Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-12-15

stead of s139.705,200, as originally es-
timated. Other expenses increasel
the cost by s75,435, 900, to a total of
s3T5,201 900.
Surplus Revenues in 1911.
The estimates of the expenses of
the government for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1911, are less by $42,.
100000 than the total of appropriations
for the current year so far as the Sec
rotary of the treasury is able to form a.
Judgment as to future income, and com
pare it with the expenditure for the
next fiscal year, ending June 80, 1911,l
there will be no deficit in the year
ending June 80, 1911, but surplus
of $53,931 000 This does not include
canal expenditures.
In the present estimates the needs
of the departments and of the gov
eminent have been cut to the quick,
SO to speak, and any assumption on
the part Of congress, so often made in
times past, that the estimates have
been prepared with the expectation
that they may be reduced, will re-
suit in seriously hampering proper
administration. Efforts being made
to reduce the cost of governmental adj
ministration and the question of dis
missing useless employees are dis
cussed.
Civil Pensions.
Mr. Taft notes the objection to the
,csfa h Itch 0f Twill Iy1f
says he is convinced that no other
practical solution Of the difficulties
presented by the superannRation of
civil servants can be found than that
of system of civil pensions.
Sugar Frauds.
81 regret to refer to the fact of the
discovery of extensive frauds in the
collection of the customs revenue at
New York City, in which number
of the subordinate employees in the
weighing and other departments were
directly concerned, and in which the
beneflciaries were the American Sugar
Refining company and others. The
frauds consisted in the payment Of
duty on underweights of sugar. The
government has recovered from the
American Sugar Refining company all
that it is shown to have been defraud-
ed of. The sum was received in full
of the amount due, which might have
been recovered by civil suit against
the beneficiary of the fraud, but there
was an express reservation in the con-
| tract of settlement by which the
settlement should not interfere with,
or prevent the criminal prosecution
of everyone who was found to be sub
ject to the same.
Criminal prosecutions are now pro-
ceeding against number of the gov
eminent officers. The treasury depart
ment and the department of justice
are exerting every effort to discover
all the wrongdoers, including the Of
| ficers and employees of the companies
| who may have been privy to the
| fraud 1t would seem to me that an
/ investigation of the frauds by con-
! gress at present, pending the prob
/ ing by the treasury department and
the department of justice, as pro-
posed, might by giving immunity and
/ otherwise prove an embarrassment In
securing conviction of the guilty par
ties"
4 The Tariff.
/ President Taft discusses the tariff
and the operation of the maximum
and minimum clause in the act He
says that in the working of this, fear
i has been expressed that the power
conferred and duty imposed on the
executive is likely to lead to tariff
4 war. 81 beg to express the hope and
belief that no such result need be an
ticipated," Mr.. Taft says. Il con.
ceive that this power was reposed in
i the president with the hope that the
maximum duties might never be ap.
piled in any case, but that the power
4 to apply them would enable the presi
4 dent and the state department
I through friendly negotiation to secure
the elimination from the laws and the
practice under them of any foreign
country of that which is unduly dis
criminatory. No one is seeking a
tariff war, or condition in which the
spirit of retaliation shall be aroused. =
The new tariff board is discussed
IT believe" he continues, that the
work of this board will be of prime
utility and Importance whenever con-
gress shall deem it wise again to adj
| just the customs duties. If the facts
secured by the board are of such a
character as to show generally that
the rates of duties imposed by the
tariff law are excessive under the prfn-
ciples of protection as described in
the platform of the successful party
at the late election, shall not hest
tate to invite the attention of congress
| to this fact and to the necessity for &C
tion predicated thereon. Nothing,
however, halts business and inter-
feres with the course of prosperity so
much as the threatened revision of
the tariff, and until the facts are at
hand, after careful and deliberate in
vestigation, upon which such re-
vision can properly be undertaken, it
seems to me unwise to attempt it."