Semi-weekly herald., 1910-12-08
President Discusses Work of
Tariff Board-Ship Sub
sidy Is Urged.
WORK ON PANAMA. CANAL
Need of Legislation Anticipating Com
Pletion of the Ditch is Pointed
out-Change In Postal Rates
Parcels Post and Postal
Ssvlngs-Economy
Urged.

Washington, Dec 6.-President
Taft's annual message to congress
contained 10000 words. and Is said to
ever written. In it he reviews the
work of each of the administrative
departments beginning with the state
department. He devotes considerable
space to the satisfactory settlement
of the fisheries dispute with England
through the medium of the Hague
Tribunal. and recounts both the his
tory of the fisheries dispute and the
establishment of the tribunal.
In connection with the state depart
ment he tells of the important poll
tical happenings of the past twelve
months throughout the entire world
and the action Of this country in con
nection with them
Tariff Negotiations.
Referring to the negotiation of new
tariff agreements President Taft
says:
The new tariff law, in Section 2,
respecting the maximum and mini
which provisions came into effect on
April l, 1910, imposed upon us re-
sponsibility of determining prior TO
that date whether any undue discrlm-
nation existed against the United
States and Its products in any coun-
try of the world with which we sus-
tanned commercial relations.
In the case of several countries in
stances of apparent undue discrimina-
ton against American commerce were
found to exist. These determinations
were removed by negotiation. Prior
to April /. 1910, when the maximum
tariff was to come into operation with
respect to importations from all those
countries in whose favor no proclama-
tion applying the minimum tariff
should be issued by the president, one
hundred and thirty-four such procla-
nations were Issued.
This series of proclamations EN-
braced the entire commercial world
and hence the minimum taritf of the
United States has been given univer-
sal application, thus testifying to the
satisfactory character of our trade
relations with foreign countries.
Marked advantages to the com
merce of the United States were OBJ
tained through these tariff settle
ments.
The policy of broader and closer
trade relations with the Dominion of
Canada which was initiated in the ad-
1ustment of the maximum and mini
mum provisions of the tariff act OF
August. 1909, has proved mutually
beneficial. 1t 1ustifies further efforts
for the readjustment of the CONNER
cial relations of the two countries SO
that their commerce may follow the
channels natural to contiguous eoun-
tries and be commensurate with the
steady expansion OF trade and indus.
try on both sides of the boundary
line"
ship Subsidy.
The president urges such action as
he believes viii increase American
trade abroad, and says:
Another fundamentally indispen-
sable to the unhamapered and natural
' nSNtAOllhNl-N OA Rkbp4iSeh &C 10
merchant marine All maritime and
commercial nations recognize the i'm
portance OF this factor The greatest
commercial nations, our competitors,
iealously foster their merchant ma
rine. Perhaps nowhere is the need
for rapid and direct mail, passenger
and freight communication quite SO
urgent as between the United States
and Latin America We can secure
In no other quarter of the world such
immediate benefits In friendship and
commerce as would flow from the es-
tablishment OF direct lines of com
munication with the countries OF
Latin America adequate to meet the
reauirements of rapidly increasing
appreciation of the reciprocal depen-
dence of the countries OF the western
hemisphere upon each others prod.
ucts. sympathies and assistance.
81 alluded to this most important
subject in my last annual message, II
has often been before you and | need
not recapitulate the reasons for its
recommendation, Unless prompt ac
ton be taken the completion OF the
Of tha tu,o na,y schools has not bee