River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-12-08
Governmental Expense.

means of the worlds commercial in
tercourse."
Governmental Expense.
To no one subject does he devote
more space than to the expense of
conducting the various government
departments and the urgent need for
economy, and in this connection he
says:
Every effort has been made by
each department chief to reduce the
estimated cost of his department for
the ensuing fiscal year ending June
80, 1912. / say this in order that con-
gress may understand that these esti-
mates thus made present the smallest
sum which will maintain the depart
ments, bureaus and Offices of the gov
eminent and meet it's other obliga-
tons under existing law, and that
cut of these estimates would result
in embarra ssing the executive branch
of the government in the performance
of its duties. This remark does not
apply to the river and harbor esti-
mates, except to those for expenses of
maintenance and the meeting Of obli-
cations under authorized contracts,
nor does it apply to the public build
ing bill nor to the navy building pro-
gram. Of course, as to these con-
gress could withhold any part or all
of the estimates for them without in
terfering with the discharge of the or
binary obligations of these functions
Of it's departments, bureaus and Of
fees.
"The final estimates for the year
ending June 80, 1912, as they have
been sent to. the treasury on Novem-
Der 20 Of this year, for the ordinary
expenses of the government, including
those for public buildings, rivers and
harbors, and the navy building pro-
gram, amount to 30,494,0 13.12. This
is $52, 1864, 887.36 less than the ap-
preparations for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1911. 1t is $16,883,153.44
less than the total estimates, includ-
ing supplemental estimates submitted
to congress by the treasury for the
year 1911, and is $5,574, 659.39 less
than the original estimates submitted
by the treasury for 1911
"These fiugres do not include the
appropriations for the Panama canal,
the policy in respect to which ought
to be, and is, to spend as much each
year as can be economically and eff
fectively expended in order to com
plete the canal as promptly as posi-
bic, and therefore, the ordinary mo-
tive for cutting down the expense of
the government does not apply to ap-
preparations for this purpose.
Against the estimates of expendi-
lures, $640, 494, 013.12, we have estimat-
ed receipts for next year $3.50, 1000,
making probable surplus of ordinary
receipts over ordinary expenditures of
about $50,000,000, or taking into &C
count the estimates for the Panama
canal, which are $56,920,84769, and
which will ultimately be paid in bonds,
1t will leave a deficit for the next
year Of about 100000, if congress
shall conclude to fortify the canal"
The Tariff.
The President devotes but little
space to the subject of the tariff law,
and Of 1t he says:
''The schedules of the rates of duty
in the Payne tariff act have been sub
jected to a great deal Of criticism,
some of it just, more of it unfounded,
and to much Misrepresentation. The
act was adopted in pursuance of
declaration by the party which is re-
sponsible for it that customs bill
should be a tariff for the protection
of home industries, the measure of
the protection to be the difference be-
tween the cost of producing the i'm
ported article abroad and the cost of
producing it at home, together with
such addition to that difference as
might give a reasonable profit to the
home producer. The basis for the
criticism of this tariff is that in re
spect to a number of the schedules
the declared measure was not follow
ed, but higher difference retained or
inserted by way of undue discrimina-
ton in favor Of certain industries and
manufactures. Little, if any, of the
criticism of the tariff has been direct
ed against the protective principle
above stated; but the main body of
the criticism has been based on the
attempt to conform to the measure of
protection was not honestly and sim
cerely adhered to-"
The Tariff Board.
The president refers to the appoint
ment of board of experts to investi-
gate the cost of production of various
articles included in the schedules of
the tariff, and says:
"The tariff board thus appointed
and authorized has been diligent in
preparing itself for the necessary in
vestigations. The hope of those who
have advocated the use of this board
for tariff purposes is that the question
of the rate of a duty imposed shall
become more of business question
and less OF political question, to be
ascertained by experts of long train
ing and accurate knowledge. The
halt in business and the shock to bust
ness, due to the announcement that
new tariff bill is to be prepared and
put in operation will be avoided by
treating the schedules one by one as
occasion shall arise for a change in
the rates of each, and only after re-
port upon the schedule by the tariff
board competent to make such report.
1t is not likely that the board will be
able to make a report during the pres
ent session Of congress On any of the
schedules, because proper examina-
tion involves an CDOrmo11c amount of