The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1912-12-13
CONGRESS HEARS
SECOND MESSAGE
President Tells of Treasury and
Army Affairs.
PHILIPPINES ERE INCLUDED
Bill for Natives Independence De
nounccd IS observation-disclosures
of Panama Canal.

of Panama Canal.
Washington. Dec. 6.-Congress. today re
eeived from President Taft the second Of
his messages to the short session. 1t
deals with fiscal, military, insular and
judicial affairs and IN part is as follows:
The condition Of the country with ref
erenGe to business could hardly be better.
While the four years Of the administra-
tton now drawing to a close have not de-
yeloped 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 anC the Improvement
has been clear and easily traced In the
statistics. The business Of the country is
now on a solid basis. Credits are not
unduy extended and every phase of the
situation. seems in a state of prepared
ness for q period Of unexampled prosper
fly. 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 $4,000 coo, 900, while the
balance in our fayor-that Of the excess
OF exports over imports-wil exceed $500
900. 900. 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. It is a year OF
bumper crops; the total money value Of
farm products VIII exceed 50, 500 900, coo. It
is year when the bushel or unit price
OF agricultural products has gradually
fallen, and yet the total value of the en-
tire crop is greater by over $1,000 900, 600
than we have known in our history.
Condition of the Treasury.
The condition Of the treasury is very
satisfactory. The total Understanding
debt is 1868 TIT ITO, of which 1874, 631 $50 con-
stiute the Panama canal loan. The nom
Understanding debt is 1878 301 ,2S490 IN
GLIDING s346. ST. ,0l6 Of greenbacks. We have
in the treasury $3.50 600, 900 in gold coin as
a reserve against the outstanding green
backs; and In addition we have a cash
balance in the treasury as a general fund
of s167, 1852, as. %, or an increase of S26,975,
$50 over the general fund last year.
Receipts and Expenditures.
For three years the expenditures of the
government have decreased under the In
fuenee of an effort to economic. 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 will amount
TO $40 900. 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 1892, 900 900, indicating a
deficit of t22, 00o, 600. For the year ending
June 60 1913 similarly estimated receipts
were 1861. 600 while the total CORE
spending estimate of expenditures for that
year. submitted through the secretary OF
the treasury to congress, amounted to
Sf56, 600 600 This shows an increase of
S76 900 coo In the estimates for 1914 over
the total estimates of 1913. This Is due to
an increase of $15, 900 900 In the estimate
for rivers and harbors for the next year
on projects and surveys authorized by
congress: to an increase under the new
pension bill of $50. 500 GEO; and to an in
crease in the estimates for expenses of
the navy department OF S24O0O,OO0. The
estimate for the navy department for the
year 1913 included two battleshipS Con-
gress made provision for only battle
chip, and therefore the navy department
has deemed 1t necessary and proper to
make an estimate which includes the first
years expenditure for three battleships
I'm 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
completed ships, and the additional bat
tleship estimated for the other increases
are due to the pay required for 1900 or
more additional enlisted men in the navy,
and to this must be f;vl:,& he additional
cost Of CONSTRUCTION imposed by the
change in IT, eight-hour law which
waite shipyards.
With the exceptions Of these three
items. the estimates show a reduction
this year below the total estimates for
1913 OF more than S5.000.00
The estimates for Panama canal con-
sfruction for 1914 are 81. 900, 600 less than
for 1918.
The president then explained at some
length the national reserve association
system recommended by the monetary
commission and urged congress to ex-
anime the plan impartially from all
standpoints and then to. adopt some
plan which will secure the benefits de-
sired.
Concerning the tariff he had little to
say in view OF the fact that a new con-
gress has been elected on a platform
of tariff for revenue only
Army Reorganization.
Our small army now consists of 50 500
men. excluding the 5000 Philippine scouts
Leaving out of consideration the coast
artillery force, whose position is fixed in
our various seacoast defenSes. and the
present garrisons of our various insular
possessions we have today within the
continental United States & mobile army
Of only ABOUT Sc, coo men. This little force
must be still further drawn upon to sup
ply the new gaFriSons for the great naval
base which is being established at Pearl
Harbor, in the Hawaiian Islands, and to
protect the locks now rapidly approaching
completion at Panama. The forces re-
manning in the United States are now
scattered In nearly fifty posts. situated
for variety of historical reasons in
twenty-four states. These posts contain
only fractions of regiments, averaging
less than 700 men each. In time of peace
1t has been our historical policy to adj
minister these units separately by a geo
graphical organization. In other words.
our army in tine of peace has never been
a united organization but merely scat
tered groups of companies battalions and
regiments and the first task in time OF
war has been to create out of these scat
tered units an army fit for effective team
work and cooperation.