The chronicle=news., 1914-12-08

| without waste.
TO speak pIaintle. we have grossly
erred in the way in which we have
stunted and hindered the develop
ment of orr merchant marine. And
now, when we need ships have not
got them. We have year after year
debated, without end or conclusion,
the hest policy to pursue with re-
gard to the use of the ores and for
ests and water powers OF our nation
west, when we should have acted:
and they are still locked up. The key
is still turned upon them, the door is
shut fast at which thousands OF Wig
orous men. full of initiative, knock
clamoruIsly for admittance. The
water power of Otir nayiga BILE
streams outside the national domain
also, even in the eastern states,
where we have worked and planned
for generations, is still not used as
it might be, because VIC will and We
won't; because the laws we have do
not intelligently balance encourage
ment against restrictions. We with
hold by regulation.
have come to ask you to remedy
and correct these mistakes and omis-
sions; even at this short session of
conrgess, which would certainly seem
to have done all the work that could
reasonably be expected of 1t. The
time and the circumstances are eX-
traordinary, and so must our efforts
be also.
Fortunately, two great measures,
finely conceived, the one to unlock,
with proper safeguards, the resource
es of the national domain, the other
to encourage the use of the navigable
waters outside that domain for the
generation of power, have already
passed the house of representatives
and are ready for immediate cOnsid-
GRAFTON by the senate. With the
deepest earnestness | urge their
prompt passage. In them both We
turn our back upon hesitation and
makeshift and formulate genuine
policy of use and conservation, In
the best sense of those words. We
owe the one measure not only to the
people of that great western country
for whose free and systematic devel-
opment, as it seems to me. our legis-
lation has done so little, but also to
the people of the nation as whole:
and we as clearly owe the other in
fulfiliment of our repeated promises
that the water power OF the country
should in fact as well as in name be
put at the disposal Of the great In
dustries which can make economical
and profitable use of 1t, the rights
of the public being adequately guar
anteed the while. and the monopoly
in the use prevented. To have be-
gun such measures and not cnmplet-
ed them would indeed mar -le rec
ord of this great congress very SER
iously. | hope and confidently be-
lievc that they will be completed.
And there is another great piece OF
legislation which awaits and should
receive the sanction Of the senate. l
mean the bill which gives a larger
measure of self government to the
peoplep of the Philippines. How bet
ter. in this time of anxious questions
ing andn perplexed policy, could We
show our confidence in the principles
of liberty as the source as well as the,
expression of life, how better could
We demonstrate to our self posses
sion and steadfastness in the course
of justice and disinterestedness than
by thus going calmly forward to full
fill our promises to dependent peo-
pie. who will now look more anxious
ly than ever to see whether we have
indeed the liherality, the unselfish-
81, no fat n
boosted and professed. | cannot eb-
lieve that the senate will let this
great measure OF constructive justice
await the action Of another congress.
Its passage would nobly crown the
record of these two years Of memoir
able labor.
But ! think that you will agree
with me that this does not complete
the toll of our duty. How are we
TO carry our goods to the empty mar
kets of which | have spoken If we
have not the ships? How are We to
build up great trade II we have not
the certain and constant means OF
upon which all prof
itahle and useful commerce depends,
and how are we to get the ships IL we
wait for the trade OF develop with
out them? To correct the many mis-
takes by which we have discouraged
and all but destroyed the merchant
marine of the country, to retrace the
steps by which we have, it seems al
most deliberately withdrawn our
flag from the seas. except where,
here and there, ship of war is bid
den to carry it or some wandering
yacht displays it. would take long
time and involve many detailed items
of legislation and the trade which
we ought Immediately to handle
would disappear or find other chan
nels while we debated the item. The
case is not like that which confront-
ed us when our own continent was to
be opened UP to settlement and In
dustry and we needed long lines of