Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-01

judiciary as the keystone of our liberties
and the balance wheel by which the
whole governmental machinery Is Kept
within the original plan.
Administration Achievements.
1.-The normal and logical question which
ought to be asked and answered in de-
termining whether administration
should be continued in power is, How
has the government been administered:
Has it been economical and efficient?
Has ii aided or INSTRUCTED business pros
perityo Has il made for progress in bet
tering the condition of the people and
especially Of the wage Garner? Ought its
general policies to approve themselves
to the people?
During this administration We have
given special attention to the machinery
Of government with a view to increasing
its efficiency and reducing its cost. For
twenty years there has been a continuous
expansion in every direction of the gov
ernmental functions and a necessary in
crease in the civil and military servants
by which these functions are performed.
The expenditures of the government have
normally increased from year to year on
an average of nearly per cent. There
never has been systematic investigation
and reorganization of this governmental
structure with a view to eliminating du-
plications. to uniting bureaus where union
is possible and more effective and to
making the whole organization more COM
pact and it's parts more closely CO.
ordinated. AS beginning. examined
closely the estimates. These. unless
watched, grow from year to year under
the natural tendency of the bureau chiefs.
The first estimates which We're presented
to us we cut some $50,000OOO. and this
policy we have maintained through the
administration and have prevented the
normal annual increase in government
expenditures, so the result is that the
deficit of SOS 73J,C00. which we found on
the 1st of July, 1909. was changed on
the 1st of July. 1910. by increase of the
revenues under the Payne law, including
the corporation tax. 10 surplus of S15.-
SO6.Co0 on July l. 1911, to surplus OF
SIT .3i 600. and on July !. 1912. to a sur
plus of $36.336 900. The expenditures for
1899 were $G62. 324O 900; for 1910. $3.50, 1o5 :
COO for 1911. S65i 13S 900. and for 1912
We're SOL. SO4 600. These figures of sur
plus and expenditure do not include any
receipts or expenditures on account of
the Panama canal.
II secured an appropriation for the ap-
pointment of an economy and efficiency
commission. consisting of the ablest ex-
perts in the country. and they have been
working for two years on the question of
how the government may be reorganized
and what changes can be made with a
view to giving it greater effectiveness for
governmental purposes on the one hand
and securing this at considerably less
cost the other. l have transmitted to
Congress from time to time the recon-
mendatiOns of this commission and while
they cannot all be adopted at one ses-
sion, and while their recommendations
have not been rounded and complete be-
cause of the necessity for taking greater
time. | think that the democratic ap-
preparation committee of the House has
become convinced that we are on the
ri q hot
may be effected through the adoption of
most of the plans recommended By this
commission
Panama Canal.
For the benefit of our own people and
or the world We have carried on the work
OF the Panama canal. so that we can now
look forward with confidence to its COM
pletion within eighteen months. The work
has been remarkab BILE one, and has in
volved the expenditure of 100000, 900 to
$40. 100000 annually for series of years.
and yet II has been attended with no
scandal. and with a development of such
engineering and medical skill and in
genuity as to command the admiration of
the world and to bring the highest credit
to our corps of army engineers and our
army medical corps.
Foreign Relations.
I'm our foreign relations we have main
tanned peace everywhere and sought to
promote its continuance and permanence
I'VE have renewed the Japanese treaty
for twelve more years and have avoided
certain difficulties that were supposed to
be insupcrable as between the two coun-
tries by an arrangement which satisfies
both.
I'VE negotiated certain broad treaties
for the promotion of universal arbtra-
ton which. if they had been ratified.