Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-03-04
TAFT'S INAUG-
URAL ADDRESS
Speech Begins With Advocacy of
Predecessors Reforms

change in conditions since the enact
ment Of the Dingley act, drafted on a
similarly protective principle, that the
measure of the tariff above stated will
permit the reduction Of rates in certain
schedules and will require the ad-
vancement of few, If any.
The proposal to revise the tariff
made in such an authoritative way as
to lead the business community to
count upon 1t necessarily halts ali
those branches of business directly
affected, and as these are most i'm.
portant 1t disturbs the whole business
OF the country. 1t Is imperatively nee.
essary, therefore, that a tariff bill be
drawn in good faith In accordance
with promises made before the cleo.
ton by the party in power and as
promptly passed as due consideration
will permit.
Inheritance Tax Advocated.
In the making of tariff bill the
prime motive is taxation and the Sc.
curing thereby of a revenue. Due
largely to the business depression
which followed the financial panic of
1907, the revenue from customs and
other sources has decreased to such
an extent that the expenditures for
the current fiscal year will exceed the
receipts by $1O0.OO0,O00 1t is impera-
tive that such deficit shall not con-
tlnue, and the trainers of the tariff
bill must of course have In mind the
total revenues likely to be produced by
It and so arrange the duties as to Sc
cure an adequate income. Should it be
impossible to do so by import duties
new kinds of taxation must be adopt
ed, and among these recommend a
graduated inheritance tax as correc'
in principle and as certain and easy of
collection,
Government Economy Urged.
The obligation on the part Of those
responsible for the expenditures made
to carry on the government to be as
economical as possible and to make
the burden of taxation as light as pos
sible is plain and should be affirmed In
every declaration Of government pol
icy. This is especially true when we
are face to face with u heavy deficit.
But when the desire to win the popu-
lar approval leads to the cutting of Of
expenditures really needed to make
the government effective and to en-
lble 1t to accomplish its proper objects
the result is as much to be condemned
rs the waste of government funds in
unnecessary expenditure.
In the department of agriculture the
use of scientific experiments on large
scale and the spread of information
derived from them Tor the improve
ment of general agriculture must go
on.
The Importance of supervising busi-
ness of great railways and Industrial
combinations and the necessary inves.
tigation and prosecution of unlawful
business methods are another neces.
sary tax upon government which did
not exist half n century ago.
The putting into force Of laws which
shall secure the conservation OF our
resources so far as they may be with
in the jurisdiction of the federal gov
eminent, including the most important
work of saving and restoring our for
ests, and the great improvement of wa
terways are all proper government
functions which must involve large
expenditure II properly performed.
While some of them, like the reclama-
ton of arid lands, are made to pay
for themselves, others are of such an
indirect benefit that this cannot be ex-
pected of them. A permanent i'm
provement, like the Panama canal,
should be treated as a distinct enter
prise and should be paid for by the
proceeds of bonds, the issue Of which
win distribute its cost between the
present and future generations in ac-
cordance with the benefits derived. 1t
may we'll be submitted to the serious
consideration Of congress whether the
deepening and control of the channel
Of great river system like that OF the
Ohio or Of the Mississippi when def
mite and practical plans for the enter
prise have been approved and deter
mined upon should not be provided for
in the same way.
Then, too. there are expenditures Of
government absolutely necessary If our
country Is to maintain its proper place
among the nations of the world and is
to exercise its proper influence in de-
Tense of Its own trade interests In the
maintenance Of traditional American
policy against the colonization Of Eu-
ropean monarchies In this hemisphere
and in the promotion OF peace and In
ternatlenal morality. l refer to the
cost OF maintaining a proper army, a
proper navy and suitable Notifications
upon the mainland Of the United
States and IN its dependencies.
The Army and Navy.
We should have an army so organ
lied and so offieered as to be capable
In time Of emergency in cooperation
with the national militia and under
the provisions of a proper national
volunteer law rapidly TO expand into
a force sufficient to resist all probable
invasion from abroad and to furnish a