The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-12-12
CONGRESS HEARS
SECOND MESSAGE
President Tells Of Treasury and
Army Affairs.
PHILIPPINES ARE INCLUDED
Slil for Natives Independence o.
nounesd as Premature-ProsresS
Of Panama Canal.
PHILIPPINES ARE INCLUDED

Of Panama Canal.
Washington, Dec s.--Congress today rO-
ceived from President Taft the second Of
mis- messages to tho short session. It
deals with fiscal, military, insular and
judicial affairs and In part 10 as follows:
The condition of the country with ref
erence to business could hardly be better.
While the four years OF the admiRistra-
tion now drawing to q close have not de-
Neloped great speculative expansion or q
wide field of new investment, the recov-
cry and progress made from the depress-
1ng conditions following the panic OF 1907
have been steady and the improvement
mas been clear and easily traced In the
statistics. The business Of the country 10
now on solid basis. Credits are not
Onduly extended and every phaae of the
situation seems in q state OF prepared
ness for a period Of unexampled prosper
Lty. 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, ,0O0, ,O0O while the
balance in our favor-that of the excess
of exports over imports-will exceed $780,
100000. More than half our exports are
manufactures or partly manufactured
material, while our exports Of farm pro-
domestic consumption. It 10 q year Of
bumper crops; the total money value Of
farm products will exceed % 500, ,00o. 900. 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 81 900 o.ooe
than we have known in our history.
Condition Of the Treasury.
The condition of the treasury IL very
satisfactory. The total interest-bearing
debt is $685. 777.7TO, Of which 11S4, ,631 $50 con-
Stiute the Panama canal loan. The nom
interest-bearing debt is $S7s. sol, ,2S4S0. In
cluding S46671,o ,o16 of greenbacks. We have
in the treasury $150, 100000 in gold coin as
- q reserve against the outstanding green
backs; and in addition We have cash
balance in the treasury as general fund
of $l67, 152. 1889, or an increase Of &26,s75,-
t62 over the general fund last year.
Receipts and Expenditures.
For three years the expenditures Of tho
government have decreased under the in
fuence of an effort to economize. 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 $780, 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 $732, ,00o, 900, indicating .
deficit Of $22, 900 600. For the year ending
June 3e 1918, similarly estimated receipts
were 1861, 100000, while the total corre-
spending estimate of expenditures for that
year, submitted through the secretary of
the treasury to congress, amounted to
$666. 900 900. This shows an increase Of
ZIG, 100000 In the estimates for 1914 over
the total estimates of 1918 This Is due to
an increase Of SEE, 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 $325O0.O00; and to an in
crease in the estimates for expenses Of
the navy department Of $A,0o00oo. 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 battleships
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 bat
tleship estimated for, the other increases
are due to the pay required for 1900 or
and to this must be added the additional
cost of construction imposed by the
change in the eight-hour lazy which
makes 1t applicable to ships built in pri-
vate shipyards.
With the exceptions Of these three
items. the estimates show q reduction
this year below the total estimates for
1918 of more than $4,000, 900. ~ "' 4
The estimates for Panama canal con-
~fr foy fho
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 new con-
gress has been elected on a platform
of tariff for revenue only.
Army Reorganization.
! Our small army now consists of 81. 800
men, excluding the 1000 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 insuar
possessions, we have today within the
of only about 5000 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 700 men each. In time of peace
It has been our historical policy to ad-
minister these units separately by geo.
graphical organization In other words.
our army in time Of peace has never been
. 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 At for effective team
work and cooperation.