Weekly journal-miner., 1909-12-08

seribed. This work will perhaps take two or three years and I ask from congress a continuing annual appro- priation equal to that already made for its prosecution. I believe that the work of this board will be of prime utility and importance when ever congress shall deem it wise again to readjust the customs duties. If the facts secured by the tariff board are of such a character as to show generally that their rates of duty imposed by the present tariff | law are excessive under the prin- ciples of protection adopted in the platform of the successful party at the | late election, shall not hesitate to invite the attention of congress to this fact and to the necessity for action predicted 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 investigation, upon which such revi- sion can properly be undertaken, it seems to me unwise to attempt it. The amount of transformation that creeps into arguments pro and con in respect to tariff rates is such as to require the kind of investigation that I have directed the tariff board to make, an investigation undertaken by it wholly without respect to the effect which the facts may have in calling for a readjustment of the rates of duty.
 War Department.
 In the interest of immediate econ omy and because of the prospect of deficit, I have required a reduction in the estimates of the war depart ment for the coming fiscal year, which brings the total estimates down to an amount $45.000,000 less than the corresponding estimates for last year. This could only be accom- plished by cutting off new projects and suspending for the period of one year all progress in military matters. For the same reason I have directed that the army shall not be recruited up to its present authorized strength. These measures can hardly be more than tempOrary-tO last until our revenues are in better condition and until the whole question of the eX- pedieney of adopting a definite mili tary policy can be submitted to con gress, for I am sure that the inter- ests of the military establishment are seriously in need of careful consider atiOn by congress. The laws regulat- ing the organization of our armed forces in the event of war need to be revised in order that the organi- zation can be modified so as to pro- duce a force which would be more consistently apportioned throughout its numerous branches. To explain the circumstances upon which this opinion is based would neeessitate lengthy discussion and I postpone it until the first convenient opportunity shall arise to send to congress a special message upon this subject.
 The secretary of war calls atten- tion to a number of needed changes in the army, in all of which I concur but the point upon which I place most emphasis is the need for an elimination bill providing a method by which the merits of officers shall have some effect upon their advance
 
 of all may be accelerated by the eff fective elimination of a definite pro portion of the least efficient. There are in every army, and certainly in ours, a number of officers who do not violate their duty in any such way as to give reason for a court-martial Or dismissal, but who do not show such aptitude and skill and character for high command as to justify their remaining in the active service toI be promoted. Provision should be made by which they may be retired on a certain proportion of their pay, increasing with their length of serv- ice at the time of retirement. There is now a personnel law for the navy which itself needs amendment and to which I shall make further reference Such a law is needed quite as much for the army.
 The coast defenses of the United States proper are generally all that could be desired and in some re- speets they are rather more elaborate than under present conditions are needed to stop an enemy's fleet from entering the harbOrs defended. There is. however. one place where addition al defense is badly needed and that is at the mouth of Chesapeake bay, where it is proposed to make an arti- fieial island for a fort which shall prevent an enemy's fleet from enter ing this most important strategieal base of operations on the whole At lantie and gulf coasts. I hope that appropriate legislation will be adopt ed to secure this defense.
 The military and naval joint board have unanimously agreed that it would be unwise to make the large