Montpelier examiner., 1912-12-13

cannot lawfully be used for general mill
tary purposes. The officers and men are
ambitious and eager to make themselves
thus available and to become an efficient
national reserve of citizen soidiery. They
are the only force of trained men, other
than the regular army, upon which we
can rely. The so-called military pay BILL
In the form agreed on between the au-
thorities OF the war department and the
representatives of the national guard. in
my opinion adequately meets these con-
ditions and offers proper return for the
pay which 1t is proposed to give to the
national guard. I believe that its enact
ment into law would be a very long step
toward providing this nation with first
line of citizen soldery, upon which Its
main reliance must depend in case of any
national emergency. Plans for the or
ganisation of the national guard into tao
tical divisions, on the same lines as those
adopted for the regular army are being
formulated by the war college division
of the general staff
Porto Rico. Mr.. Taft says. continues
to show notable progress and he urges
the senate to pass the bill granting the
Porto Ricans American citizenship.
Philippines.
bill is pending In congress. con-
tinues the message, which revolution
ICES the carefully worked out scheme
of government under which the Philip
pine islands are now governed ana
which proposes to render them vtrtu-
ally autonomous at once and absolutely
Independent In eight years. Such a
proposal can only be founded on the
assumption that we have now dis
charged our trusteeship to the Filipino
people and our responsibility for them
to the world. and that they are now
prepared for self government as well
az national sovereignty. A thorough
and unbiased knowledge of the facts
clearly shows that these assumptions
are absolutely with justification. AS
to this. / believe that there Is no sub
stantial difference of opinion among
any of those who have had the respon-
sibilfty of facing Philippine problems
In the administration of the islands.
and believe that no one to whom the
future of this people is responsible
| concern can countenance a policy
| fraught with the direst consequences
| to those on whose behalf II is osten-
| sibly urged.
Our true course is to pursue steadily
and courageously the path we have thus
| far followed; to guide the F1lipinos into
self-sustaining pursuits; to continue the
| cultivation of sound political habits
through education and political practice;
| to encourage the diverslhcation of indus
| tries. and to realize the advantages of
their industrial education by conserva-
| lively approved cooperative methods, at
once checking the dangers of concentrat-
| ed wealth and building UP a sturdy. inde-
| pendent citizenship.
Regulation Of Water Power.
| There are pending before congress q
| large number of bills proposing to grant
PRIVILEGES OF erecting dams for the pur-
| pose of creating water power In our navi-
| gable rivers The pendency Of these bills
has brought out an important defect in
the existing general dam act. That act
| does not, In my opinion. grant sufficient
/ power to the federal government in deal
| ing with the construction of such dams to
/ exact protective conditions In the interest
OF navigation. II does not permit the
federal government, as a condition Of Its
| permit, TO require that a part of the
value thus created shall be applied to the
| further general Improvement aad protec-
ton OF the stream. believe this to be
| one of the most important matters of
internal improvement now confronting
the government. Most of the navigable
rivers Of this country are comparatively
long and shallow. In order that they
may be made fully useful for navigation
there has come into vogue a, method of
Improvement known as canaIization, or
the slack water method, which consists
In building series Of dams and locks.
| each OF which will create long pool OF
deep nayigeble water. At each Of thsne
dams there In usually created long pool
of deep navigabie water At each Of these
dams there II usually created also watel
power of commercial value. II the wates
| power thus created can be made availAhis
for the further improvement Of naviga-
ton In the stream. II IL manifest that tht
Improvement will be much more Quickl!
effected on the one hand. and on thd
other, that the bIyden on the general tax
payers Of the country will be very muci
rsduced- Private interests seeking per
nits to buiietng waterpower dams ii
| navigabis streams usually urge that they
thus improve navigation, and that IL thes
do not impair navigation they should b
allowed to take for themselves the en-
tire profits of the water-power develop
ment. Whatever they may do by way o
relieving the government OF the expense OF
improving navigation should be given due
consideration, but II must be apparent
that these may be profit beyond rss-
sonably liberal return upon the private
Investment which is potential asset OF
the government In carrying out a COM
prehensive policy Of waterway develop
ment. 1t is no objection to the retention
and use of such an asset by the govern
ment that a comprehensive waterway
policy will include the protection and de-
velopment of the other public uses OF
water. which cannot and should not be
ignored in making and executing plans
for the protection and development OF
navigation. It is also equally clrar that
inasmuch as the water power thus Gre
ated is or may be an incident of a gem
erai scheme of waterway improvement
within the constitutional Jurisdiction OF
| the federal government. the regulation OF
such water power lies also within that
Jurisdiction. In my opinion constructive
statesmanship requires that legislation
shouId be enacted which will permit the
development of navigation in these great
rivers to go hand In hand with the util-
ization of this by-product of water pow.
er, created in the course OF the same i'm
provement, and that the general dam act
should be so amended as to make this pos.
sible. deem 1t highly important that
the nation should adopt a consistent and
harmonious treatment of these water
power projects. which will preserve for
this purpose their value to the govern.
ment, whose right II is to grant the per
nit Any other policy is equivalent tc
throwing away a most valuable national
asset.
The Panama Canal.
During, the past year the work of con.
structioh upon the canal has progressed
most satisfactorily. About 81 per cent Of
the excavation work has been completed
and more than 93 per cent. of the con.
crete for all the locks Is in place. II
view OF the great interest which has beer
manifested as to some slides In the Guile
bra Cut am glad to say, that the repor
OF Col. Goethais should allay any ap
prehension on this point. 1t Is gratifying
to note that none of the slides which oc
CURED during this year would have In
terfered with the passage of the ship.
had the canal. In fact. been in operation
and when the slope pressures will have
4 hooka nnadioaI inetrunanfa nf tha dtf