The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-03-09

Of Congress whether the deepening
and control of the channel Of great
river system, like that of the Ohio OF
! Of the Mississippi, when definite and
/ practical plans for the enterprise have
/ been approved and determined upon,
should not be provided for in the
same way.
On the subject Of Asiatic immi-
grants the Address expresses the hope
| that 1--WE may continue to minimize
! the evils likely to arise from such
| immigration without unnecessary
| friction and by mutual concessions
| between self-respec governments.
BY proper legislation we
may, and ought to, place in the hands
OF the Federal Government the means
of enforcing the treaty rights Of such
aliens in the courts of the Federal
Government"
One of the reforms to he carried
out during the incoming Administra-
ton, declares Mr. Taft, is change of
our monetary and banking laws, so
as to secure greater elasticity in the
forms of currency available for trade
and the incoming Congress should
promptly fulfil the promise of the
Republican platform and pass a
proper Postal Savings Bank bill.
The President then discusses the
Panama Canal as follows:
The Panama Canal will have a
most important bearing upon the
trade between the eastern and the far
western sections of our country, and
will greatly increase the facilities for
transportation between the eastern
and the western seaboard, and may
possibly revo1utionize the transconti-
mental rates with respect to bulky
merchandise. It will also have a
most beneficial effect to increase the
trade between the eastern seaboard
of the United States and the western
coast of South America, and, indeed,
with some of the important ports on
the east coast of South America
reached by rail from the west coast.
The work on the canal is making most
satisfactory progress. The type of
the canal as a lock canal was fixed
by Congress after a full consideration
of the conflicting reports of the ma
jority and minority Of the consulting
board, and after the recommendation
of the War Department and the Ex-
ecutive upon those reports. Recent
CURED on the Tsthmus to make the
lock type of the canal less feasible
than it was supposed to be when the
reports were made and the policy de-
termined on, led to visit to the 18TH
mus of a board of competent engi-
neers to examine the Gatun dam and
locks which are the key of the lock
type. The report of that board
shows that nothing has occurred in
the nature of newly revealed evidence
which should change the views once
formed in the original discussion.
The governments of our Dependent
'cies in Porto Rico and the Philippines
are progressing as favorably as could
be desired. The prosperity of Porto
Rico continues undated.
The Presidents address then de-
votes considerable space to the South
and the negro race question. Mr..
Taft says:
I look forward with hope to in
creasing the already good feeling be-
tween the South and the other Sec
lions Of the country. My chief pur-
pose is not to effect change in the
electoral vote of the Southern States.
That is a secondary consideration.
What look forward to is an in
crease in the tolerance of political
views of all kinds and their advocacy
throughout tn South, and the existence
of respectable political opposition
in every State; even more than this,
to an increased feeling on the part
of all the people in the South that
this Government is their Government,
and that its officers in their States
are their officers.
On the topic of. labor Mr.. Taft
noted that Congress had passed the
bill fixing the liability of interstate
carriers to their employees for injury
sustained in the course of employ
ment, abolishing the rule of fellow
servant and the common law rule as
to contributory negligence, and sub
shutting therefor the so-called rule OF
comparative negligence, and model
child labor law.
wish 20 say, he continued, Tat
in so far as I can, hope to promote
the enactment of further legislation
of this character. I am strongly con-
vinced that the Government should
make itself as responsible to en-
ployes injured in its employ as an
interstate railway corporation is made
responsible by Federal law to its en-
ployes; and shall be glad, whenever
any additional reasonable safety de-
vice can be invented to reduce the
loss of life and limb among railway
employees, to urge Congress to re-
quire its adoption by Interstate rail-
ways.
In conclusion the inaugural Adj
dress says:
The issuing of a temporary re-
straining order without notice has in
several instances been abused by it's
inconsiderate exercise, and to remedy
this, the platform upon which was
elected recommends the formulation
in statute of the conditions under
which such temporary restraining
order ought to issue. A statute can
and ought to be framed to embo6y
the best modern practice, and can
bring the subject so closely to the
attention of the court as to make
abuses of the process unlikely in the
future. American people, if under
stand them, insist that the authority
of the courts shall be sustained and
are opposed to any change in the
procedure by which the powers of q
court may be weakened and the fear
less and effective administration of
justice be interfered with.
Having thus reviewed the questions
likely to recur during my Admins
tration, and having expressed in a
summary way the position which 1
expect to take in recommendation
to Congress and in my conduct as an
Executive, invoke the considerate
sympathy and support of my fellow
citizens, and the aid of Almighty God
in the discharge Of my responsible