Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-08


, which must precede. not tardily fol-
low. the development of our trade
with our neighbor states of America.
1t may seem n reversal of the natural
order Of things. but it Is true. that the
routes of trade must be actually op-
cned--by many ships and regular
sailings and moderate charges--bc-
fore streams of merchandise will flow
freely and protitably through them.
Wants Early Action.
Hence tho pending shipping bill.
discussed 1T tho last session but as
yet passed by neither. house. In my
Judgment such legislation is impera-
lively needed and can not wisely be
postponed. The government must
open 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 venture. 1t
is not a question of the government
monopoliznig the field II 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 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.
Rural Credits.
The great subject of rural credits
still remains to he dealt with, and it
is Il matter of deep regret that the
difficulties of the subject have seemed
to render it impossible to complete Il
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
will at this time call your attention;
but | would be negligent of very
manifest duty were l not to call the
attention of the senate to the fact that
the proposed convention for safety 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 conference i'll
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 consist
ent with the part we have played in
the whole matter to le. it drop and
60 by the board as if forgotten and
by the German government and in
August by the parliament of Great
Britain. 1t marks most hopeful and
decided advance in international civil
! liaation. We should show our earnest
good faith in a great matter by adding
our own acceptance to it.
Survey and Chart Coasts.
There is another matter Of which l
must make special mention, if am
to discharge my conscience, lest 1t
should escape your attention. 1t may
seem 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 pro-
vision for the survey and charting of
our coasts. 1t is Immediately pressing
and exigent 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
can not use our great Alaskan domain,
ships will not ply hither, if those
coasts and their many hidden dang
ers are not thoroughly surveyed and
charted. The work is incomplete at
almost every point Ships and live,
have been lost in threading what were
supposed to he well-known main
channels. We have not provided ade-
quate 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
inspectors would not have allowed
private owners to send them to sea.
This is matter which, as have salo,
seems small, but is in reality very
great. It's importance has only to be
looked into to be appreciated.
Expenditures.
! Before l close may ! say a few
words upon two topics, much discuss
ed out of doors, upon which it is high
~ important that our judgments
should be clear, definite and stead
| fast?
One Of these is economy in govern
ment expenditures. The duty Of econ
omy is not debatable. 1t is manifest
and imperative. In the appropria-
t1ons We pass we are spending the
money of the great people whose SER
wants we are-not our own. We are
trustees and responsible stewards in
lne spending. The only thing debat-
able and upon which we should be
careful to make our thought and pur-
pose clear is the Kind of economy de-
manded of us. I assert with the great.
est confidence that the people of the
amount their government costs II thev
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 be-
ing applied with good business sense
and management.
Governments grow piecemeal, both
| IN their tasks and in the means by
winch those tasks are to be perform
ed, and very few governments are or
ganlzed, venture to say, as wise and
experienced business men would or
ganize them if they had a clean sheet
OF paper to write upon. Certainly the
government Of the United States is
not. l think that it is generally agreed
mat there should be systematic re
| organization and reassembling of its
parts SO as to secure greater efficien-
CIV and effect considerable savings in
expense. But the amount Of money
saved IN that way would, ] believe
though no doubt considerable in it,
self, running, 1t may be, into the mil
lions. be relatively smalt-small, I
mean. In proportion to the total nec-
essary outlays Of the government. 1t
would be thoroughly worth effectine.
as every saving would, great or small.
Our duty is not altered by the scale
OF the saving. But my point is that
the people of the United States do nor
wish to curtail the activities of this
government; they wish, rather, to en-
large them: and with every ENLARGE
, ment with the mere growth; indie
of the country itself, there must come
or course, the inevitable increase Of
EXPENSE. The sort 'iof economy we
cueht to practice may be effected. and
ought to be effected, by a careful
study and assessment Of the tasks to
oe performed; and the money spent
ought to be made to yield the beat