The new era., 1910-12-15

ness. due to the announcement that q
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 report during the pres
ent session of congress on any Of the
schedules. because a proper examina-
tion involves an enormous amount of
detail and great deal of care; but L
hope to be able at the opening of the
new congress. or at least during the
session of that congress. to bring to
its attention the facts in regard to
those schedules in the present tariff
that may prove to need amendment"
Our Island Possessions.
During the last summer, at my
request. the secretary of war visited
the Philippine islands and has de-
scribed his trip In the report. He
found the islands in a state of tran
quillity and growing prosperity. due
laws. which has opened the markets
Of America to the products of the
Philippines. and has opened the Phil
ippine markets to American manu-
factures.
THE year has been one of prosper
ity and progress In Porto Rico.
Panama Canal.
"At tho iDctapca of ColNral Cootb-
ais. the army engineer officer in
charge of the work on the Panama
canal, / have Just made visit to
the Isthmus to inspect the work done
and to consult with him on the
ground as to certain problems which
are likely to arise in the near fu-
ture. The progress of the work is
most satisfactory. If no unexpected
obstacle presents itself. the canal
will be completed well within the
time fixed by Colonel Goethals, to-
wit, January 1, 1915, and within the
estimate of cost. $375,00O,0O0.
Among questions arising for pres
ent solution Is the decision whether
the canal shall be fortified. l have
already stated to the congress that
l strongly favor fortification and l
now reiterate this opinion and ask
your consideration of the subject in
the light of the report already be-
fore you made by competent board.
Another question which arises for
consideration and possible legislation
is the question Of tolls In the canal
This question is necessarily affected
by the probable tonnage which will
go through the canal.
In determining what the tolls
should be we certainly ought not to
insist that for a good many years to
come they should amount to enough
to pay the interest on the invest
ment of $4OOOO0,O00 which the United
States has made In the construction
of the canal. We ought not to do
this, first, because the benefits to be
derived by the United States from
this expenditure is not to be meas
ured solely by a return upon the In
vestment. If 1t were then the con-
struction might well have been left
to private enterprise.
my own impression Is that the
tolls ought not to exceed 81 per net
ton, and 1 should recommend that
within certain limits the president be
authorized to fix the tolls of the canal
and adjust them to what seems to
be commercial necessity.
81 cannot close this reference to
the canal without suggesting as a
wise amendment to the interstate
commerce law provision prohibiting
interstate commerce railroads from
owning or controlling ships engaged
in the trade through the Panama
canal. l believe such provision
may be needed to save to the people
of the United States the benefits of
the competition in trade between the
eastern and western seaboards which
this canal was constructed to secure"
Department Of Justice.
Discussing the affairs of the de-
partment of justice, the president
says:
81 invite especial attention to the
prosecutions under the federal law
of the so-called bucket shops, and
of those schemes to defraud in which
the use of the mail is an essential
part of the fraudulent conspiracy,
prosecutions which have saved ig-
norant and weak members of the pub
lie and are saving them hundreds of
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
ment in enforcing that statute.
"In a special message last year l
brought to the attention Of congress
the propriety and wisdom Of enacting
a general law providing for the IN
corporation of Industrial and other
companies engaged in interstate COM
merce, and l renew my recommen-
dation in that behalf"
The crying need in the United
States of cheapening the cost of liti-