The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-12-12

altogether profitable to open them. or
altogether reasonable to ask private
capital to open them at a venture.
1t is not question Of the government
monopolizing the field. 1t 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
| sufficiently profitable to attract and
engage private capital. and engage 1t
| 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
it 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
II can not be perfected yet, and there
| fore there are no other constructive
measures the necessity for which
will at this time call your attention
to; but I would be negligent of a
very manifest duty were not to call
the attention of the senate to the fact
that the proposed convention for safe
ty at sea awaits its confirmation and
that the limit fixed in the convention
itself for it's acceptance is the last
day Of the present month. The con-
ference in which this convention or
iginated was called by the United
States; the representatives Of the
United States played very influen-
tial part indeed in framing the provi-
sions of the proposed convention; and
those provisions are in themselves
for the most part admirable. II would
hardly be consistent with the part
we have played In the whole matter
to let it drop and go by the board
as II forgotten and neglected 1t was
ratified in May last by the German
government and In August by the
parliament of Great Britain. 1t marks
in international civilization. We
should show our earnest good faith
in a great matter by adding our own
acceptance Of it.
Charting of Our Coasts.
There is another matter of which
! must make special mention, II / am
to discharge my conscience, lest 1t
should escape your attention. 1t may
seem very small thing. 1t affects
only 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, II 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 were 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. Its
importance has only to be looked into
to be appreciated.
Economy Is Urged.
Before l 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
cment expenditures. The duty of econ
omy is not iehDaacable. II 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. / assert with the greatest
confidence that the people of the
United States are not jealous of the
amount their government costs II
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. ! venture to say, as wise
and experienced business men would
organize them II they had a clean
sheet of paper to write upon. Certain.
ly the government of the limited