The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1913-01-03
TAFT SENDS IN
final MESSAGE
President Starts With Discussion
Of Foreign Relations
WORK DONE BY DIPLOMATS.

Recognition Of Merit System Has Been
Beneficial - Suggestions Regarding
Changes In the Tariff Laws Designed
to Aid Commerce-Turkish War and
Troubles In China.
The need Of capital which American
farmers feel today had been expert
enced by the farmers Of Europe, with
their centuries-old farms, many years
ago. The problem had been success
fully solved in the old world. and it
was evident that the farmers Of this
country might profit by study Of
their systems. therefore ordered,
through the department Of state, an in
vestigation to be made by the diplo-
natic officers in Europe, and l have
laid the results of this investigation
before the governors of the various
states with the hope that they will
be used to advantage in their forth
coming meeting.
Increase Of Foreign Trade.
In my last annual message I said
that the fiscal year ended June 30,
1911. was noteworthy as marking the
highest record of exports of Ameri-
can products to foreign countries. The
fiscal year 1912 shows that this rate
Of advance has been maintained, the
total domestic exports having a valua-
ton approximately of $2,2OO,O0O, 900,
nc WIFI FAM %f
OOO,OOO.OO0 the previous year. 1t is
also significant that manufactured and
partly manufactured articles continue
to be the chief commodities forming
the volume of our augmented exports,
the demands Of our own people for
consumption requiring that an increas-
ing proportion of our abundant agri-
cultural products be kept at home. In
the fiscal year 1911 the exports of ar
ticles in the various stages of manu-
facture, not including foodstuffs partly
or wholly manufactured, amounted APP.
proximately to $9O7 100000. In the
fiscal year 1912 the total was nearly
$1,O22, 100000, gain Of $114,OOO,O00.
Tariff Provision.
The Importance which our manufac-
lures have assumed in the commerce
of the world in competition with the
manufactures of other countries again
draws attention to the duty of this
government to use it's utmost endeav'
ors to secure impartial treatment for
American products in all markets.
Healthy commercial rivalry in inter
national intercourse is best assured by
the possession Of proper means for
protecting and promoting our foreign
trade. 1t is natural that competitive
countries should view with some con-
merce. If in some instances the meas
ure taken by them to meet it are not
entirely equitable remedy should be
found.
In former messages l have described
the negotiations of the department of
state with foreign governments for the
adjustment of the maximum and mini
mum tariff as provided in section Of
the tariff law of 1909. The advan.
tages secured by the adjustment of
our trade relations under this law have
continued during the last year. and
some additional cases Of discrimina-
tory treatment of which we had rea-
son to complain have been removed
The department of state has for the
first time in the history of this coun-
try obtained substantial st-favored,
nation treatment from all the countries
of the world.
There are, however, other instances
which, while apparently not constitut-
ing undue discrimination in the sense
of section 2, are nevertheless excep-
lions to the complete equity of tariff
treatment for American products that
the department of state consistently
has sought to obtain for American
commerce abroad
Necessity For Supplementary Lesisla-
ton.
These developments confirm the opin
ion conveyed to you in my annual mes
sage of 1911, that while the maximum
and minimum provision of the tariff
law OF 1909 has been fully justified by
the success achieved in removing pre-.
viously existing undue determinations
against American products, vet expert
ence has shown that this feature OF
the law should be amended in such
way as to provide fully effective
means of meeting the varying degrees
of discriminatory treatment of Ameri
can commerce in foreign countries still
encountered, as well as to protect
against injurious treatment on the part