Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-12-09
MESSAGE TO C0NGRESS TARIFF REVISION FOR THE PRESENT

| sary, and the only means 'oI economy
will be in reducing the number OF
employees and in obtaining a greater
average of efficiency from those re-
, tanned In the service.
| Frauds In the Collection of Customs.
/ regret to refer to the fact of the
discovery of extensive frauds in the
collection of the customs revenue at
New York city, in which a number of
! the subordinate employees in the
weighing and other departments were
directly concerned and in which the
| beneficiaries were the American Sugar
Refining company and others The
frauds consisted in the payment of du-
ty on underweights of sugar. The gov
4 ernment has recovered from the Amer
/ ican Sugar Refining company all that
! it is shown to have been defrauded Of.
| The sum was received in full of the
amount due which might have been
recovered by civil action against the
beneficiary Of the fraud. but there was
an excess reservation In the contract
Of settlement by which the settlement
should not interfere with or prevent
the criminal prosecution Of every one
who was found to be subject to the
same
Criminal prosecutions are now pro-
ceeding against a number Of the gov
ernment officers. The treasury de-
partment and the department Of JUS
tice are eXerting every effort TO dis
cover all the wrongdoers, including the
officers and employees of the compa-
nies who may have been privy to the
fraud 1t would seem 10 me that an
investigation of the frauds by con
grcss at present, pending the probing
by the treasury department and the
department. Of justice. as proposed
might by giving immunity and other
wise prove an embarrassment in Sc
curing conviction of the guilty parties
Maximum and Minimum Clause In
Tariff Act.
Two features of the new tariff act
call for special reference. In order
that the maximum duty shall be charg-
ed against the imports from a country
it is necessary that the executive shall
find on the part of that country not
only determinations in its laws or the
practice under them against the trade
Of the United States, but that the dis
ordinations found shall be undue
that Is, without good and fair reason.
No one is seeking tariff war or con-
dition in which the spirit of retaliation
shall be aroused.
Tariff Read justment
The new tariff law enables me to APP
point a 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. l be-
lieve that the work of this board will
be of prime utility and Importance
whenever congress shall deem it wise
again to readjust the customs duties.
If the facts secured by the tariff board
are of such character as to show gen.
orally that the rates Of duties imposed
by the present tariff law are excessive
under the principles of protection as
described in the platform of the sue
cessful party at the late election l
shall not hesitate to invite the atten'
ton of congress to this fact and TO the
necessity for action predicated there
on. Nothing. however. halts business
and interferes with the course of pros
perity so much as the threatened revi-
sion Of the tariff and until the facts
are at hand. after careful and deliber-
ate investigation. upon which such re-
vision can properly be undertaken. it
seems to me unwise to attempt ii.
War Department.
In the interest Of immediate econ
omy I have required a reduction In
the estimates of the war department
for the coming fiscal year which
brings the total estimates down to an
amount forty-five millions le1s than
the corresponding estimates for last
year. This could be accomplished only
by cutting off new projects and sus-
pending for the period of one year all
progress in military matters. For the
same reason I have directed that the
army shall not be recruited up to its
present authorized strength. These
measures can hardly be more than
temporary, for | am sure that the in
terests of the military establish .ent
are seriously in need of careful con-
sideration by congress.
The secretary Of war calls attention
to a number of needed changes in the
army. in all of which concur, but the
point upon which | place most en-
phasis is the need for an elimination
bill providing a method by which the
merits of officers shall have some eff
feet upon their advancement and by
which the advancement of all may be
accelerated by the effective elimination
Of a definite proportion of the least
efficient.
The military and naval joint board
have unanimously agreed that 1t would
be unwise to make the large expendi-
lures which at one time were contem-
plated In the establishment of a naval
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