant reference is in connection with
his views as to.tho reorganization Of
the public service generally. He
finds that the work in the deOart-
ments is not done upon the same
plane as that of private corporations.
that there is inetflclency I'm the ranks
and that the schedule of salaries is
not based upon the amount Of time
and of effort and brains that the en-
ploye is required to put into his
work.
He believes that a thorough over
hauling Of the service win reveal the
possibility OF large economics SAL
aries he thinks. cannot he reduced;
rather there will be q necessity for
Increasing them II any change is
made
Ho has directed the naval program
to be reduced so that only two battle.
ships and q supply vessel are asked
FOR and q saving of $3S.OoO. 600 "a
made as compared with last years
estimates for the navy department.
and he has cut the army estimates hy
@hooo,ooo, partly by adopting the
policy Of not recruiting the establish.
ment TO its full authorized strength
this year lie points out that n "a
not permanent economy merolv Go
omit the accomplishment of THINGS
Q