Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-03-11
Shin Subsidies Advocated.

to the importance of our foreign trade
and Of encouraging It in every way
feasible. The possibility Of increasing
this trade in the orient. In the Philip
mines and I'm South America is known
to every one who has given the matter
attention. The direct effect of free
trade between this country and the
Philippines will be marked upon our
sale of cottons, agricultural machinery
and other manufactures The necessi-
ty of the establishment Of direct lines
Of steamers betwee North and South
America has been brought to the at
tcntion of congress by my predecessor
and by MFR. Root before and after his
noteworthy visit to that continent, and
l sincerely hope that congress may be
induced to see the wisdom Of tenta-
tive effort to establish such lines by
the use Of mail subsidies.
The importance which the depart
ment Of agriculture and OF commerce
and labor may play In Kidding the
markets Of Europe of prohibitions aud
determinations against the inporta-
ton Of our products IS fully under
stood, and 1t Is hoped that the use Of
the maximum and minimum feature
of our tariff law to be soon passed will
be effective to remove many Of those
restrictions.
Lock Canal Plan Defended.
The Panama canal will have a most
important bearing upon the trade be-
tween the eastern and the far west
ern sections Of our country and will
greatly increase the facilities for
transportation between the eastern
and the western seaboard and may
possibly revolutionize the transconti-
mental rates with respect to bulky mer-
chandise. 1t will also have 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 of the
east coast Of South America reached
by rnil from the west coast The
work on the canal Is making most sat
isfactory progress The type Of the
canal as lock canal was fixed by
congress after a full consideration of
the conflicting reports OF the majority
and minority of the consulting board
and after the recommendation Of the
war department and the executive
upon those reports. Recent suggestion
that something had occurred on the
isthinus to make the lock type Of the
canal less feasible than it was sup
posed to be when the reports were
made and the policy determined on
led to visit to the isthmus Of
board Of competent engineers to exam
Inc the Gatun dam and locks which
are the key Of the lock type. The re-
port 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 construction will go
on under a most effective organization
controlled by Colonel Goethals and his
fellow army engineers associated with
him and will certainly be completed
early in the next administration, II not
before.
Some type Of canal must be con-
structed. The lock type has been Sc
lected. We are all in favor Of having
1t built rs promptly as possible. We
must not now. therefore. keep up fire
In the rear of the agents whom we
have authorized to do our work on
the isthmus. We must hold up their
hands, and. speaking for the incoming
administration, | wish to say that
propose to devote all the energy posi-
BILE and under my control to the push
ing OF this work on the plans which
have been adopted and to stand behind
the men who are doing faithful hard
work to bring about the early compile
ton of this the greatest constructive
enterprise of modern times.
Free Trade With Philippines.
The governments of our Dependent
cies In Porto Rico and the Philippines
arc progressing rs fayorably as could
be desired The prosperity of Porto
Rico continues undated. The bust
ness conditions IL the Philippines are
not all that we could wish them to be.
but with the passn',e OF the new tariff
bill permitting free trade between the
United States and the archipelaSo,
with such limitations in sugar and
tobacco as shall prevent injury to the
domestic interests on those products.
we can count on an Improvement in
business conditions in the Philippines
and the development of a mutually
profitable trad. between this country
and the islands. Meantime our gov
eminent In each dependency is uphold
ing the traditions Of civil liberty and
increasing popular control, which might
be expected under American auspices.
The work which we are doing there
rebounds to our credit as Il nation.
Words Of Friendship For the South.
| look forward with hope to increas
Ing the already coed feeling between
the south and the other sections Of the
country. Ny chief purpose Is not to
effect change in the electoral vote Of
the southern states. That Is second
airy consideration. What | look for
ward to is all increase In the tolerance
Of political views Of all kinds and
their advocacy throughout the south
and the existence OF respectable po-
litical opposition in every stnte-even
more than 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
Tho Negro Question.
The consideration of this question