Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-12-12

/ sengers or cargo. a2o per net vesse
/ ton-each 100 cubic feet-of actual capae.
/ ity.
/ 2. On vessels in ballast without pas
! sengers or cargo. 20 per cent less than
/ the rate Of tolls for vessels with passen-
/ gers or cargo.
3 Upon naval vessels, other than trans
[ ports, Golfers, hospital ships, and supply
/ ships 80 cents per displacement ton.
[ 1 Upon army and navy transports. col
/ fers, hospital ships, and supply ships
/ so per net ton. the vessels 10 be meas
( used by the same rules as are employed
/ in determining the net tonnage OF mer-
I chant vessels.
/ Rules for the determination Of the ton
mage upon which toll charges are based
! are now in course Of preparation and
| viii be promulgated in due season
Panama Canal Treaty.
/ The proclamation which have issued
| in respect TO the Panama Canal tolls IS
| in accord with the Panama Canal act
| passed by this congress August p. 1912
! We have been advised that the British
| government has prepared a protest
/ against the act and IT'S enforcement in 50
| far as It relieves from the payment Of
| tolls American ships engaged in the Amer
/ lean coastwise trade on the ground that
| IT violates British rights under the Hay
/ Pauncefete treaty concerning the Panama
| Canal When the protest is presented. It
/ viii be promptly considered and an ef-
! fort made to reach g satisfactory adjust
ment Of any differences there may be BE-
| tween the two governments
Workmen's Compensation Act,
The PRONUNCIATION of an efficient work
mems compensation act adapted to the
particular conditions Of the zone, IS
/ awaiting adequate appropriation by con-
| gress for the payment of claims arising
| hereunder. urge that speedy provision
| be made in order that we may install up
| on the zone a system Of settling claims
| for injuries in best accord with modern
| humane. social, and industrial theories
Promotion for Col. GoethaIs.
AS the completion OF the canal grows
nearer. and as the wonderful executive
! work Of Col GOethaIs becomes more con-
! spiCuous in the eyes Of the country and
| of the world, It seems to me wise and
| proper to make provision by law for such
reward to him as may be commensurate
with the service that he has rendered TO
his country. I suggest that this reward
take the form Of an appointment of Col
| Goethals as a major general in the army
Of the United States. and that the law
authorizing such appointment be accom-
panied with q provision permitting MS
designation as chief Of engineers upon
the retirement Of the present incumbent
Of that office.
Navy Department.
The navy OF the United States is in
a greater state of efficiency and is
more powerful than il has been be-
fore. but in the emulation which ex-
lists between different countries in re-
spect to the increase of naval and
military ornaments this condition is
not a permanent one. In view of the
many improvements and increases by
| foreign governments the slightest halt
on our part in respect TO new construc-
ton throws US back and reduces rs
from naval power Of the first rank
and places US among the nations OF the
second rank.
year ago congress refused to an
propriate for more than one battieshiD
In this I think a great mistake OF
policy was made. and I urgent1v rec
ommend that this congress make up
for the mistake Of the last session by
| appropriations authorizing the con-
struction of three battIeships. in adj
dition to destroyers, fuel ships, and
the other auxiliary vessels as shown
| in the building PROGRAM of the general
board. We are confronted by a condi-
tion in respect to the navies of the
world which requires US. If we would
maintain our navy as an insurance or
peace to augment our naval force by
at least two battleships a year and by
hattTe cruisers. gunboats. torpedo de-
| nroDer prorOtion. We have no desire
for war. We go as far as any nation
in the world to avoid war but we are
a world power Our population. our
wealth our definite policies. our re-
| sDonsibiTtfes in the Pacific and the At
lantic our defense of the Panama ca
| nal together with our enormous world
| trade and our missionary outposts on
/ the frontiers Of civilization. require
us to recognize our position as one cs
the foremost in the family OF nations
and to clothe ourselves with sufficierS
naval power to give force to our rea
sonable demands. and to give weight
to our influence in those directions OF
progress that a powerful Christian ma
ton should advocate.
Department of Justice.
This department has been very a-ctive
in the enforcement Of the law. It f-as
been better organized and with
larger force than ever before IN the
history of the government. The prose-
cutions which have been successfully
| concluded and which are now pending
testify to the effectiveness Of the de-
partment work.
The prosecution OF trusts under the
Sherman antitrust law has gone on
without restraint or diminutiOn and
DEGREES similar to those entered in the
Standard Oil and Tobacco cases have
| been entered in other suits like the
suits against the powder trust and the
bath tub trust. I an very strongly con-
WINGED that a steady. consistent course
in this regard with a continuing Of
Supreme court decisions upon the new
phases of the trust question not already
finally decided, is going to offer
solution of this much discussed and
troublesome issue in quiet. calm and
judicial way without any radical leg
isIatiOn changing the gOvernme entail
policy in regard to combinations now
denounced by the Sherman antitrust
law. I have already recommended as
an aid in this matter legislation which
would declare unlawful certain we'll
known phases of unfair competition in
interstate trade and I have also advO-
Gated voluntary national incorporation
for the larger industrial enterprises,
with provision for a closer supervision
by the bureau of corporations, or
board appointed for the purpose, so as
to make certain compliance with the
antitrust law on the one hand and to
give greater security to the stock
holders against possible prosecutions
on the other I believe. however, that
the orderly course of litigation in the
courts and the regular prosecution OF
trusts charged with the violation Of the
antitrust law is producing among
business men a clearer and clearer
perception OF the line of distinction be-
tween business that is to be encOur-
aged and business that is to be con-
demned, and that in this quiet way the
question Of trusts can be settled and
competition retained as an economic
force to secure reasenab leness in
prices and freedom and independence
in trade WILLIAM H. TAFT.
TWO of EN-.