The chronicle=news., 1914-12-08

Them.
Hence the pending shipping bill,
discussed at the last session but as
|yet passed by neither House. In my
Judgment such legislation is impera-
lively needed and con not wisely be
postponed. The overnment must
ooen these gates Of trade. and open
them wide; open them before it is al
together profitable to open them, or
altogether reasonable to ask private
capital to open them at a centure. II
is no a question of the Government
monopolizing the field. 1t should
take action to make it certain that
| transportation at reasonable rates
will be promptly provided, even
where the carriage is not at first
profietble; and then, when the car
riage has become sufficiently profit
able to attract and engage private
lcapital, and engage it in abundance.
the overnment ought to withdraw.
very earnestly hope that the Con.
gress will be of this opinion, and
that both Houses will adopt this ex-
ceedingly 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 a bill for passage at this
session. But it can not be perfected
yet, and therefore there are no other
constructive measures the necessity
for which will at this time call your
attention to: but | would be negli-
gent of very manifest duty We're
not to call the attention of the Sem
ate to the fact that the proposed
convention for safety at sea awaits it's,
confirmation and that the limit fixed
in the convention itself for it's ac-
|ceptance is the last day of the pres
ent month. The conference in whick
this convention originated was called
by the United States: the represen-
tatives of the United States played a
very influential part indeed in franz
ing the provisions of the proposed
conventions; and those provisions are
in themselves for the most part ad-
mirable. 1t would hardly be consis-
tent with the part we have played in
the whole matter to let it 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. 1t marks most hopeful
and decided advance in information
al civilization. We should show our
earnest good faith in a great matter
by adding our own acceptance of IT,
There is another matter of which
u must make special mention, If
am to discharge my conscience, lest
1t should escape your attention. 1t
may fSem II very small thing. 1t af-
fects only single item of appropria-
ton. But many human lives and
many great enterprises hang upon 1t.
1t is the matter OF making adequate
provision for the survey and chart
ing of our coasts. 1t Is Immediately
pressing and exiyent In connection
with the immense coast line OF Alas
ka, 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 thd con-
tinent. We can not use our great
Alaskan domain, ships will not ply
thither, If those coasts and their
many hidden dangers are not thor
oughly surveyed and charted. Tho
work is incomplete at almost every
point. Ships and lives have been
lost in threading what were Supposed
to be well-known main channels. We
have not provided adequate vessels
or adequate machinery for the sur
yey and charting. We have used old
vessels that We're not big enough or
strong enough and which We're so
nearly unseaworthy that our inspec-
tors would not have allower private
owners to send them to sea. This Is
a matter which, as ! have said, seems
small. but it is in reality very great