The Red Cloud chief., 1911-12-28

sionsi opinion of the country. are likely
to meet equal approval In congress.
With the present prospects Of this long
awaited reform encouraging US. II would
be singularly unfortunate II this none
tary question should by any chance be-
come . party issue. And sincerely
hope II will not The exceeding amount
Of consideration II has received from the
people Of the nation has been wholly non
partisan; and the congress set its nom
partisan seal upon II when the monetary
commission was appointed. In commend
ing the question to the favorable con-
sideration of congress, I speak for. and In
the spirit Of. the great number Of my
fellow citisens. who without any thought
Of party or pertisanship feel with re-
markable sarnestness that this reform n
necessary to the interests Of all the peo-
pie.
The War Department
There 10 now before congress a bill.
the purpose Of which 10 to increase the
efficiency and decrease tho expense of
the army It contains four principal fea-
lures: First, consolidation OF the gen
eral stan with the adJutant generals
and the inspector generals department;
second consolidation Of the quarter
masters department with tho subs ls,ence
and pay department; third. the creation
of an army service corps. and fourth. an
extension OF the enlistment period from
three to fve years.
With the establishment of an army
service corps. as proposed in the bill.
l am thoroughly In accord and am con-
vinced that the establishment OF such
a corps will result in a material econ
omy and very great increase of eih-
cheney In the army 1t has repeatedly
been recommended by me and my
predecessors. I. also believe that a
consolidation OF the STAFF corps can be
made with resulting Increase In ef-
fciency and economy. but not along
the lines provided In the bill under
consideration.
The army of the United states is in
good condition. 1t showed itself able
to meet an emergency in the success
full mobilization OF an army division OF
from $4,000 to 10000 men. which took
place along the border of Mexico dur
ing the recent disturbances In that
country. The marvcSus freedom from
the ordinary camp diseases OF typhoid
fever and measles Is referred to In
the report OF the secretary OF war, and
shows such nm effectiveness In the
sanitary regulations and treatment OF
the medical corps, and in the disci-
pline OF the army itself, as TO invoke
the highest commentator.
The Panama Canal.
The very satisfactory progress made
on the Panama canal last year has
continued. and there Is every reason
to believe that the canal will be COM
pleted as early as the lst of July. 1913.
unless something unforeseen occurs.
This is about IS months before the
time promised by the engineers.
We are now near enough the COM
pletion Of the canal to-make 1t Inn
peratively necessary that legislation
should be enacted to fix the method by
which the canal shall be maintained
- l-A
the fact 10 that today there Is no stat
utory law by authority Of which the
| president 10 maintaining the govern
ment Of the zone. The implied author
ity OF the president to maintain a civil
government in tho zone may be de-
rived from the mandatory direction
given him In the original Spooner act
by which he was commanded to build
the canal; but certainly now that the
canal 10 about to be completed and to
be put under q permanent manage
ment. there ought to be specific statu-
| tory authority for Its regulation ana
| control and for the government OF the
zone. which we hold for the chief ana
| main purpose OF operating the canal.
fully concur with the secretary OF
war that the problem 10 simply the
| management OF a great public work.
| and not the government of a local re-
| public; that every provision must be
| directed toward the successful main
| tenance Of tha canal as an avenue OF
| commerce. and that all provisions for
| the government of those who live
| within the zone should be subordinant
to the main purpose.
I renew my recommendation with re-
| spect to the tolls of the canal that with
| In limits. which shall seem wise to con-
gress. the power OF fixing tolls be given
| to the president. In order to arrive at q
proper conclusion. there must be some
/ 80 ,t. = At.l- "a
| congress does not delegate the power to
| one who can act expedtiously.
| I am very confident that the United
| states has the power to relieve from
the payment Of tolls any part Of our ship
ping that congress deems wise. We own
the canal. 1t was our money that built
1t. We have the right to charge tolls
for its use. Those tolls must be the same
to everyone: but when we are dealing
| with our own ships. the practice of many
| governments Of subsidizing their own
merchant vessels 10 SO well established In
general that subsidy equal to the tolls.
| an equivalent remission of tolls. cannot
be held to be q discrimination In tho
use OF the canal The practice In the
Sues canal makes this clear.
The Philippine Islands.
In respect to the Philippines. l
urgently Join in the recommendation
Of the secretary Of war that the act OF
February 8. 1905. limiting the indebt-
edness that may be incurred by the
Philippine government for the con-
struction OF public works. be in
creased from 100000 to $4,000. 900.
The finances of that government are
in excellent condition. The maximum
sum mentioned Is quite low as COM
pared with the amount Of indebted
n<ss of other governments with SIM
liar resources. and the success which
has attended the expenditure OF the
36.000.000 In the useful improvements
Of the harbors and other places In the
islands Justifies and requires addi-
tional expenditures for like purposes.
| Rivers and harbors.
The estimates for the river and har-
Dor improvements reach $4,000. 900 for
the coming year. i WISH to urge that
Whenever IA project has been adopted
by congress AZ one to be completed.
the more money which can be eco
nomically expended In It's construction
In each year, the greater the ultimate
i economy. This has especial applica-
tlon to the improvement OF the Mis-
| sisSipDi river and it's large branches