The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-12-13


ton now drawing to close have not de-
veloped great speculative expansion or
wide field OF new investment, the recov-
cry and progress made from the depress-
ing conditions following the panic OF 1907
have been steady and the Improvement
has been clear and easily traced in the
statistics. The business OF the country Us
now on a solid basis. Credits are not
unduly extended and every phase of the
situation seems in state OF prepared
ness for period of unexampled prosper
ity. Manufacturing concerns are running
at their full capacity and the demand for
labor was never so constant and growing.
The foreign trade OF the country for this
year will exceed 1900. o0o, 900, while the
balance In our favor-that Of the excess
OF exports over imports-will exceed $780,
600, 600. More than half our exports are
manufactures or partly manufactured
material. while our exports OF farm pro-
ducts do not show the same Increase OF
domestic consumption. 1t rs year or
bumper crops: the total money value OF
farm products will exceed IS, SOC, &C., goo. 1t
Is a year when the bushel or unit price
of agricultural products has gradually
fallen, and yet the total value of the en-
| tire crop IL greater by over 81, 600 100000
than we have known In our history.
| Condition OF the Treasury.
! The condition of the treasury is very
satisfactory The total Understanding
l
stfute the Panama canal loan The nom
interest debt is ss7s, 301 ,2S4.9 80. In
| GLIDING $346, ST. ,016 of greenbacks. We have
IN the treasury s15o, 100000 in gold coin as
| a reserve against the outstanding green
backs; and In addition we have cash
| balance in the treasury as general fund
| of SIS, 152, 1889 or an increase of S28,s75,-
b52 over the general fund last year.
/ Receipts and Expenditures.
/ For three years the expenditures OF the
| government have decreased under the In
| fiuence of an effort to econonize. This
| year presents an apparent exception The
estimate by the secretary OF the treasury
of the ordinary receipts. exclusive of pos
tai revenues, for the year ending June
30, 1914 indicates that they win amount
to $f70, coo GOO. The sum OF the estimates
of the expenditures for that Same year,
exclusive OF Panama canal disbursements
and postal disbursements payable from
postal revenues is s732, 100000. indicating a
deficit of so, 100000. For the year ending
June &c. 1918, similarly estimated receipts
were s667 100000 while the total CORE
spending estimate Of expenditures for that
year, submitted through the secretary Of
the treasury to congress, amounted to
1855 COO 600 This shows increase OF
BIG, 600 coo in the estimates for 1914 over
the total estimates of 1913. This Is due to
an increase of $4,000 eco In the estimate
for rivers and harbors for the next year
|
congress-; to an increase under the new
pension bill of So, 100000; and to- an In
| crease in the estimates for expenses OF
the navy department of s24. 1000. The
estimate for the navy department for the
year 1918 included two battleships. Con-
gress made provision for oHly one battle
ship, and therefore the navy department
has deemed 1t necessary and proper to
| make an estimate which includes the first
years expenditure for three battieships
| In addition to the amount required for
work on the uncompleted ships now under
| construction. In addition to the natural
Increase in the expenditures for the I'M
7 completed ships, and the additional bat
J tleship estimated for. the other increases
2 are due to the pay required for 1000 OF
more additional enlisted men In the navy
and to this must be added the additional
J cost of construction imposed by the
, change in the eight-hour law which
makes It applicable to ships built In pri-
vate shipyards.
; The president then explained at some
length the national reserve association
| system recommended by the mopetarJ
commission and urged congress to ex
: anime the plan impartially from al
r standpoints and then to adopt som'
plan which will secure the benefits de-
sired.
4 Concerning the tariff he had little Z,
' say in view of the fact that new con
J gress has been elected on platform
Of tariff for revenue only.
Army Reorganization.
. Our small army now consists OF So so
men. excluding the 5000 Philippine scouts
q Leaving out of consideration the coas
artillery force, whose position Is fixed IL
a 4 our various seacoast defenses, and th'
present garrsons of our various insula
4 possessions, we have today within th1
continental United States q mobile arm.
1 Of only about 5000 men. This little fore
\ must be still further drawn upon to sup
ply the new garrisons for the great nava
Il base which Is being established at Pear
A Iarbor in the Hawaiian islands, and Il
l orotect the locks now rapidly approaching
i completion at Panama. The forces re
\ naming in the United States are nov
1 scattered IN nearly fifty posts. situate
l for variety OF historical reasons /,
| twenty-four states. These posts contain
Il only fractions CT regiments, averagini
less than 700 men each. In time of peac
II has been our historical policy to ad
1 | minister these units separately by a geo
l graphical organization. In other words
| our army in time of peace has never bee
| united organization but merely scat
| tered groups of companies, battaiions an
| regiments and the first task in time o
| war has been to create out of these scat
l tered units an army fit for enecttve team
| work and cooperation.
4 To the task of meeting these paten
l defects, the war department mas peSu &C
l dressing itself during the past year.
1 comprehensive plan of reorganization wa
| prepared by the war college division c
| the general stan. This plan was thor
| oughly discussed last summer at serie
| OF open conferences held by the secretar
| of war and attended by representative
| from all branches of the army and fror
\ congress. In printed form II has bee
l distributed to members of congress an
| throughout the army and the nations
l guard. and widely through institutions c
1 learning and elsewhere in the Unite
4 States In It. for the first time. we hav
| tentative chart for future progress.
The National Guard.
Under existing law the national guar
| constitutes, after the regular army. tn
4 first line Of national defense. It's OF
4 ganization. discipline. training. and equiv
4 ment. under recent legislation. have bee
\ assimilated as far as possible. TO thos
L OF the regular army, and its practics
\ efficiency. under the effect of this trair
1 ing. has very greatly increased. Our cit
/ zen soldiers under present condition
I have reached q stage OF development b