Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-12-15

1t is rot question of the government
monopolizing the field. t should take
action to make it certain that trans
portation at reasonable rates will be
promptly provided, even where the
carriage is not at first profitable; and
then, when the carriage has become 4
sufficiently profitable to attract and
engage private capital, and engage it
in abundance, the government ought
to withdraw. / very earnestly hope
that the congress will be of this opin-
ion, and that both houses will adopt
this exceedingly important bill
The great subject of rural credits
still remains to be dealt with, and
1t is matter of deep regret that the
difficulties of the subject have seemed
to render it impossible to complete
bill for passage at this session. But
it can not be perfected yet, and there
fore there are no Other. constructive
measures the necessity for which l
will at this time call your attention
to; but / would be negligent of
very manifest duty were l not to call
that the proposed convention for safe
ty at sea awaits its confirmation and
that the limit fixed in the convention
itself for its acceptance is the last
day of the present north. The con-
ference in which this convention or
iginated was called By the United
States; the representatives of the
United States played a very infiuen-
tial part indeed in framing the provi-
sions of the proposed convention; and
those provisions are N themselves
for the most part admirable It would
hardly be consistent with the part
we have played in the whole matter
to let 1t drop and go by the board
as If forgotten and neglected. 1t was
ratified in May last by the German
government and in August by the
parliament of Great Britain. It marks
a most hopeful and decided advance
in international civilization. We
should show our earnest good faith
in great matter by adding our own
acceptance Of it.
Charting of Our Coasts.
There is another matter of which
| must make special mention, if l am
to discharge my conscience, lest it
should escape your attention. 1t may
EN- very small thing 1t affects
only a single item of appropriation.
But many human lives and many
great enterprises hang upon it.
1t is the matter of making adequate
provision for the survey and charting
of our coasts.
1t is Immediately pressing and ext
gent in connection with the immense
coast line of Alaska. A coast line
greater than that of the United States
themselves, though it is also very
important indeed with regard to the
older coasts of the continent. We
cannot use our great Alaskan domain,
ships will not ply thither, if those
coasts and their many hidden dangers
are not thoroughly surveyed and
charted.
The work is incomplete at almost
every point. Ships and lives have
been lost in threading what were sup
posed to be well-known main chan
nels. We have not provided adequate
vessels or adequate machinery for the
survey and charting. We have used
old vessels that were not big enough
or strong enough and which we're so
nearly unseaworthy that our inspec-
tors would not have allowed private
owners to send them to sea- This is
a matter which, as have said, seems
small, but is in reality very great. It's
Importance has only to be looked into
to be appreciated.
Economy Is Urged.
Before / close, may l say a few
words upon two topics, much dis
cussed out of doors, upon which 1t is
highly important that our judgments
should be clear, definite and steadfast.
One of these is economy in govern
ment expenditures. The duty of econ
omy Is not debatable. 1t is manifest
and imperative. In the appropriations
we pass we are spending the money
of the great people whose servants
we are-not our own. We are trus-
tees and responsible stewards in the
spending. The only thing debatable
and upon which we should be careful
to make our thought and purpose
clear is the kind of economy demand
ed of us. l assert with the greatest
confidence that the people Of the
United States are not jealous of the
amount their government costs if
they are sure that they get what they
need and desire for the outlay, that
the money is being spent for objects
of which they approve, and that it is
being applied with good business
sense and management.
Governments grow, piecemeal, both
in their tasks and in the means by
which those tasks are to be per-
formed, and very few governments are
organized, I venture to say, as wise
and experienced business men would
organize them If they had clean
sheet of paper to write upon. Certain
ly the government Of the United
States is not I think that it is gen.
orally agreed that there should be
a systematic reorganization and reas-
sembling of its parts so as to secure
greater efficiency and effect consider
able savings in expense. But the
amount of money saved in that way
would. l believe. though no doubt
considerable in itself, running, it may
be, into the millions, be relatively
small-small, l mean. N proportion to
the total necessary OUTLAWS of the
government 1t would be thoroughly
worth effecting. as every saving would.
great or small.
Our duty is not altered by the scale
of the savings. But my point is that
the people of the United States do
not wish to curtail the activities of
this government: they wish, rather,
to enlarge them; and with every en-
larsement with the mere growth, in
dooJ of tho oo,pfrv itSalf fhara y,oucS