The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1909-12-17

AeAAoaAAo0To0 tn6C Sucn IaCllltlo0 0XlSt In
the foreign Offices OF all the leading COM
mercial nations and that to deny them
TO tho secretary Of state would be to
place this government at q great disad-
vantage in the rivalry of commercial
competition.
The consular service has been i'm
proved under the law Of April s, 1906,
and the executive order of June q, 1906,
ana to your consideration the
question Of embodying in a statute the
principles of the present executive order
upon which the efficiency of our consular
service is wholly dependent.
Expenditures and Revenues.
perhaps the most important question
presented to this administration is tina
OF economy in expenditures and sufi-
cheney or revenue. The deficit of the
Iast hscal year, and the certain deficit
or the current year., prompted congress
10 throw a greater responsibility on
the executive and the secretary of the
treasury than had heretofore been de-
clared by statute. This declaration
imposes upon the secretary Of the
treasury the duty of assembling all the
estimates of the executive departments.
bureaus and offices of the expenditures
necessary in the ensuing fiscal year.
ana OF making an estimate Of the reve-
nues of the government for the same
period; and if a probable deficit is thus
SHOWN, 1T is made the duty of the presi-
lent to recommend the method by
which such deficit can be met.
The report of the secretary shows
that the ordinary expenditures for the
current fiscal year ending June 80. 1910.
will exceed the estimated receipts by
$34,073,62O. If to this deficit is added
the sum to be disbursed for the Pan
anna Canal, amounting to s3S, 900, 600,
and 100000 to be paid on the public
debt, the deficit of ordinary receipts
and expenditures will be increased to
a total deficit of $73,075,620. This def
lclt the secretary roposcs to meet by
the proceeds of bonds issued to pay
the cost OF constructing the Panama
Canal. I approve this proposal.
In order to avoid a deficit for the
ensuing fiscal year, I directed the
heads of departments in the prepara-
tlon OF their estimates to make them
as low as possible consistent with i'm
peratiVe governmental necessity.
Civil Pensions.
1 am aware that there is a strong
leellng 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 it has always been the policy
or our government to assume; but I
am strongly convinced that no other
practical solution of the difficulties
civil servants can be found tina that
Of a system Of civil pensions.
Frauds in the Collection Of Customs.
L regret to refer to the fact of the
of extensive frauds in the
Of the customs revenue at
New York city, in which a number of
the subordinate employees in the weigh
ing and other departments were d.
rectly concerned, and in which the
benefciaries were the American Sugar
Refining Company and others. The
frauds consisted in the payment of
duty on underweights Of sugar. The
government has recovered from the
American Sugar Refining Company all
that 1t is shown to have been defraud-
ed OF. The sum was received in full
or 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 to
the same.
Criminal prosecutions are now pro-
ceedlng against a number Of the gov
eminent officers. The treasury de-
partment and the department of JUS
tlcc are exerting every effort to dis
cover all the wrongdoers. including
officers and employees of the COM
panies who may have been privv to
fraud. 1t would seem to me that
an investigation Of the frauds by con-
gress at present, pending the probing
hy 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
the clause known as the maximum
and clause, it is the DUTY
Of the executive to consider the laws
and practices of other countries with
to the importation into those
of the products and mer-
Of the United States, and If
he executive finds such laws and prac-
not to be unduly discriminatory
the United States, the mini, !!
mum duties provided in the bill are to
into force. Unless the president
makes such a finding, then the MAXI
mum duties provided in the bill, that
8, an increase of 25 per cent. ad valo-
'em over the minimum duties are to
De IN force. Fear has been expressed
hat this power conferred and DUTY
imposed on the executive is likely to
cad to a tariff war. I beg to express
he hope and belief that no such result
iced be anticipated.
The discretion granted to the execu-
i've by the terms "unduly discrim-
Is wide. In order that the
duty shall be charged against
he Imports from a country, it is neces-
AIRY that he shall find on the part of
country not only determinations
n its laws or the practice under them
galnst the trade of the United States,
,ut that the determinations found
hall be undue: that is vithou+ rooa