River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-12-09

| Dut that the power to apply them would
enable the president and the state depart
| ment through friendly negotiation to Sc
| cure the elimination from the laws and
| the practice under them of any foreign
| country of that which is unduly discrim-
/ inatory. No one is seeking a tariff war
| or condition in which the spirit of re-
taliation shall be aroused.
| The new tariff law enables me to ap-
/ point tariff board to assist me in con-
nection with the department of state in
| the administration of the minimum and
| maximum clause of the act and also to
assist officers of the government in the
administration of the entire law. An ex-
| animation of the law and an understand
| ing of the nature Of the facts which
| should be considered in discharg-
| ing the functions imposed upon the eXecu-
| tive show that have the power to direct
the tariff board to make a comprehensive
| glossary and encyclopedia of the terms
| used and articles embraced in the tariff
| law, and to secure information as to the
cost of production of such goods in this
| country and the cost of their production
in foreign countries. have therefore APP
pointed a tariff board consisting of three
members and have directed them to per-
| form all the duties above described This
work will perhaps take two or three
| years, and / ask from congress a continu-
ing annual appropriation equal to that al
| ready made for its prosecution. ! believe
| that the work of this board will be of
prime utility and Importance whenever
| congress shall deem it wise again to re-
| adjust the customs duties. If the facts
secured by the tariff board are Of such
| character to show generally that the
| rates of duties imposed by the present
| tariff law are excessive under the prn-
| ciples of protection as described in the
platform of the successful party at the
! late election 1 shall not hesitate to in
| vite the attention of congress to this fact
and to the necessity for action predicated
| thereon. Nothing, however, halts bust
| ness and interferes with the course of
| prosperity so much as the threatened re-
vision of the tariff, and until the facts are
at hand, after careful and deliberate in
| vestigation upon which such revision can
properly be undertaken it seems to me
unwise to attempt it. The amount of mis-
| information that creeps into arguments
pro and con in respect to tariff rates is
such as to require the kind of investiga-
| tiCn that / 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
| REIMBURSEMENT of the rates of duty.
War Department
In the interest of immediate economy
| and because of the prospect of a deficit,
| [ have required a reduction in the esti-
| mates of the war department for the
| coming fiscal year, which brings the to-
| tai estimates down to an amount forty
five millions less than the corresponding
| estimates for last year. This could only
| be accomplished by cutting off
projects and suspending for the period
of one year all progress in military mat
| ters. For the same reason 1 have direct
| ed 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 eXpediency of adopting
| a definite military policy can be submitted
to congress, for [ am sure that the inter-
| eSts of the military establishment are Sc
| riouSly in need of careful consideration by
congress. The laws regulating the organ
| iZation of. our armed forces in the event
| of war need to be revised in order that
the organization can be modified so as
| to produce a force which would be more
| consistently apportioned throughout it's
| numerous branches. To explain the cir
cumStances upon which this opinion is
| based would necessitate a lengthy discus
sion, and / postpone it until the first con-
venent opportunity shall arise to send to
congress a special message upon this sub
ject.
Of the changes recommended by
the secretary of war, the president
especially urges the passage of bill
that will permit the elimination of the
less efficient officers. He concurs in
the opinion Of the military and naval
joint board in favor of making an eX-
tensive naval base at Pearl Harbor,
near Honolulu, and not in the Philip
pines.
The Navy.
The return of the battleship fleet from
it's voyage around the world, in more eff
ficient condition than when it started, was
| a noteworthy event of interest alike to
our citizens and the naval authorities of
the world. Besides the beneficial and far
reaching effect on our personal and dip
| lomatic relations in the countries
| which the fleet visited the marked sue
cess Of the ships in steaming around the
| world in all weathers on schedule time
has increased respect for our navy and
| has added to our national prestige.
Early in the coming session a compre-
hensive plan for the reorganization of the
| officers of all corps of the navy will be
| presented to congress, and I hope it will
meet with action suited to its urgency.
Owing to the necessity for economy in
| expenditures, / have directed the curtail-
ment of recommendations for naval APP
preparations so that they are thirty-eight
| millions less than the corresponding es-
| Inmates of last year, and the request for
| new naval construction is limited to two
frst-class battleships and one repair YES
sci.
Mr.. Taft urges upon congress that
the naval observatory be dedicated to
science under control of some emil
nent astronomer
Expedition in Legal Procedure.
The deplorabIe delays in the admins
| tration of civil and criminal law have re-
ceived the attention of committees of the
| American Bar association and of many
state bar associations, as well as the con-
Ici1a 11or1% 81 i,,Irr ax,6 CT tn
| my judgment a change in judicial pro-
| cedure, with a view to reducing it's ex-
| pense to private 1itigants in civil cases
| and facilitating the dispatch of business
and final decision in both civil and GRIM
inal cases constitutes the greatest need
in our American institutions. I do not
doubt for one moment that much of the
| lawless violence and cruelty exhibited
| in lynchings is directly due to the uncer-
tainties and injustice growing out of the
delays in trials, judgments and the exc
| cutions thereof by our courts OF course
| these remarks apply quite as well to the
| administration of justice in state courts
| as to that in federal courts, and without
| making invidious distinction it is per-
| haps not too much to say that, speaking
| generally, the defects are less in the
| federal courts than in the state courts.
| But they are very great in the federal
| courts. The expedition with which bust
| ness is disposed of both on the civil and
| the criminal side of English courts under
| modern rules of procedure makes the
| delays in our courts seem archaic and
| barbarous. The procedure in the federal