Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-08-03

. which ought to be asked and answered
IN determining whether an administra-
zion should be continued in power is,
now has the government been admin.
istered? Has 1t been economical and
emc1ent? Has it aided or INSTRUCTED
business prosperity? Has it made for
progress In lettering the condition of
the people and especially of the wage
! Garner? Ought its general policies to
approve themselves to the people?-
During this administration we have
given special attention to the ma
chinery of government with a view to
increasing it's efficiency and reducing
It's cost. For 20 years there has been
q continuous expansion in every d.
rection Of the governmental functions
and necessary increase In the civil
and military servants by which these
functions are performed. The expen-
d1tures Of the government have norm
ally increased from year to year on an
average of nearly per cent. There
never has been a systematic investi-
cation and reorganization of this gov
ernmental structure with a view to
eliminating Implications, to uniting
bureaus where union is possible and
more effective, and to making the
whole organization more compact and
Its parts more closely coordinated. AS
beginning, we examined closely the
estimates. These, unless watched,
grow from year to year under the ma
tural tendency of the bureau chiefs.
The first estimates which were pre-
scented to US we cut some $50,O00,O0
and this policy we have maintained
through the administration and have
prevented the normal annual Increase
IN government expenditures, so the re-
suit Is that the deficit ON $5s, 735, 900,
which we found on the LIST of July, 1909
was changed on the LIST Of July, 1910,
by increase Of the revenues under the
Payne law, including the corporation
tax, to surplus of $15,806,OOO; on
July I, 1911, to surplus Of $47,234, 900,
and on July 1, 1912, to surplus of
$50 $4,000. The expenditures for 1909
were $662,324,000; for 1910, 1868, 7O5,-
900; for 1911, $654,138,OO0; and for
1912 were $654,S04,00O. These figures
clude receipts or expenditures on &C.
Z
secured an appropriation for the
appointment of an economy and eff
cheney commission, consisting of the
ablest experts in the country, and they
have been working for two years on
the question of h"w the government
may be reorgani, and what changes
can be made with a view to giving 1t
greater effectiveness for governmental
purposes on the one hand and securing
this at considerably less cost on the
other. have transmitted to congress
from time to time the recommends
tions Of this commission, and while
they can not all be adopted at one
session, and while their recommends
lions have not been rounded and COM
plete because Of the necessity for TAX
ing greater time, I think that the demo-
cratic appropriation committee of the
house has become convinced that we
are on the right road and that sub
Istantial reform may be effected
Through the adoption of most of the
plans recommended by this COM
mission.
Panama Canal.
For the benefit Of our own people
and of the world we have carried on
the work Of the Panama canal so that
we can now look forward with conf
|dence to its completion within 10
months. The work has been remark
able one, and has involved the expendi-
ture OF $30,O00,00O to $40,0O0,000 an
nually for series of years, and yet
it has been attended with no scandal,
and with development of such en-
gineering and medical skill and in
|genuity as to command the admiration
|of the world and to bring the highest
credit to our corps Of army engineers
land our army medical corps.
Foreign Relations.
In our foreign relations we have
maintained peace everywhere and
|sought to promote its continuance and
Ipermanence.
| We have renewed the Japanese
treaty for IL more years and have
avoided certain difficulties that were
supposed to be insuperable as be-
tween the two countries by an ar
arrangement which satisfies both.
We negotiated certain treaties for
the promotion of universal arbitration
which, If they had been ratified. would
have greatly contributed toward per-
Ifecting machinery for securing gen
eral peace.
Tho Navy.
The dignity and effectiveness Of the
government Of the United States, to-
|gether with its responsibility for the
protection of Hawaii, Porto Rico,
ALASKA Panama and the Philippines,
las we'll as for the maintenance Of the
Monroe doctrine, require the mainten-
lance of an army and navy. We can
not properly reduce either below it's
present effective size. The plan for
the maintenance of the navy in pro-
Iportion to the growth Of other navies
Iof the world calls for the construction
lof two new battleships each year. The
REPUBLICAN party has felt the RESPONSE
|bility and voted the ships. The demo
Icratic party. in house caucus, repudt.
Iates any obligation to meet this ma
ltional need.
The Philippines.
The Philippines have enjoyed popu.
liar government and much prosperity
at. odp int or in view If