Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
CALMLY DLSCURSIVE

prosy. 1t differs essentially
in character from the messages sent to Congress by President
Roosevelt. There are n o criticisms of Congress, no denunciatons
OF the great vested interests and no fireworks of any kind. The
Recommendations made are few and ordinary. In brief, the mes
! sage is entirely Invested of the sensational And it is one that
d judicial temperament like William Il. Taft. In his Introductory
I the President deyotes considerable space to our relations with
Great Britain and Canada in respect to the fisheries and the
boundary question, and recites in brief our affairs with other
I countries, including Latin-America. AS to the latter, the Presi
\ dent voices the cordial feeling of this government towards all the
i Latin-American states, with the exception of the Zelaya govern
! ment of Nicaragua, which he charges with unspeakable barbarities
and oppression and with the murder of two American citizens
Since the Washington conventions of 1907, says the President,
Anearly every complaint has been against the Zelaya government
which has kept Central America in constant turmoil. Our in
terests in the Far East are touched upon and shown to be well
safeguarded. President Taft outlines a plan for a reorganization
Of the state department on modern lines for the improvement
Of our diplomatic and consular service. He summarizes the report
Of the treasury secretary, and estimates the deficit for this year
at s~73.075,62O, which is to be met by the issuance of Panama canal
bonds. The President judges that with the economies made there
will be a small surplus for the next fiscal year. The President.
depreeates a congressional investigation of the custom-house
frauds at present as calculated to embarrass and injure the prose
cution in securing conviction of the guilty parties. The fears ex
pressed that tariff wars will be caused by the maximum and mini
mum features of the new tariff law are not credited by the Presi
dent. He constructs the law to mean that the President shall act
only when the determinations against us r. without good and
fair reasons, and these may be removed by friendly negotiations.
The President would have incompetent officers retired from the
military service. He strongly urges the construction of an ati
fetal fortified island at the entrance to Chesapeake bay, "he
most important strategcal base of operations on the whole At
lanhc and gulf coasts" and the creation of an extensive naval base
at Pearl harbor, near Honolulu. He commends the new scheme
Of organization of the navy department to centralize the authority
President Taft has on more than one occasion pointed out the great
necessity for a reform in the judicial procedure to expedite justice
and decrease the cost He says, truly, that delays in trials and
Judgments are responsible for the lynch spirit. The Federal courts
should set a good example in this respect for the State courts, the
greater sinners. He suggests a commission to make recommen-
dations. The President also recommends legislation to restrict the
power of injunction. Figures are given to show that the govern
ment indirectly pays a subsidy of about s63 100000 a year to second
class matter in the mails, as that is the amount of loss to the post.
Office department on this matter. Magazines receive the heaviest
subsidy. A higher rate of postage on magazines and periodicals
is recommended. Postal banks are favored. The President thinks
that they would not interfere with any new currency system to be
adopted. Brief recommendations are made for a ship subsidy law,
the admission of Arizona and New Mexico as separate States, a
governor and executive council for Alaska and provision for a
celebration of the semicentennial Of the emancipation of the slaves.
The President will treat Of conservation and the trusts in special
messages.