Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-12-09
MESSAGE READ
\ TO CONGRESS
Needed Legislation Outlined by
President Taft.
WORKINGS OF TARIFF ACT
Maximum and Minimum Clause Dis
eussed-Practability Of Postal Saw.
inqs Banks Considered to Be
Beyond Question.
WORKINGS OF TARIFF ACT

W
married. as follows:
The relations of the United States
20 all foreign governments, with the
exception of the unfortunate embroil.
ment with Nicaragua, are declared
satisfactory. That our friendly rela-
lions with Mexico have beer cement.
ed by the recent meeting Of the pres.
idents Of the two republics is evi.
denced by the following passage in
the message:
My meeting with President Diaz and
the greeting exchanged on both Ameri-
can and Mexican soil served. I hope, to
signalize the close and cordial relations
which 40 we'll bind together this republic
and the great republic Immediately to the
south. between which there is 80 vast a
network OF material interests.
A system providing for the pension.
ing of civil servants Ia favored.
The message makes mention that
criminal prosecutions against I'm.
worthy government officers in con.
hection with sugar trust custom house
frauds are going forward.
The message says:
I regret to refer to the fact Of the dis
covery OF extensive frauds in the collec-
ton of the customs revenue at New York
city. in which a number OF the subor-
dinate employees In the Weighing and
other departments were directly con-
Cerned, and in which the benefciaries
were the American Sugar Refining Com
Eany and others. The frauds consisted
in the payment of duty on underweights
OF sugar. Tho government has recovered
from the American Sugar Refining Com
pany all that II Is shown to have been de-
frnIipI of Tho sum wnS received In full
OF 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 contract of
settlement by which the settlement should
not interfere with. or prevent the GRIM
inal prosecution Of everyone who was
found to be subject to the same.
On this question of the tariff the
president treasures the country as to
possibility of tariff war over the max.
imum and minimum clause in the
bill. He asks the people to have con.
f1dence that the chief executive will
~tactfully carry out the provisions of
the measure.
Quoting the plank Of the platform
on which the Republican candidate
was elected, the message declares the
intention Of the administration to up
hold every principle Of law, but con-
dennis the issuance of hasty injunc.
lions.
Deficit in the ~postofice department.
the president declares, is due to the
understanding of second class mail
matter, he being of the opinion that
such matter does moi pay its due
share toward expenses.
The president continues:
The Cefcit every year in the post
Office department is largely caused by
the low rate OF postage of I cent a
pound charged on second class mail
matter, which includes not only news
papers but magazines and miscellan-
eous periodicals. The actual loss
growing out OF the transmission of
this second class mail matter Mt l cent
a pound amounts to about 500, 600. 900
n year. The average cost OF the trans
portation OF this matter is more than
. cents a pound.
It appears that the average distance
over which newspapers are delivered
to their customers Is 29l miles. while
the average haul OF magazines is .049.
and or miscellaneous periodicals 1.l28
miles. Thus. the average haul OF tho
magazine Is three and onc-half times
and that of the miscellaneous period
ical nearly four times the haul OF the
daily newspaper. yet all OF them pay
the same postage rate Of ] cent n
pound. The statistics of 1907 show
that second-class mail matter consti-
tuted 63.9l per cent Of the weight OF
all the mail. and yielded only a.l9 per
cent of the revenue.
The figures given are startling. and
show the payment by the government
or an enormous subsidy to the news
papers. magazines and periodicals. and
NnnUFaGa sol 4 NI-.
radical steps SHOULD not he taken to
reduce the deficit in the p~ost-ofice de-
partment caused by this discrepancy
b'tween the actual cost OF ~transporta-
ton and the compensation exacted
therefor.
a great saving might be made.
amounting to much more than half NJ
the loss. by imposing upon magazines
end periodicals n higher rate OF post
age.
The immediate institution Uf postal
savings banks Is recommended.
An earnest recommendation Is made
Tor the passage OF a ship subsidy bill.
With the urging Of legislation look
.ng to the conservation Of our national
~'eaources, the message concludes:
II urgently to congress
that a law be parsed requiring that can
iioates In elections of member OF the
house OF representatives and committees
m charge of their candidacy and cam
oaign file In n proper office OF the United
states government a statement Of the
contributions received and Of the cxpen-
iitures incurred In the campaign for such
elections and that similar legislation be
Enacted In respect TO all other elections
shich are constitutionally within the con.
tpl Of consrssa"