The National tribune., 1909-12-09
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

/
/ President Taft.s annual message to
Congress-the first he has written for a
ate and House Tuesday. II contained
80 printed pages as the pamphlet was
turned out from the Government Print
ling Office. and of these almost a half
were devoted to international affairs
that come under the jurisdiction of the
State Department.
The dominant questions of the hour
are discussed very slightly There is
little about conservation of natural re-
sources. beyond a promise to take an
early opportunity to send a special
message to Congress on the subject of
the improvement Of our waterways;
upon the reclamation of arid, semi
arid and swamp LANDS; upon the pres
ervation of our forests and the refor-
esting of suitable areas; upon the re-
classification of the public domain with
view to separating from agricultural
settlement mineral, coal and phosphate
lands and sites belonging to the Gov
oIl SlEtuiitS Sulld-
bic for the utilization of water power"
Antitrust and Interstate Commerce
laws are also dismissed with a sem
tence and a promise of a special mes
sage thereon. THE developments in
the operation of those laws, as shown
by indictments, trials, judicial deci-
sions and other sources of information,
40,
writes, "and some suggestions as to
amendment
The references to troubles in Nicara-
qua are likewise very brief. After al
luding to the Washington convention
of 1907 for the maintenance of peace
in Central America the President writes
that nearly every complaint has been
against the Zelaya Government of
Nicaragua, which has kept Central
America in a constant tension and tur-
moil.' He adds that lit is very ap-
parent that the considerations of geo.
graphic proximity to the Canal Zone
and of the very substantial American
interests in Central America give to
the United States a special position in
the Zone of these Republics and the
Caribbean Sea" He says it would be
unnecessary Ito rehearse here the sad
tale of unspeakable barbarities and op-
preston allaged to have been commit
ted by the Zelaya Government"
There are a few positive recon-
mendations for legislation. The Presi-
dent believes "the platform of the sue
cessful party in the last election" for
legislation against "injunctions without
notice" should be enacted into law. He
speaks out, too, for postal savings
banks and wants a law enacted at this
session, Notwithstanding the plea that
the Monetary Commission is engaged
in an investigation of the subject. He
is unable to ..see why the one should
be tied up with the other" He asks
for legislation that will make perma-
nent the bureaus recently organized
in the Department of State to deal
with trade and commercial relations
in various parts of the world. He
comes out strongly for civil pensions,
declaring that Il am strongly con-
WINGED that no other practical solution
of the difficulties presented by the sup
examination of civil servants can be
found than that of a system of civil
pensions"
His tariff discussion will probably
writes, sis seeking a tariff war or a
condition in which the spirit of retail
alton shall be aroused" This is in a
mention of the operation of the maxi
mum and minimum clause. In his Wi
mona speech he took the ground that
no revision of the tariff was to be
expected during this Administration,
and this is enforced by his present
message. He predicts that the inquiries
of the Tariff Board will occupy two or
three years and calls attention to the
fact that nothing, however, halts busi-
ness or interferes with the course of
prosperity so much as the threatened
revision of the tariff" But IF the
acts secured by the Tariff Board are of
that the rates of duties imposed under
the present tariff law are excessive un-
der the principles of protection as de-
scribed in the platform of the success
full party at the late election, shall
not hesitate to invite the attention of
Congress to this fact and to the neces-
sity for action predicated thereon"
While Secretary MacVeagh in his
annual report strongly denounced the
Sugar Trust, the President mentioned
the matter under the title of Frauds
in the Collections of Customs" and
states that The Treasury Department