The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1914-12-08

measures the necessity for which
will at this time call your attention
to; but would be negligent of very
manifest duty not to call the attention
, of the senate to the fact that the pro
posed convention for safety. at seq
awaits it's confirmation and that the
limit fixed in the convention for its
continuance is the last day of the
present month. The conference in
which this convention originated was
called by the United States; the rep
resentatives of the United States play
ed a very influential part indeed in
/ framing the provisions of the propOs-
ed conventions and those provisions
| are in themselves for the most part
admirable 1t would hardly be con-
siStent 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 Au-
gust by the parliament of Great Brit
ain. 1t marks a most hopeful and
! decided advance in international civ
/ ilization. We should show our earn
est good faith in a great matter by
adding our own acceptance of it,
| Charting of Coasts
| There is another matter of which
must make special mention, eff I am
to discharge my conscience, lest it
should escape your attention. 1t may
seem a 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 impressing and exigent
in connection with the immense coast
line of Alaska, a coast line greater
than that of the United States them
selves, though it is also very import
ant indeed with regard to the older
coasts of the continent. We cannot
use our great Alaskan domain Ships
will not ply there, 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 supposed to-
be well-known channels We have not
provided adequate vessels or adequate
machinery for the survey, and chart
ing. We have used old vessels that
were not big enough or not strong
enough or were SO nearly unsea
worthy that our inspectors would not
have allowed private owners to SEND
them to sea. This is matter which,
as | have said, seems small, but IS
in reality very great. It's Importance
has only to be looked into to be ap-I
preciated.
Before I close may I say few words
upon two topics, much discussed ont
of doors, upon which it is highly i'm
portant, that our judgments should be
clear, definite, and steadfast.
Economy in Government
One of these is honesty 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 trustees
and responsible stewards in the spend
ing. The only thing debatable and up
on which we should be careful to make
our thoughts and purpose clear is the
kind of economy demanded of us.
assert with the greatest confidence
that the people of the United States
are not jealous of the amounts 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 ap
prove and that it is being applied with
good business sense and management.
Governments grow, piecemeal, both
in the tasks and in the means by
which those tasks are to be performed
foxxy n1,r,ro1 n1afc 70 =
ganized. | venture to say, as wise
and experienced business men would
organize them if they had a clean
sheet of paper to write on. Certainly
he government of the United States
S not. | think that it is generally !
agreed that there should be a SYSTEM
atic reorganization and reassembling
If it's parts so as to secure greater eff ]
fciency and effect considerable sa-
vings in expense. But the amount of !;
money saved in that way would, l II
believe; though no doubt consld- S
,rable in ITSELF running it may be, in L
o the millions, be relatively small
mall, mean in proportion to the to-l
al necessary OUTLAWS of the govern
nent. 1t would be thoroughly worth
ffecting, as every saving would, great
II small. Our duty is not altered by f
he scale of saving. But my point is i
hat the people of the United States t
o not wish to curtail the activities of c
his government; they wish, rather, to t
nlarge them; and with every enlarge
lent with the mere growth, indeed, of '
he country itself, there must come, G
f course, the inevitable increase of n
Expense. The sort of economy we h
ught to practice may be effected, and O
ught to be effected, by careful f
tudy and assessment of the tasks to f
e performed, and the money spent b
ught to be made to yield the best pos p
ible returns in efficiency and achieve t
lent. And like good stewards, we b
hould SO account for every dollar of +
ur appropriation so as to make it per- a
ectly evident what it was spent for 0
nd in what way it was spent. I
For High Standards c
1t is the expenditures for extravag- o
nee that we should bear being crit 81
lied for; not paying for the legitimate b
and undertakings of a lit