Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-08
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

country's prosperity at the present
time exceed the estimate made
when the tax bill was drafted. Who
MAY any more successfully estimate
the falling off in revenues in less
prosperous days? If. as the anti
administration forces urge, the tax
rate be closely adjusted to present
revenues and hard times follow, as
they have q way of doing, and the
revenues become less than are need
ed for running the Government
what happens? Nothing less than
increasing taxes and so aggravating
the hard times.
That would be commonly con-
sidered commonsense UP where the
President was raised, but in some
quarters there Is manifest a DISPOSE
ton to disregard it. In his message
the President suggests two ways by
which the present surplus may not
be misapplied; either give credit at
the next tax payment or use to re-
duce the debt, one dollar of which
will be at least a dollar and four
cents year from now. And our
President, fortunately. is mindful OIL
economy.
He takes occasion to remind us
that "Our present state of prosperity
has been greatly promoted by three
important causes, one OF which is
economy, resulting in reduction and
reform in national taxation. An
other is the elimination of many
kinds of waste. The third is gen.
eral raising of the standards of ef-
brought the perfectly astonishing re-
suit of a reduction in the index price
of commodities and an increase in
the index rate of wages. We have
secured a lowering of the cost to
produce and raising of the ability
to consume. Prosperity resulting
from these causes rests on the
securest of all foundations. 1t
gathers strength from its own
progress"
With regard to the protective tarifr
he reminds us that there is an In
crease of 71Go in imports since our
present tariff law went into effect.
About $500 Of these came in free.
OF course the free trader would like
to upset the law, but other folks will
be likely to hesitate if they think
much about it.
He recognizes that conditions, to
which certain branches of agrI-
culture now are subjected, are I'M
favorable, but he calls attention to
tho various ways in which legisla-
ton has been had for relief In
the past and he would now have
emphasis placed on improvement in
marketing facilities; that If Con-
gress may find a solution for this
problem 1t should not hesitate to
adopt 1t.
He would not refuse recognition
Of the fact that for large areas OF
the country the need Of tmpounding
water is great and the scale by
which 1t must be done Is one which
only the Federal Government may
properly undertake. Provision should
be made for the future but seeing. as
he does, that our area Of tillable land
IN ample for immediate purposes
that the cotton area. for instance
needs to be reduced by about one
third. his evident conclusion is that
1t We finish the irrigation projects
which we have begun and make
suitable plans for the future we
shall have met current obligations
in that respect.
He sees that what our merchant
marine needs is not more ships but
more freight and adheres to his
former opinion that the management
of our fleet should be under one
responsible head.
Regarding radio regulation his
suggestion should serve to open q
way for composing the differences
between those, who urge that 1t
would be unwise to place this
regulation within control Of any
politically appointed cabinet officer,
and those who would turn it over to
the Department of Commerce. The
ETeSlueuI Woulu INV oS@NH'ASA s~AA
other and independent bureau. but
an efficient board to be assembled
whenever occasion required. its de-
cisions to be subject to revision be-
fore the courts, the administering Of
the decisions to be left with the De-
partment Of Commerce.
He would have the President en-
powered to act in event Of a coal
controversy; he would have the
salaries Of the Federal judiciary in
creased, these being the last to re-
ceive postwar adjustment; he
would increase the power of the ma
tional banks to compete with the
State banks; he would reduce rather
than expand the bureau system.
With regard to the Philippines he
says in part:
1.-THE economic development of the
islands is very important They
ought not to be turned back to the
people until they are both politically
fitted for government and &C.
cnomicaliy independent Large areas
are adaptable to the product of rub
Der. No one contemplates any time
in the future either under the pres
ent or q more Independent form Of
government when we should not as
sumo some responsibility for their
defense. For their economic adj
vantage. for the employment of their
people, and as a contribution to our