The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-12-13
PRESIDENT SENDS ANOTHER MESSAGE
Tells Congress About the Fiscal, Military, Insular
and Judicial Affairs of the Nation, Including
Panama Canal and Tolls Established.

the limits OF the United States and thus |
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 soldiery. 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-
dftions and offers a proper return for the
pay which 1t is proposed to give to the
national guard. / believe that It's enact
ment into law would be very long step
toward providing this nation with first
line OF citizen soldiery. upon which Its
main reliance must depend in case of any
national emergency. Plans for the or
ganization OF the national guard into tao
teal 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 Rtcans American citizenship.
Philippines.
A bill Is pending in congress, con-
tinues the message, which revolution
ICES the carefully worked out scheme
pine islands are now governed and
which proposes to render them virtu-
ally autonomous at once and absolutely
Independent in eight years. Such
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
as national sovereignty A thorough
49,
clearly shows that these assumptions
are absolutely with justification. AS
to this, I believe that there Is no sub
stantia1 difference c. opinion among
any OF those who have had the respon-
sibility of facing Philippine problems
in the administration OF the islands,
and I 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 Lsnalf It Is osten-
sfbly urged.
and courageously the path we have thus
far followed; TO guide ~ F1upinos into
self-sustaining pursuits: to continue the
cultivation Of sound political habits
through education and political practice;
to encourage the diversification 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 sturdy. indie
pendent citizenship
Regulation OF Water Power.
i There are pending before congress a
| 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 tendency of these bills
/ has brought out an important defect in
/ the existing general darn 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. 1t does not permit the
| federal government. condition of its
| permit, to require that a part OF the
/ value thus created shall be applied to the
further general Improvement and protec-
4 ton of the stream. I believe this to be
| one of TIA most important matters OF
! internal Improvement now confronting
i the government. Most OF the navfgable
/ rivers of this country are comparatively
| long and shallow. In order that they
4 may be made fully useful for navigation
| there has come into vogue a method of
| improvement known as canalization. or
the slack-water methed, which consists
| in building a series OF dams and locks.
| each of which will create long pool of
deep navigable water. At each Of these
dams there is usually created long pool
dams there is CSuaIly created also water
/ power of commercial value II the water
/ power thus cfeated can be made available
| for the furtE sr Improvement of naviga-
ton in the stream. IL Is manifest that the
| Improvement will be much more quickly
i effected on the one hand. and on the
other, that the burden on the general tax
payers of the country wifi be very much
i reduced. Private interests seeking per-
mits to building waterpower dams in
navigabfe streams usually urge that they
\ thus improve navigation and that II they
/ do not impair navigation they should be
allowed to take for themselves the en-
tire profits OF the water-power develop
ment. Whatever they may do by way OF
relieving the government OF the expense OF
improving navigation should be given due
consideration, but II must be apparent
that there may be a profit beyond a rea.
sonably liberal return upon the private
investment which is a 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 comprehensive waterway
policy win include the protection and de
velopment OF the other public uses o.
water. which cannot and should not b,
ignored in making and executing plan,
for the protection and development o.
navigation. 1t is also equally clear tina
| inasmuch as the water power thus ere
ated is or may be an incident OF gen
eral scheme of waterway improvement
within the constitutional Jurisdiction o
the federal government the regulation o
such water power lies also within tina
Jurisdiction. In my opinion constructive
craftsmanship requires that legislation
should be enacted which will permit tn,
development of navigation in these grea
rivers to go hand in hand with the util
ization of this by-product of water pow
err. created in the course OF the same i'm
provement. and that the general dam &C
should be so amended as to make this pos
sible. 1 deem 1t highly important tina
the nation should adopt consistent an
harmonious treatment OF these water
power projects. which viii preserve 70
this purpose their value to the govern
ment. whose right It is to grant the per
init. Any other policy is equivalent {
throwing away a most valuable nationa
I asset.
The Panama Canal.
During the past year the work OF con
struction upon the canal has progresse
most satisfactorily. About 81 per cent o