Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-12-11
CONGRESS HEARS
SECOND MESSAGE
President Tells of Treasury and
Army Affairs.
PHILIPPINES ARE INCLUDED
Bill for Natives Independence De
nounced as Premature-Prosress
of Panama Canal.


Of Panama Canal.
Washington. Dec. s.-Congress today re
ceived from President Taft the second OF
his messages to the short session. It
deals with fiscal. military. insular and
judicial affairs and in part is as follows;
The condition Of the country with ref
erenee to business could hardly be better.
While the four years Of the administra-
tion now drawing to a close have not de-
veloped great speculative expansion or
wide field OF new investment. the recoy-
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 a solid basis. Credits are not
unduiy extended and every phase of the
situation seems in a state of prepared
ness for a 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 s4,0oo. eco 900. while the
balance in our favor-that OF the excess
OF exports over imports-win exceed $780,
100000. 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 a year of
bumper crops: the total money value of
farm products will exceed So, 500 900. 600 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 is greater by over S1.000,0o 900
than we have known in our history.
Condition of the Treasury.
The condition of the treasury is very
satisfactory. The total interest-hearinS
debt is 1858 IT. TO of which S134, 6S1 $50 con-
stiute the Panama canal loan. The nom
Understanding debt is S37S 30l ,2S490 in
Guiding s3s5.e71, ole of graenbacks We have
In the treasury $3.50 o.0o0 in gold coin as
n reserve against the Outstanding green
backs; and in addition we have a cash
balance Ia the treasury as a general fund
of sl67.i52 1889, or an increase of S26,9i5,-
$50 over the general fund last year.
Receipts and Expenditures.
For three years the expenditures of the
governments have decreased under the in
huence 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
90 1914 in1ics ties that they will amount
TO S170,000,0en TIE sum OF the estimates
of the expenditures for that same year.
exclusive OF Panama canal disbursements
and postal disbursements payable from
postal revenues is $TS2 900 900, indicating a
deficit OF se2,0Oo.oOO. For the year ending
June 90. 1918. similarly estimated receipts
were 1857 100000, while the total CORE
spending estimate OF expenditures for that
year submitted through the secretary of
the treasury to congress; amounted to
1855. 900 co., This shows an increase of
S76, 100000 in the estimates for 1914 over
the total estimates of 1918. This is due to
an increase of S25.e00 600 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 s32500.e00; and to an In
crease In the estimates for expenses of
the navy department of s24. oo,OoO. The
estimate for the navy department for the
year 1918 included two battleships. Com
gress made provision for only one battle
ship and therefore the navy department
has deemed II necessary and proper to
make an estimate which includes the first
years expenditure for three battleships
in addition to the amount required for
work on the uncompleted ships now r
construction. In addition to the nat II
increase in the expenditures for the IN
completed ships. and the additional bat
tleship estimated for, the other increases
ere due to the pay required for 1850 or
more additional enlisted men in the navy,
and to this must De =tete,2 me additional
cost OF CONSTRUCTION imposed by the
Cnange IN u eiEHI-DOhT law Which
makes 1t applicable TO ships built In pri-
waite shipyards
With the exceptions OF these three
items the estimates show reduction
this year below the total estimates for
1913 OF more than $5.000.000.
The estimates for Panama canal con-
struction for 1914 are $1,000 900 less than
for 1913
The president tn explained at some
length the national reserve association
system recommends by the monetary
commission and urg d congress to eX-
anime the plan imp rtially from all
standpoints and the to adopt some
plan which will secur the Dement'S de-
sired
Concerning the tariff he had little 10
say in view of the fact that new con-
gress has been elected on a platform
OF tariff for revenue only.
Army Reorganization.
Our small army now consists OF 49, 800
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 a mobile army
of only about 81 600 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 a 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
It has been our historical policy to adj
minister these units separately by geo.
graphical organization. In other words.
our army in time 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.