Semi-weekly herald., 1909-03-08

/ A< Nh~ achts I'll Abhl lllt per
fecting of the reforms in respect t.
antitrust legislation and interstat,
commerce regulation, but the need 20
: action when the revision of the tariff
has been determined upon. is more i'm
mediate to avoid embarrassment o.
business.
TO secure the needed speed in the
passage OF the tariff bill. IT would
seem wise to attempt no other legis
lation at the extra session. venture
this as suggestion only, for the
course TO be taken by congress. upon
the call OF the executive, is wholly
within its discretion.
In the making of a 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 100000 900.
| 1T is imperative that such a deficit
shall not continue. and the trainers of
the tariff bill must. of course. have
In mind the total revenues likely to
be produced by 1t, and SO arrange the
duties as to secure an adequate in.
come Should It be impossible to do
so by import duties, new kinds of taxa.
ton must be adopted, and among these
| recommend a graduated Inheritance
tax. as correct in principle and as Ger
tain and easy of collection.
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
policy. This is especially true when
we are face to face with heavy de-
ticit. But when the desire to win the
popular approval leads to the cutting
off of expenditures really needed TO
A'ANfNt 'ht government tlltCliNe, ana 10
enable 1t TO accomplish its proper OBJ
jects, the result is as much to be con.
demned as the waste of government
funds in unnecessary expenditure.
The scope of modern govern.
ment, in what il can and ought to
accomplish for its people, has been
widened far beyond the principles laid
down by the old laissez faire school of
political writer's. and this widening
has met popular approval.
I'm the department of agriculture
The use of scientific experiments on a
large scale, aud the spread of infor
mation derived from them for the i'm.
provement of general agriculture. must
go on
THE Importance of supervising bust
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 century ago.
The putting into force of laws
which shall secure the conservation
of our resources, so far ms they NAV
be within the jurisdiction of the fed.
erai government, including the most
important work of saving and restor.
ing our forests, and the great i'm.
provement of waterways. are all prom.
err government functions which must
involve large expenditure. If properly
performed.
While some of them, like the rec.
lamation of arid lands, are made to
pay for themselves, others are of such
an indirect benefit that this cannot be
expected of them. A permanent i'm.
provement, like the Panama canal
should be treated as distinct enter
prise, and should be paid for by the
proceeds Of bonds, the issue OF which
viii distribute its cost between the
present and future generations in ac
cordance with the benefits derived.
1T may well be submitted to the
serious consideration of congress
whether the deepening and control of
the channel of a great river system
like that of the Ohio or of the Mis-
sissippi, when definite and practical
plans for the enterprise have been ap-
proved and determined upon, should
not be provided for in the same way
''Then, too, there are expenditures of
government absolutely necessary II
our country is to maintain its proper
place among the nations of the world
and Is to exercise its proper influence
in defense of its own trade interests,
In the maintenance of traditional
American policy against the COLOMBIA.
lion of European monarchies in this
hemisphere, and in the promotion OF
peace and international morality.
refer to the cost OF maintaining a
proper army, proper navy and suit.
able Notifications upon the mainland
OF the United States and in its de
Tendencies.
1--WE should have an army so organ
lied, and so offcered. as to be cana
BILE in time OF emergency. in coopera
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