Fair play., 1912-12-14

the limits Of the United States, and thus
cannot lawfully be used for general mill
tary purposes. The officers and men are
ambitious and eager to make themselves
thus available and to become an efficient
national reserve OF citizen soldiery. They
are the only force OF trained men, other
than the regular army, upon which we
can rely. The so-caled military pay bill.
IN tho fo-ra agreed on between the au-
thorittes OF the war department and the
representatives OF the national guard, In
my opinion adequately meets these con-
ditions and offers a proper return for the
pay which II Is proposed to give to the
national guard. I believe that Its enact
ment into law would be very Ions step
toward providing this nation with first
line OF citizen soldiery, upon which its
main reliance must depend in case OF any
national emergency. Plans for the or
| ganfxation Of the national guard into tao
| teal divisions, on the same lines as those
adopted for the regular army, are being
| formulated by the war college division
| OF the general staff.
Porto Rico. Mr.. Taft says continues
| to show notable progress and he urges
| the senate to pass the bill granting the
Porto Ricans American citizenship.
Philippines.
A bill Is pending in congress. con-
| tinues the message which revolution
| ICES the carefully worked out scheme
pine islands are now governed ana
which proposes to render them virtu-
| ally autonomous at once and absolutely
| Independent In eight years. Such a
proposal can only be founded on the
assumption that we have now dis
| charged our trusteeship 10 the Filipino
| people and our responsibility for them
to the world. and that they are now
| prepared for self lf-government as well
as national sovereignty. thorough
and unbiased knowledge of the facts
clearly shows that these assumptions
| are absolutely with Justification. AS
to this. / believe that there Is no sub
stantial difference of opinion among
| any of those who have had the respon-
sibility of facing Philippine problems
| In the administration of the islands
| and I believe that no one to whom the
| future of this people is responsible
| concern can countenance policy
fraught with the direst consequences
| to those on whose behalf II is osten-
| sibly urged.
Our true course Is to pursue steadily
| and courageousy the path we have thus
far followed; to guide the Filipinos into
| self-sustaining pursuits; to continue the
| cultivation of sound political habits
| through education and political practice;
| to encourage the diverslhcation OF indus
! tries, and TO realize the advantages of
! their Industrial education by conserva-
lively approved cooperative methods, at
once checking the dangers OF concentrat-
ed wealth and building up a sturdy, inde-
pendent citizenship.
Regulation of Water Power.
There are pending before congress
large number OF bills proposing to grant
privileges of erecting dams for the pur-
pose OF creating water power in our navi-
| gable rivers. The tendency Of these bills
has brought out an important defect in
the existing general dam act. That act
does not, In my opinion, grant sufficient
power to the federal government in deal
ing with the construction of such dams to
exact protective conditions In the interest
OF navigation. 1t does not permit the
federal government. as a condition OF its
permit to require that part of the
| value thus created shall be applied TO tihe
further general Improvement and protec-
ton of the stream. I believe this to be
one OF the most important matters of
| Internal improvement now confronting
the government. Most of the navigabe
| rivers Of this country are comparatively
long and shallow. In order that they
may be made fully useful for navigation
there has come into vogue a method of
| Improvement known as canalization, or
the slack water method which consists
In building series of dams and locks,
| each of which will create a long pool OF
deep navigable water. At each of these
dams there Is usually created a long pool
Of deep navigable water. At each of these
dams there Is usually created also water
power of commercial value. II the water
power thus created can be made available
for the further improvement OF naviga-
tion In the stream. 1t Is manifest that the
improvement will he much more quickly
effected on the one hand. and on the
other, that the burden on the general tax
payers OF the country win be very much
reduced. Private interests seeking per-
mits to building waterpower dams in
navigable streams usually urge that they
thus improve navigation. and that II they
do not impair navigation they should be
allowed to take for themselves the en-
tire profits OF the water-power develop
ment. Whatever they may do by way OF
| relieving the government OF the expense of
improving navigation should be given due
consideration, but II must be apparent
that there may be a profit beyond a rea-
sonably liberal return upon the private
Investment which Is q potential asset OF
| the government In carrying out n COM
prehensive policy OF waterway develop
ment II is no objection to the retention
and use Of such asset by the govern
ment that comprehensive waterway
policy win include the protection and de-
velopment OF the other public uses of
water. which cannot and should not be
ignored in making and executing plans
for the protection and development OF
navigation. 1t Is also equally clear that
I
ated In or may be an Incident OF gen
eral scheme of waterway improvement
| within the constitutional Jurisdiction OF
| the federal government. the regulation of
such water power lies also within that
4 Jurisdiction. In my opinion constructive
statesmanship requires that legislation
should be enacted which will permit the
development Of navigation In these great
rivers TO go hand In hand with the util-
ization OF this by-product OF water pow
er created In the course OF the same i'm
provement, ana that the general dam act
should be so amended as 10 make this pos
sible. deem II highly important that
the nation should adopt consistent and
harmonious treatment of these water
power projects, which will preserve for
this purpose their value to the govern
ment. whose right II Is to grant the per-
init. Any other policy Is equivalent to
throwing away most valuable national
. asset. tE }ft
The Panama Canal.
During the past year the work of con-
struction upon the canal has progressed
most satisfactorily. About 81 per cent. OF
the excavation work has been completed
and more than 80 per cent. of tho CON
crete for all the locks Is In place. On
view OF the great interest which has beei
manifested as 10 some slides in the Guile.
bra Cut. arp glad 10 say that the repor,
| of Col Goethals should allay any ap.
prehension on this point. IL Is gratifying
to note that none OF the slides which oc-
CURED during this year would have in
terfered with the passage OF the ships
had the canal, In fact. been In operation
} and when the slope pressurcs will have