Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1915-12-09

national efficiency and development that
| we should have a great merchant ma
rne. The great merchant fleet we once
used to make us rich, that great body of
sturdy sailors who used to carry our flag
into every sea, and who were the pride
and often the bulwark of the nation, we
! have almost driven out OF existence by
| inexcusable neglect and indifference and
by a hopelessly blind and provincial pol
| Icy of so-called economic protection. 1t
| is high time we repaired our mistake and
| resumed our commercial independence on
| the seas
For 1t is a question Of independence.
| II other nations go to war or seek to
hamper each others commerce, our mer-
chants, II seems. are at their mercy,
to do with as they please We must use
| their ships. and use them as they deter
| mine. We have :,ot ships enough OF our
| own We cannot handle our own com
| merce on the seas Our independence Is
provincial. and is only on land and with
| I'm our own borders. We are not likely
| to he permitted to use even the ships of
other nations In rivalry Of their own
| trade and are without means to extend
| our commerce even where the doors are
| wide open and our goods desired. Such
| situation is not to be endured 1t Is
| OF capital Importance not only that the
| United States should be its own carrier
on the seas and enjoy the economic In
| dependence which only an adequate mer-
| chant marine would give It, but also that
| the American hemisphere as a whole
should enjoy like independence and self
sufficiency II II Is not to be drawn into
| the tangle of European AFFAIRS, Without
such independence the whole question of
| our political unity and self-determination
| Is very seriously clouded and complicated
| indeed.
Moreover we can develop no true Or ef-
| fective American policy without ships of
our own-not ships of war; but ships of
| peace, carrying goods and carrying much
more: creating friendships and render
| ing indispensable services to all interests
| on this side OF the water. They must
move constantly back and forth between
the Americas. They are the only shuttles
that can weave the delicate fabric of
| sympathy, comprehension. confidence and
mutual dependence in which we clothe
our policy OF America for Americans.
Ships Are Needed.
With a view to meeting these pressing
necessities OF our commerce and availing
ourselves at the earliest possible moment
of the present unparalleled opportunity OF
linking the two Americas together In
bonds of mutual interest and service, an
opportunity which may never return
again II we miss It now, proposals will
be made to the present congress for the
purchase or construction of ships to be
owned and directed by the government
similar to those made to the last con-
gress, but modified in some essential par
| ticulars. recommend these proposals
to you for your prompt acceptance with
the more confidence because every month
that has elapsed since the former pro-
posals were made has made the necessity
for such action more and more mani
testify imperative.
Question Of Finance.
The plans for the armed forces OF the
nation which I have outlined, and for
| the general policy of adequate prepara-
| ton for mobilization and defense in
| volve OF course very large additional ex-
| penditures of money-expenditures which
| will considerably exceed the estimated
revenues OF the government II Is made
| my duty by law, whenever the estimates
| of expenditure exceed the estimates of
| revenue to call the attention of the con-
| gress to the fact and suggest any means
OF meeting the deficiency that 1t may be
wise or possible for me to suggest am
ready to believe that 1t would be my duty
| to do so In any case; and | feel particu-
larly bound to speak Of the matter when
| II appears that the deficiency will arise
| directly out of the adoption by the con-
gress OF measures which | myself urge
It to adont. Allow me. therefore, to
| speak briefly of the present state of the
| treasury and OF the fiscal problems
which the next year will probably dis
| close
On the thirtieth OF June last there was
| an available balance in the general fund
| of the treasury OF $104, 40, 105.7S. The to-
| tai estimated receipts for the year 1916
| on the assumption that the emergency
| revenue measure passed by the last con-
| gress will not be extended beyond it's
present limit the thirty-frst OF Deem
| her, 1915, and that the present duty of
one cent per pound on sugar will be dis
continued after the first of May, 1916
will be $e7O. 500. The balance of June
last and these estimated revenues come.
therefore, to a grand total of ST., 535, Cos 49,
The total estimated disbursements for the
present fiscal year, including SOS 100000
for the Panama canal, $l2,000,C00 for prob
able deficiency appropriations and $780,
900 for miscellaneous debt redemptions,
will be S753, S91 900; and the balance in the
general fund of the treasury will be re-
duced to $20.644, 6O5.7S. The emergency
revenue act, If continued beyond Its pres
ent time limitation, would produce, dur
ing the half year then remaining, about
forty-one millions. The duty of one cent
per pound on sugar, II continued would
produce during the two months of the
fiscal year remaining after the first of
May about fifteen millions. These two
sums, amounting together to $56.0O0,000.
II added to the revenues of the second
half OF the fiscal year, would yield the
treasury at the end of the year an avail
able balance of 1854 ,605.7S.
The additional revenues required to
carry out the program of military and
| naval preparation of which have spok-
| en-, would, as at present estimated, be
| for the fiscal year 1917, s93,So0.OO0. Those
| figures, taken with the figures for the
| present fiscal year which ! have already
| given, disclose our financial problem for
| the year 1917.
| How shall we obtain the new revenue?
| 1t seems to me clear dictate of pru-
| dent craftsmanship and frank finance
| that in what we are now ! hope, about
| to undertake we should pay as we &C
| The people OF the country are entitled to
| know just what burdens OF taxation they
are to carry, and to know from the outset
| now The new bills should be paid by in
ternal taxation.
To what sources, then, shall we turn?
We would be following an almost uni.
versal example of modern governments
| If we were to draw the greater part or
even the whole of the revenues we need
hn