Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1909-12-09

spondencs AMI negotiation. n should -
renemeeTed that such facilities exist In
the foreign Offices of all the leading com
merciai nations and that TO deny them
TO the secretary of state would be to
piace this government at q great disad-
vantage TN the rivalry Of commercial
competition
The consular service has been i'm
proved under the law of April + 1915,
and the executive order % June =. fss.
and I commend to your consideration the
question Of efnhodyinE in a statute the
principles OF the present executive order
upon which the efficiency OF our consular
service Is wholly dependent
Expenditures ard Revenues.
Perhaps the most important question
presented to this administration ts that
OF economy tn expenditures and sum
cheney OF revenue. The defcit of the
last fiscal year. and the certain deficit
OF the current year. prompted congress
TO throw a greater responsibility on
the executive and the secretary of the
treasury than had heretofore been de-
ciared by statute. This declaration
imposes upon the secretary Of tn.
treasury the duty OF assembling all the
estimates ~ the executive deoartmsrf-s
bureaus and ofrees OF IN. expenditure.
necessary in the ensuing ascai year.
and Of making an estimate of the r-ve-
nues OF the government for the same
period. and ~ probable dencit IL thus
shown. IL is made the duty Of the presi :
dent to recommend the method by
which such deficit can be met
The report OF the secretary shove
that the ordinary expenditures for the
current hscal year ending June 30 1910
will exceed the estimated receipts bv
t5to75s2o. II 10 this deficit q. added
the sum to be disbur.ed for the Pan
ANA Canal amounting to $4,000. 600
and 81 coo 000 to be paid on the public
debt. the deficit Of ordinary receipt.
and expenditures will be increased 10
total deficit OF s75.oTs.sso This def
iett the secretary proposes to meet BY
the proceeds % bonds issued 20 pay
the cost OF constructing the Panama
Canal I approve this proposal
In order to avoid a denrit for the
ensuing fiscal year. directed the
heads OF departments In the prepara-
tion OF their estimates TO make them
as low as possible consistent with i'm
perative governmental necessity.
Civil Pensions
am aware that there IL strong
feeling in both houses Of congress. and
possibly In the country. against the
establishment OF civil pensions and
that this has naturally grown out OF
the heavy burden Of military pensions
which IL has always been the policy
OF our government to assume: but I
am strongly convinced that no other
practical solution Of the difncultie.
presented by the superannustion OF
civil servants can be found than that
Of system OF civil pensions
Frauds In the Collection Of Customs.
regret to refer to the fact Of the
discovery OF extensive frauds In .Se
collection OF the customs revenue at
New York city In which a number ot
the subordinate employees in the weigh
ing and other departments were di-
rectly concerned. and In which the
benenctaries were the American sugar
Refining Company and others The
frauds consisted In the payment or
duty on underweights Of sugar The
government has recovered from the
American Sugar Refining Company all
that 10 Is shown to have been defraud-
ed Of The sum was received in fun
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 settle
ment should not interfere with or pre-
vent the criminal prosecution of every
one who was found to be subject 20
the same.
Criminal prosecutions are now pro-
ceeding against a number OF the gov
eminent officers The treasury de-
partmeut and the department OF Jus
ticc are exerting every effort to dis
cover all the wrongdoers. including
the officers and employees OF the com
panie= who may have been prtvy to
the fraed- IL would seem to me that
an Investigation Of the frauds by con-
gress at present. pending the probing
by the treasury department and the
department Of Justice as proposed
might by giving immunity and other
wise prove an embarrassment In secur-
ing conviction OF the guilty parties.
The Tariff Act.
Two features OF the new tariff act
call for special reference. BY virtue
Of the clause known as the maximum
and minimum" clause. IL is the duty
OF the executive 60 consider the laws
and practices Of other countries with
reference to the importation into those
countries Of the products and mer-
chandise OF the United States. and II
the executive hnds such laws and prac-
tices not to be unduly discriminatory
against the United States. the mini
mum duties provided In the bill are to
60 into force Unless the president
makes such a finding then the maxi
Is. an increase OF IS per cent ad valo-
rem over the minimum duties are to
be in force Fear has been expressed
that this power conferred and duty
imposed on the executive is likely 20
lead to a tariff war I beg 10 express
the hope and belief that no such result
need be anticipated.
The discretion granted TO the execu-
tive by the terms '-unduly dIscrfm-
inatory" Is wide. In order that the
maximum duty shall be charged against
the imports from a country IL 10 neces-
sary that he shall md on the part OF
that country not only discrimination
in its laws or the practice under them
against the trade OF the United States
but that the determinations found
shall be undue: that Is without good
and fair reason / conceive that this
power was reposed in the president
with the hope that the maximum du-
ties might never be applied In any case.
but that the power to apply them would
enable the president and the state de-
partment through friendly negotiation
to secure the elimination from the laws
and the practice under them Of any
foreign country Of that which is un-
duly discriminatory. No one 10 SEEK
ing n tariff war or a condition In which
the spirit Of retaliation shall be
aroused
Needs es the Navy.
The return of the battleship neet from
its voyage around the world. In more
efficient condition than when IL started.
was noteworthy event OF interest alike
to our citizens and the naval authorities
OF the world Besides the beneficial and
far-reaehins effect on our personal and
diplomatic relations In the countries
which the feet visited. the marked sue
cess OF the ships In steaming around the
world In all weathers in schedule time