The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-07
THINKS FURTHER
EFFORTS USELESS
Taft Leaves Tariff Problem 10
Wilson and Next
Congress.
LAST GENERAL MESSAGE
1t Deals With Every Depart
ment of Government Except
That OF State.
peeember s.-Presidsnt

Washington. December e.-Presidsnt
Taft will make no further EFFORT to
have Congress reduce the tariff. In a
general" message to Congress slto-
mitted to-day the President clearly
indicated his intention of leaving fur
ther tariff revision TO Mr.. Wilson and
the Congress Just elected.
Now that a new Congress has been
elected on platform OF tariff for rev.
enue only, rather than a protective
tariff. and Is to revise the tariff on
that basis" said the President. 81 10
needless for me to occupy the time OF
Congress with arguments or recon-
mendations in favor OF. a protective
tariff"
This message. the second submitted
by the President since the present seq
sion began. will be his last OF a gen
eral character. II dealt with every
department OF the government except
the State Department. recommended
much OF the legislation which Mr.. Taft
previously had urged upon the atten-
tion OF Congress, and took up and dis
cussed at length several subjects COM
psratively new.
Mr. Taft came out strongly against
Independence for the Philippines. pro.
posed. ne said. In a bill now before
Congress. He deprecated the new poll
Icy OF one battieship a year instead Of
two and Endorsed again the scheme OF
currency reform proposed by the Ma
tional Monetary Commission.
Lightly Touches Conservation.
Conservation was lightly touched.
the President recommending the
amendment Of bills now before Con-
sress 50 that water power compa mics
which dam navigable rivers Will con-
81
streams.
He declared that no radical chsngs
In the Sherman antitrust law was
needed and praised the Supreme Court
for its recently announced changes IN
rules of equity procedure. In this
connection the President asked Com
sress 10 pass legislation which would
allow the Supreme Court 20 formulate
rules u procedure under the common
law IN Federal courts, and predicted
that such action would facilitate. ius-
tice ia those courts and reduce the
cost OF litigation TO the public.
The Panama Canal was dismissed IN
few words. the President prophesying
its opening in the latter part ot 1918.
He took occasion. however. TO declare
that Congress should reward the work
OF Colonel Cocktails by an appointment
as major general. with the provision
that he become chief Of engineers Shen
the term OF the incumbent expires. He
made only a brief references to the
dispute with Great Br,tAi mover the
Panama Canal act, and said that when
q formal protest was lodged against
that act IL would be taken Up by the
United States.
Praises Army Liquidation.
The army the President discussed at
eome length. He praised the army
legislation OF the last Congress. but
said that provision should he made by
law so that the nations foreign reg
insnts may be always maintained
upon a war footing. and he urged the
passage OF the pending militia pay
bill. designed TO make service in the
militia more euticing. and showed that
che home army will be nothing more
than a SHELTON" until Congress pro-
vides that 1t be concentrated in fewer
posts than are now maintained. He
urged also the passage Of another bill
now before Congress designed TO raise
quickly q volunteer army In case OF
war.
One OF the striking arguments Of tbs
message was that against the measure
proposing autonomy for the Philippines
al once and fndepe ndence in eight
years.
In the Philippine Islands we have
embarked upon an experiment unprt,-
cedented in dealing with dep-nsent
peoples" said President Taft We
are developing there conditions exclu-
sively for their own welfare. through
the unifying forces OF commoa edu-
cation. of commercial and economic de-