The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-12-17

| OF the greatest amount OF rcyenu
from large incomes. l am convince,
that the larger incomes of the coun
try would actually yield more revenu
to the government if the basis OF tax
| alton were scientifically revised down
ward. Moreover, the effect of tn,
present method OF this taxation is t.
increase the cost of interest on pro
ductive enterprise and to increase the
burden of rent. 1t is altogether likely
that such reduction would so encour.
age and stimulate investment that il
would firmly establish our country in
the economic leadership of the world
WATERWAYS SUPPORT
Meantime our internal development
should go on. Provision should be
made for flood control of such rivers
as the Mississippi and the Colorado,
and for the opening up of our inland
waterways to commerce. Considera-
ton is due to the project of better
navigation from the Great Lakes to
the Gulf. Every effort is being made
tc promote an agreement with Can
ada to build the St. Lawrence water
way. There are pending before the
congress bills for further develop
ment of the Mississippi basin, for the
taking over of the Cape Cod canal in
accordance with a moral obligation
which seems to have been incurred
during the war, and for the improve
ment Of harbors on both the Pacific
and the Atlantic coasts. While this
last should be Invested of some of its
projects and we must proceed slowly,
these bills in general have my ap-
proval. Such works are productive of
wealth and in the long run tend to a
reduction of the tax burden
RECLAMATION POLICY
Our country has well-defined pol
icy of reclamation established under
statutory authority. This policy
should be continued and made a self
sustaining activity administered in a
manner that will meet local require
ments and bring our arid lands into
profitable state of cultivation as
fast as there is a market for their
products. Legislation is pending bas-
ed on the report of the fact finding
commission for the proper relief of
those needing extension OF, time in
which to meet their payments on ir-
rigated land, and for additional
amendments and reforms of our re-
clamation laws, which are all exceed
ingly important and should be enact
ed at once.
AGRICULTURE CONDITIONS
No more important development
has taken place in the last year than
the beginning of restoration of ag-
rlculture to prosperous condition.
We must permit no division of classes
IN this country, with one occupation
striving to secure advantage over an
other Each must proceed under open
opportunities and with a fair prospect
If economic equality The govern
nent cannot successfully insure pros
'erity or fix prices by Legislative fiat
Every business has its risk and its
lines of depression. 1t is we'll known
hat in the long run there will be a
more even prosperity and more sat-
sfactory range of prices under the
atural working out of economic laws
han when the government undertakes
he artificial support of markets and
Industries. Still we can so order our
fairs, so protect our own people
rom foreign competition, so arrange
ur national finances, so administer
ur monetary system, so provide for
he extension of credits, so improve
lethods of distribution as to provide t
better working machinery for the :
-ansaction of the business of the ma {
on with the least possible friction i
nd loss. The government has been d
increasing its efforts in O
lese directions for the relief and per- h
lament establishment of agriculture n
n sound and equal basis with other 6
lsiness.
AILWAY PROBLEMS r
The railways during the past year I
i've made still further progress in fl
cuperation from the war, with large "
Inns in efficiency and ability expe-
tiously to, handle the traffic of the
'untry We have now passed
rough several periods of peak traf- n
; without the car shortages which el
frequently in the past have brought al
voc to our agriculture and indus &C
les. The condition of many of our sc
eat freight terminals is still one Of 81
fficulty and results in imposing ci
-ge costs on the public for inward v,
und freight. Owing to the growth n
our large cities and the great in 10
ease in the volume of traffic, par G,
ularly in perishables, the problem 90
not only difficult of solution, bu, -. 80
some cases not wholly solvable by a ,.S
ilway action alone Pl
In my message last year, l empha-
ed the necessity for further legisla-
n with view to expediting the We
nsolidation of our railways into no
ger systems. The principle of "a
control Of ratec and 90 NC