River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-12-12


service that he has rendered to his
country. l suggest that this reward
take the form of an appointment of
Col. Goethals as q major general in
the uarmy of the United States, and
that the law authorizing such appoint
ment be accompanied with provision
permitting his 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 1t 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 of a permanent one. In view of
the many improvements and increases
by foreign governments the slightest
halt on our part in respect to new
construction throws us back and re-
duces us from a naval power of the
first rank and places us among the ma
lions of the second rank.
~ year dSO GOA6ICSS lCAuoCu W oPr
propriate for more than one battle
ship. In this think great mistake
of policy was made, and l urgently
recommend that this congress make
up for the mistake of the last session
by appropriations authorizing the con-
Struction of three battleships, in adj
dition to destroyers, fuel ships, and
fIA Cfh lie al
in the building program of the gen.
eral board. We are confronted by
a condition in respect to the navies OF
the world which requires us, II we
would maintain our navy as an insur-
ance of peace, to augment our naval
force by at least two battleships a
year and by battle cruisers, gunboats,
torpedo destroyers, and submarine
boats in proper proportion. 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 responsibilities in the Pa
cific and the Atlantic, our defense OF
the Panama canal, together with our
enormous world trade and our mis-
sionary outposts on the frontiers of
civilization, require us to recognize
our position as one of the foremost
in the family of nations, and to clothe
ourselves with sufficient naval power
to give force to our reasonable de-
mands, and to give weight to our
influence in those directions Of prog
ress that a powerful Christian nation
should advocate.
Department of Justice.
This department has been very
active in the enforcement of the law.
1t has been better organized and with
a larger force than ever before in
the history of the government. The
prosecutions which have been success
fully concluded and which are now
pending testify to the effectiveness or
the department 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 the Tobacco
cases have been entered in other suits,
like the suits against the powder
trust and the bath tub trust. ! am
very strongly convinced that steady,
consistent course in his regard, with
a continuing of Supreme court de-
cisions upon new phases of the trust
question not already finally decided. is
going to offer a solution of this much
discussed and troublesome issue in
quiet. calm and judicial way, without
any radical legislation changing the
governmental policy in regard to COM
binations now denounced by the Sher-
man antitrust law | have already
recommended as an aid in this matter
legislation which would declare unlaw-
full certain well-known phases OF I'M
fair competition in interstate trade.
and I have also advocated voluntary
national incorporation for the larger
industrial enterprises, with provision
for a closer supervision by the bu'
reau of corporations, or board APP
pointed for the purpose, so as to make
certain compliance with the anti
trust law on the one hand and to
give greater security to the stock
holders against possible prosecutions
on the other / 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 eco
nomic force to secure reasonableness
in prices and freedom and independ-
ence in trade.
Workman's Compensation Act.
The workmans compensation acI
reported by the special commission ap.
pointed by congress and the execu.
tive. which passed the senate and is
now pending in the house, the passage
of which | have in previous mes
sages urged upon congress, | venture
again to call to its attention. The
opposition to it which developed in
the senate. but which was overcome
by a majority in that body, seemed to
me to grow out rather Of misappre-
hension of it's effect than Of opDosi-
ton to it's principle. / say again that
| think no act can have better ef-
feet directly upon the relations be-
tween the employer and employe than
this act applying to railroads and
common carriers and an interstate
character, and am sure that the pass
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