The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-12-06
TAFT'S MESSAGE
continued from Page Two.


be strong reasons why the govern
ment should take over and include in
it's management the furnishing not
only to the navy, but to the public,
dfydock and repair shop facilities and
the sale Of coal, oil and other ship
supplies.
The maintenance of lock canal OF
this enormous size in sparsely pop
ulated country and in the tropics,
where the danger from disease is al.
ways present, requires a large and
complete and well trained organiza-
ton with full police powers, exercis,
ing the utmost care.
I cannot close this reference TO the
canal without suggesting as a wise
amendment to the interstate com
merce law a provision prohibiting in.
terstate commerce railroads from
owning or controlling ships engaged
in the trade through the Panama
canal. believe such provision may
be needed to save to the people OF
the United States the benefits OF the
competition in trade between the east
ern and western seabosrds which this
canal was constructed to secure.
Depa rtment Of Justice.
am glad to say that under the ap-
preparations made for the department
of justice the attorney general has so
improved its organization that a vast
amount of litigation of a civil and
criminal character has been disposed
of during the current year. This will
explain the necessity for slightly in
creasing the estimates for the ex-
penses of the department. His report
shows the recoveries made on behalf
of the government, of duties fraudu-
lently withheld, public lands improp-
erly patented, fines and penalties for
trespass, prosecutions and convictions
under the antitrust law and prosecu-
tions under interstate commerce law.
invite especial attention to the
prosecutions under the federal law of
the so-called bucket shops" and Of
those schemes 20 defraud in which the
use of the mail is an essential part of
the fraudulent conspiracy, prosecu-
tions which have saved ignorant and
weak members of the public and are
saving them millions OF dollars.
The violations of the antitrust law
present perhaps the most important
litigation before the department, and
the number OF cases filed shows the
activity Of the govern ont in enforc-
ing that statute.
judicial Procedure.
One great crying need in the United
States is cheapening the cost of litiga-
tion by simplifying judicial procedure
and expedting final judgment. Under
present conditions the poor man Is at
woeful disadvantage in a legal con-
test with a corporation or a rich OPP
ponent. The necessity for the reform
exists both in United States courts
and in all state courts In order to
bring II about, however 1t naturally
falls to the general government by its
example to furnish a model to all
states. A legislative commission ap-
pointed by joint resolution of congress
to revise the procedure in the United
States courts has as yet made no re-
port.
am strongly convinced that the
best method of improving judicial pro-
cedure at law is to empower the su-
preme court 10 do II through the me-
dunn OF the rules of the court, as in
equity. This is the way in which it
has been done In England.
Relief Of Supreme Court From Un-
necessary Appeals.
No man ought to have as a matter of
right a review of his case by the SUI
rrome court. He should be satisfied
by one hearing before a court of first
instance and one review by court of
appeals. The proper and chief useful.
ness of the supreme court, and espe.
cially the supreme court of the United
States, is in the cases which come be-
fore 1t so to expound the law and es,
pecially the fundamental law-the con
stitution-as to furnish precedents foI
the inferior courts in future litigation
and for the executive officers in the
construction of statutes and the per
formance OF their legal duties. There
fore any provisions for review of cases
by the supreme court that cast upon
that court the duty OF passing on ques
tions OF evidence and the construction
of particular forms of instruments
like indictments or wills or contracts
decisIona not Of general applleatIon OF