The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-05-10
MESSAGE REGARD
ING PORTO RICO
PRESIDENT TAFT SAYS THAT
THE OCCASION is ONE OF EN-
IRENE GRAVITY AND ASKS RE-
PEAL OF FORAKER ACT.
(By Associated Press. }


message recommending legislation at
the present extra session of congress
Amending the Foraker act under
which Porto Rico is governed. The
president directs the attention of
congress to affairs on the island, lay
ing particular stress on what he
terms "a situation of unusual grav-
| ity," developed through the failure
of the legislative assembly to pass
the usual appropriation bills, leaving
the island without support after
June 80 next.
Porto Ricans have forgotten the
generosity of the United States, the
president says, in the desire of GER
tain of the islands political leaders
for power and he adds that the pres
ent situation indicates that the
United States has gone too fast in
the extension of political power to
| the Porto Ricans. He cOnclu ies that
the absolute power of appropriation
should be taken away from those
who have shown themselves too ir-
responsible to enjoy it,"
The president suggests to con-
gress the wisdom of submitting to
the appropriation committee the
question of qualifying some of the
provisions of the fundamental act as
to the respective jurisdiction of the
executive council and the legislative
assembly But no action of this
! kind, the president says, should be
begun until the Foraker act is
amended so that when the legislative
] assembly shall adjourn without maxi
ing the legislative appropriation ne
cessary to carry on the government.
sums equal to the appropriations
made in the previous year for the
respective purposes shall be available
for the current revenue and shall be
drawn by the warrant of the auditor
to the treasurer and countersigned
by the governor. Such provision
applies to the legislatures of the
Philippines and Hawaii, and, sit has
prevented in these two countries any
misuse of the power of apprOpria-
ton
The president reviews the estab-
lishment of the present government
for Porto Rico by the Foraker act.
He says the statute directing how
the expenses of government are to
be provided leaves some doubt whe-
Their the function is not committed
solely to the executive council, but
in practice the legislative assembly
has appropriated for all the expenses
other than the salaries of the dele
gates to congress, and the president
adds: "It is too late to reverse that
construction"
| The president says that ever since
the institution of the present assem-
| bly, delegates have uniformly held
up the appropriation bills until the
last minute of the session and has
sought to use the power to do SO as
means of compelling the concur
renee of the executive council in
| Legislation which the house desires
In the last regular legislative assem-
bly, the attitude of the executive
council in refusing to pass bills led
| the house of delegates to refuse to
/ pass the necessary appropriation
bills
Mr. Taft discussed the acts of the
legislature in detail, and says the
| facts recited demonstrate the will
ingness of the representatives of the
people in the house of delegates to
subvert the government in order to
secure the passage Of certain legis-
lation. The question whether the
proposed legislation should be en-
acted into law was left by the funda
mental act to the joint action of the
executive council and the house of
delegates as the legislative assem-
bly,. The house of delegates, says
the president, proposes itself to Sc
cure this legislation without respect
to the opposition of the executive
council, cor else to pull down the
government"
! This growing spirit shows that too
great power has been vested in the
delegates, the president says. The
message presents an exhaustive eco
nomic review of conditions on the is
| land, its trade and its wealth and its
! improved educational facilities.
1t points out that there never was
a time in the history of the island
| 4.