Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-12-12
CONGRESS HEARS
SECOND MESSAGE
President Tells Of Treasury and
Army Affairs
PHILIPPINES ARE INCLUDED
Bill for Natives Independence D.
nounced a. Prematurs-Progrsss
Of Panama Canal.


Of Panama Canal.
washington, Dec. e.-Congresa today ~
solved from President Taft the second Of
his messages to the short session. It
deals with nsca1. military, insular and
yudcial AFFAIRS and In part@is as followss
The condition Of the country with ref
erence to business could hardly be better.
While; the four years Of the adminiHtra-
fon now drawing to q close have not de-
velopeds great speculative expansion or a
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 Is
now on solid basis. Credits are not
unduly extended and every phase Of the
situation seems In q state Of prepared
ness for period Of unexampled proAper-
ity. Manufacturing concerns are running
ct their full capacity and the demand fer
labor was never 80 constant and growing.
The foreign trade of the country Tor this
year will exceed 1900. 900, 900, while the
balance in our favor<that Of the excess
OF exports over inports-wtll exceed $780,
0O0, 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. 1t is year of
bumper crops; the total money value OF
farm products will exceed -, 5Oo. o0o, o00 It
d q 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 81 900, 600. 900
than we have known in our history.
Condition Of the Treasury.
The condition Of the treasury Is very
satisfactory. The total Understanding
debt Is 4963,77.T7o, Of which $isA, 6s1 $50 con-
etiute the Panama canal loan. The nom
interest bearing debt IL $578. 90, 2S4S0. in
GLIDING $S4s, 671. O16 OF greenbaclxs. We have
IN the treasury 3l60, oeo 900 in gold coin as
reserve against the outstanding green
backs; and In addition we have cash
balance In the treasury AZ general fund
Of 1861. 162, 47s.p9, or an increase Of $685.
81 over the general fund last year.
Receipts and Expenditures.
For three years the expenditures Of the
government have decreased under the in
6uence 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
80, 1914, indicates that they will amount
TO $170, 000. 900 The sum of the estimates
OF the expenditures for that same year,
1t
and postal disbursements payable from
postal revenues is $7S2, 08000. indicating a
deficit OF $4,000 600. For the year ending
June 30, 1913. similarly estimated receipts
were $667, 900 600. while the total corre-
spending estimate Of expenditures for that
year, submitted through the secretary of
the treasury to congress, amounted to
1855, 100000. This shows an increase of
$76 600 900 In the estimates for 1914 over
the total estimates Of 1913. This is due to
an increase Of 81. 100000 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, &c., 600; and to an in
crease in the estimates for expenses of
the navy department of s24,0 900. The
estimate for the navy department for the
year 1918 included two battleships. Con-
gress made provision for only 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 battleshtps
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 un-
completed ships, and the additional baS
tleship estimated for. the other increases
are due to the pay required for 1000 or
more additional enlisted men in the navy.
and to this must be added the. additional
cost of construction imposed by the
change In the eight-hour law which
makes 1t applicable to ships built in pri-
vate shipyards.
with the exceptions of these three
items. the estimates show reduction
this year below the total estimates for
1913 of more than $5,090.000.
The estimates for Panama canal con-
etruction for 1914 are 1900. 900 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 impartia1ly from all
Otandpoints- and then to adopt some
plan which will secure the benefits de-
sired.
N Concerning the tariff he had little to
say in view of the fact that new con-
xress has been elected on platform
Of tariff for revenue only.
Army Reorganization.
Our small army now consists Of IS, 500
men, excluding the $500 Philippine scouts.
Leaving out OF consideration the coast
artillery force, whose position is hxed in
our various seacoast defenses, and the
present garrisons of our various insular
possessions, we have today within the
continental United States a mobile army
OF only about IS. 900 men. This little force
must be still further drawn upon to sup
ply the new garrisons 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-
naming 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 100 men each. In time of peace
1t has been our historical policy to adj
minister these units separately by q geo
graphical organization. In other words
our army In time of peace has never been
united organization but merely seat
tered groups Of companies, battaltons and
regiments. and the first task In time OF
war has been to create out OF these scat
tered units an army Ait for effective team
work and cooperation.