Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-12-23
MESSAGE READ
TO CONGRESS
Needed Legislation Outlined by
President Taft.
WORKINGS OF TARIFF ACT
Maximum and Minimum Clause Dis
cussed-Practability of Postal Saw
inas Banks Considered to BE
Beyond Question.

Washington.-The message of the
president to congress may be sum-
married. as follows
The relations of the United States
to all foreign governments, with the
exception of the unfortunate embroil-
ment with Nicaragua, are declared
satisfactory. That our friendly rela-
tions with Mexico have been cement
ed by the recent meeting of the pres
idents of the two republics is evil
denced by the following passage in
the message:
My meeting with President Diaz and
the greeting exchanged on both Ameri-
can and Mexican soil served, l hope. to
signalize the close and cordial relations
which so we'll bind together this republic
and the great republic Immediately to the
south. between which there is so vast a
network of material interests.
A system providing for the pension
ing of civil servants is favored.
The message makes mention that
criminal prosecutions against I'M
worthy government officers in con-
nection with sugar trust custom house
frauds are going forward.
The message says:
regret 10 refer to the fact OF the dis
covery of extensive frauds in the collec-
ton of the customs revenue at New York
city. In which a number of the subor-
dinate employees In the weighing and
other departments were directly con-
cerned. and I'm which the beneflciaries
were the American Sugar Refining Com
pany and others. The frauds consisted
In, he Of on ai 10 N q
of sugar. The government has recovered
from the American Sugar Refining Com
pany all that IL Is shown to have been de-
frauded 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 contract OF
settlement by which the settlement should
not interfere with, or prevent the Grim
inal prosecution Of everyone who was
found to be subject to the same.
On the question of the tariff the
president treasures the country as to
possibility of tariff war over the max
imum and minimum clause in the
bill. He asks the people to have con-
fidence that the chief executive will
tactfully carry out the provisions OF
the measure.
Quoting the plank of the platform
on which the Republican candidate
was elected, the message declares the
intention of the administration to up
hold every principle of law, but con
dennis the issuance of hasty injunc'
tons.
Deficit in the postoffice department
the president declares, is due to the
undercharging of second-class mail
matter, he being of the opinion that
such matter does not pay its due
share toward expenses.
The president continues:
The deficit every year in the post
office department is largely caused by
the low rate of postage of / cent a
pound charged on second-class mail
matter. which includes not only news
papers but magazines and miscellan-
eous periodicals. The actual loss
growing out of the transmission OF
this second-class mail matter at 1 cent
a pound amounts to about 5000. 00(
a year. The average cost Of the trans
portation of this matter is more thar
cents pound.
IT appears that the average distance
over which newspapers are delivered
the average haul of magazines is 1.049
and of miscellaneous periodicals 1,12S
miles. Thus. the average haul OF the
magazine is three and one-half time,
and that OF the miscellaneous period
zeal nearly four times the haul of the
daily newspaper. yet all of them pay
the same postage rate of cent 6
pound. The statistics OF 1907 show
that second-class mail matter consti
tuted G3.91 per cent OF the weight Of
all the mail. and yielded only 519 pei
cent Of the revenue.
The figures given are startling, ant
show the payment by the government
of an enormous subsidy to the news
papers. magazines and periodicals.. ant
congress may well consider whether
radical steps should not be taken I,
reduce the deficit in the post-office de
| partment caused by this discrepanc,
| between the actual cost OF transporta
| ton and the compensation exactet
| therefor.
great saving might be made
amounting to much more than half o
| the loss, by imposing upon magazine
and periodicals higher rate OF post
age.
The immediate institution of posta
savings banks is recommended.
An earnest recommendation is mad
for the passage Of ship subsidy bill
With the urging of legislation look
ing to the conservation OF our nationa
resources, the message concludes:
II urgently recommend to congress
| that law be passed requiring that can
didates in elections OF members of tn
house OF representatives and committee
In charge of their candidacy and earn
paign file In proper office of the Unite
States government a statement Of tn
contributions received and OF the expen
ditures incurred in the campaign for sue
elections and that similar legislation b
enacted I'm respect to all other election
which are constitutionally within the con
troll of congress-"