Image provided by: Independence Public Library; Independence, OR
About Independence enterprise. (Independence, Or.) 1908-1969 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 1908)
PRESIDEfirS JESSAGE Hales Annnal Recommen dations (o Congress, ATTACKS ANTI-TRUST LAW WiriMH AH hsul Amensee U Permit Combination Whleh Are In the Interest ef the Public, I ix the Prlsit Urges Legllatien to Safeguard lha Wagtwsrliere Owalla en Nd f Protection far Psreste. Vltwi ait the Army and (ha Navy. Washington, Pec. S.-In hi ucaasg to congress, read to tha two bouse, tbe prealdeut Mid: The Unsocial standing of tba nation at tba preseut tlne la excellent and tba flnaurlal management of tba Da tioo'a Interest by tba government dur ing tba laat aeven yesr baa abowa tba Boat aaUa factor reaulu. But our eurrrucy astem la Imperfect, and It la earnestly to ba hoped tbat tba cur rency cotnmiselnn will ba able to pro pose thoroughly good aatem wblcb will do away wltb tba existing defects. Ihiring tba period from Jul 1, 1801, to Bept- 80. 11KM, tbera baa been a net urplua of oaarl oua hundred million of receipts over expenditure, a reduc tion of tha Interest bearing debt b ninety million, In aplta of tba extraor dinary expense of tba Panama canal nd saving of nearly nlna nillliou on tba annual Interest charge. Tbla la o exceedingly satisfactory showing. There baa ben a reduction of Uxa Hon. J Corporation. Am regard tbe great corporation! en gaged In Interstate business, and ed pe el 11 y tba railroad, 1 can only repeat wbnt I bare already again aud again aid In uiy message to tbe congress. I believe tbat under tbe Interstate clause of tbe constitution tbe Lulled State hn complete and paramount right to control all agencies of lnter atate commerce, and I believe tbat tbe national government nlono can exer cise this right wltb wisdom and ef fectiveness ao aa both to secure Justice from and to do justice to tbe great corporations which are tbe most lna port ant factors lu modern business. 1 believe that It Is worse than folly to attempt to prohibit all combinations, a Is done by the Sherman anti-trust Jaw, because siRli a law can be en forced only Imperfectly aud unequal ly, and Its enforcement works almost much hardship as good. I strongly advocate that Instead of an unwise effort to prohibit all combinations there ball bo substituted a law which shall xpresslv permit combinations which In Ui4 interest of the public, but hall at tbe samo time give to soffit jagency of tbe national government full power of control and supervision over them. One of tbe chief features of thl control should be securing entire publicity In all matters which tbe pub lic ha a right to know and. further more, the power, not by judicial, but ty executive, action to prevent or put stop to every form of Improper fa- orltbim or other wrongdoing. The railways of the country should a put completely under the Interstate commerce commission and removed from the domain of the anti trust law. Tbe power of tbe commission should be made thoroughgoing, so tbat It coold exercise complete supervision and control over the Issue of securities well as over the raising and lower ing of rates. As regards rates, at least this power should be summary, row er to make combinations and traffic agreements should be explicitly con ferred upon the railroads, tbe permis sion of tbe commission being first gained and the combination or agree jnent being published In all Its de tails. The interests of the sharehold ers, of tbe employees and of the ship- fters should all be guarded as against one another. To give any one of them undue and Improper consideration Is to do Injustice to the others. Rates must be made as low as Is compatible avith giving proper returns to all tha employees of the railroad, from the tilghest to the lowest, and proper re turns to tbe shareholders, but they anust not, for Instance, be reduced In orach fashion as to necessitate a cnt In the wages of the employees or the abolition of tbe proper and legitimate profits of honest shareholders. Telegraph and telephone companies (engaged In interstate business should lie put under the Jurisdiction of the In terstate commerce commission. Ample Reward For Intelligence. ! It Is to the interest of all of us that there should be a premium put upon Individual Initiative and individual ca Ipacity and an ample reword for the jap-eat directing intelligences alone com ipetont to manage the great business operations of today. It is well to keep 5n mind that exactly as the anarchist jla the worst enemy of liberty and the eactionary the worst enemy of order jaw the men who defend the rights of (property have most to fear from the Srongdoers of great weaitn, ana me en who are championing popular 'rights have most to fear from the Idemagogues who in the name of popu 9ar rights would do wrong to and op press honest business men, honest men tof wealth, for the success of either type of wrongdoer necessarily invites a violent reaction against the cause tbe wrongdoer nominally uphold, f Tbe opposition to government con jtrol of these great corporation make effective effort t tbe i Keelded tact tba rtgM M fairy aa f aa si to tba old docirtae ef tat rtafcu. Tba ervpueaj I make tba aatloaaJ foeerament supreme over, and there for to give It complete eoslrul over, tba railroad a ad ether lustre meat of Interstate commerce 1 merely a pro posal to carry vat lo tba letter aaa at Iba prima purpose. If act tba prime purpose, for which tb ronstltutioa wa found. It do not r-prnt ecutrelliaUoa. ! twtleva that tha mora fsralgbtsd eorportilooe ara tbemselvea coming to reroanilt tl uawtadmu of tba viol rot hostility the bva dlfplayml durlna; tba lat fw yera to rrgnUtluo aod control by tba natiuiial government of combUutiooa nggd la Utoratata bul- neaa. There ara many matter affecting la bor and tba atatua of tba wageworkar to wblcb I abould Ilka to draw your attention. A far aa poealbla I hope to era a frank recognition of tba ad- vintage conferred by machinery, or- (saltation and dlvlaloo of labor, ao- rompanled by an effort to bring about larger abare In tba ownerahlp by wageworker of railway, mill and fac tory. In farming thl almply mean tbat wa wlh to ae tba farmer own bl own laud. Wa do not wUh to aea tba fartna ao large tbat they become tba property of abaentee landlord wbo farm them by tenant nor yet ao small that tba fanner become Ilka a Euro pean peasant. Tba depoaltora In oar tiring bank now number over one-tenth of our en Or population. Tbeaa are all capital- let wbo through tba taring banks loan tbelr money to tbe worker tbat U, In mtny rate to tbemaelTea to carry on their various Indoatrte. Postal aavlnga bank will make It easy for tbe poorest to keep tbelr a ring In abeolute safety. Tba regulation of tbe national highway mutt be auch tbat they ihall serve all people with equal Justice. Corporate finance mutt be supervised o a to make It far aafer than at present for tbe man of mall mean to Invest bla money In stock. There must be prohibition of child labor, diminution of woman la bor, shortening of hour of all me chanical labor. Stock watering abould be prohibited, and stock gambling, so far a Is possible, discouraged. There should be a progressive Inheritance tax on large fortunes. Industrial edu cation should be encouraged. Protection For Wagtworkera. There is one matter with which the congress should deal at this session. There should no longer be any palter ing wltb tho question of taking care of the wageworkcrs who, under our present Industrial system, become kill ed, crippled or worn out as part of tho regular Incidents of a given business. Tho object sought for could be achiev ed to a measurable degree, as far as those killed or crippled aro concerned, by proper employers' liability laws. As far as concerns those who bave been worn out, I call your attention to the fact that definite steps toward pro viding old age pensions bave been taken in many of our private Industries. Pending a thoroughgoing Investiga tion and action there is certain legis lation which should be enacted at once. Tbe law passed at tbe last ses sion of the congress granting com pensation to certain classes of em ployees of the government should be extended to include all employees of the government and should be made more liberal in its terms. In this re spect the generosity of the United States toward Its employees compares most unfavorably with that of every country In Europe even the poorest. The terms of tbe act are also hardship in prohibiting payment In cases where the accident is in any way due to the negligence of the em ployee. It Is inevitable that daily fa miliarity with danger will lead men to take chances that can be construed Into negligence. I renew my recommendation made in a previous message that half holi days be granted during the summer to all wageworkera in government employ. I also renew my recommendation tbat the principle of the eight hour day should as rapidly and as far as practicable be extended to the entire work being carried on by the govern ment The Court. I most earnestly urge upon the con gress the duty of increasing the totally Inadequate salaries now given to our judges. On the whole, there is no body of public servants who do as valuable work nor whose moneyed reward is so Inadequate compared to their work. Beginning with the su preme court, the Judges should have their salaries doubled. It is earnestly to be desired that some method should be devised for do ing away with the long delays which now obtain in the administration of Justice and which operate with pecul iar severity against persons of small means and favor only the very crimi nals whom it is most desirable to pun ish. At the last election certain leaders of organized labor made a violent and sweeping attack upon the entire Ju diciary of the country, an attack couched in such terms as to include the most upright, honest and broad minded judges no less than those of narrower mind and more restricted outlook. Last year before the house committee on the judiciary these same labor leaders formulated their de mands, specifying the bill that con tained them, refusing all compromise, stating they wished the principle of that bill or nothing. They insisted on a provision that in a labor dispute no Injunction should issue except to pro tect a property right and specifically basin afeoeid ao be eeaatraed aa property rtgkt. aod la a aeeoad pa tuioe tbelr UU euada Ugal la a UU dtepota ta act or tf rmut by a btwa two or Rtura peranna tba a-ouid net aav ba unlawful If doe bf a alagie faroa. la 4hr word. iak bill legalised btartltattng aod boy rotting la every form. Tba demand wa made tbat there thoold ba trial by Jury la contempt raeea, thereby Btoat eertoualy Impairing lb (albert! pf the reurta. All tbla represented roura ef policy wblcb. If carried eat, would mean tba enthronement ef ciaa privilege la It crudeat and tnoet brutal form and tba destruction of one ef tba moat etitll function ef tba Judiciary la all elvlJIaed land. Tbe wageworkera, tba worktngiaen, tba laboring men of tbe country, by tba way lo wblcb tbey repudiated tbe ef fort to get tbvm to rat tbelr votea In reapotia to an appeal to data hatred have emphaalted tbelr eound patriotism nd Americanism. Court Imperiled by Judge. But tbe extreme reactionaries, tba person wbo blind tbemaelve to tba wrong now nd then committed by tha court on 'laboring men. abould lao think aerl cutty to what auch a movement tbla portend. Tba court are jeoparded primarily by tba action of tbeae federal and tta Judge wbo abow Inability or unwlJl- lngnn to put a stop to tba wrong doing of very rich men under modem Industrial condition. There are certain decision by va rioua court wblcb bar been exceed I. ,tkieaIa wbh-l be ta ta any wa a meat bla art to protect crtutUtel la ear Waac at pabtle eptaloa and tba ertloe ef tfU I tbe potwie errlre, tod etacOjr M we feilow Judaea. It la (he laat which la atuet Immediately effective and to wblcb wa aboold look for tbe reform ef aboaea, Fereet. If tiusj La aity im duly wl.U-b awe Ibao another e owe It to ear cblldrea and our children's children to perform at one It U to aav tba foreet of tbla country, for tbey rooatltute tba Ort and moat Important element la the cvtwerraitoa ef tbe natural re- ourrea of tba country. rnontignfea persona, or tieraotta blinded lo tba future by deelre to uiaka money In every way cut ef tha pnwent. aoruettinee ipeak aa If no great damage would be done by tba reck lee deal ruction ef our forenta. It 1 difficult to btve patience wltb tba argument ef tbeae persona Thank to our own reckle!) In tbe dm ef our splendid foreeta, aa bar already crossed the verge of a timber famine In tbla country, and no me sure tbat we aow lake can, at lean for many years, undo the miarhlrf tbat ba al ready been done. But we ran prevent further mischief being done, and It would be In tba blgbeat degree re r re- hen a II, I to let any consideration of temporary convenience or temporary coat Interfere wltb auch action, espe cially a regard tba national forest. wblcb tba nation can now at tbla very moment control ITbe president here cite In support of hi contention tba great de trac tion wrought In China by tba denuda- aave agate and again daring tbe aaat eves year proserqted aod roevtrtad such criminals wbo ware ta tbe aaaee- Ua braacb ef tbe government so la my teller wa abould be gtvsa mpi , a .JT . , . Tu - 17 000 ' area. Ingly detriment! to tbe right . wageworker. Tbla 1 true of all tba decision tbat decide tbat men and women are by tba constitution "guar What baa tbua happened In northern China, what ba happened In central Aata, In I'alestlne, In north Africa, In anteed tbelr liberty" to contract to par?f of tU M"rraneaii countrlea enter a dangerou occupation, or to " - """'7 u.pi-u ia our work an undesirable or Improper nam- c"nt7 l w do nf exercise tbat tw.r f hour. ..p i work in tinh..ith forethought wblcb should be one urrntinrtW. mnA th.-r.fnr rsnnnt r. cniei niHras or any people Call- cover damage when maimed in that ,n UjMf" civilized. Nothing ahould be occUDation aud cannot be forbidden i"Uiea n ma way or tne to work what tbe legislature decide la an excessive number of hour, or to carry on tbe work under condition which tbe legislature decide to be un healthy. There It also, I think, ground for tbe belief tbat substantial injustice ia often suffered by employees in conse quence of the custom of courts Issu- preservatlon of the forest, and It 1 criminal to permit Individual to pur chase a little gain for themselves through the destruction of forest when thla destruction It fatal to the well being of tbe whole country In tbe future. Inland Waterways. Action should be begun forthwith. lng temporary Injunctions without no- during the present session of congress. tlce to them and punishing them for contempt of court in Instance where. a a matter of fact, tbey bave no knowledge of any proceedings. Tro rlslon should be made that no injunc tion or temporary restraining order issue otherwise than on notice, except where irreparable injury would other wise result, and in such case a bear ing on the merits of the order should be had within a short fixed period. and If not then continued after hear ing it should forthwith lapse. Dec! slons should be rendered Immediately and the chance of delay minimized In every way The courts are to be highly com mended and stancbly upheld when they set tbelr faces against wrong doing or tyranny by a majority, but tbey are to bo blamed when they fall to recognize under a government for the Improvement of our inland wa terways action wblcb will result In giving us not only navigable but navigated rivers. We bnve spent hundreds of millions of dollars upon these waterways, yet the traffic on nearly all of them Is steadily declin ing. This condition is tbe direct re sult of the absence of any compre hensive and farseelng plan of water way Improvement Obviously we can not continue thus to expend the rev enues of the government without re turn. It is poor business to spend money for inland navigation unless we get It Such shortsighted, vacillating and futile methods are accompanied by de creasing water borne commerce and Increasing traffic congestion on land, by increasing floods and by the waste of public money. Tbe remedy lies In like ours tho deliberate Judgment of abandoning the methods which bave tbe majority as to a matter of legiti mate policy when duly expressed by the legislature. The people ahould not be permitted to pardon evil and slipshod legislation on the theory that the court will set it right They should be taught that the right way to get rid of a bad law is to have the legislature so signally failed and adopting new ones in keeping with the needs and demands of our people. In a report on a measure introduced at tbe first sesslou of the present con gress the secretary of war said, 'The chief defect hi the methods hitherto pursued lies in the absence of execu- benslve plans covering the country or natural divisions thereof." In this opinion I heartily concur. Until the work of river improvement Is undertaken in a modern way it can not bave results that will meet the needs of this modern nation. These needs should be met without further dilly-dallying or delay. The plan which promises the best and quickest results Is that of a permanent commission au thorized to co-ordinate the work of all the government departments relating to waterways and to frame and super vise the execution of a comprehensive plan. The time for playing with our waterways is past The country de mands results. National Park. I urge that all our national parks ad jacent to national forests be placed completely under the control of the forest service of the agricultural de partment, instead of leaving them, as repeal it and not to have the courts by tlve authority for oritrinatlne comore- mgemons nair splitting nullify it People Tbemaelve to Blame. For many of the shortcomings of Justice In our country our people as whole are themselves to blame, and the Judges and Juries merely bear their share together with the public as a whole. It Is discreditable to as as a people that there should be difficulty In convicting murderers or in bringing to Justice men who as public servants bave been guilty of corruption or who have profited by the corruption of pub lic servants. Tbe huge wealth that has been ac cumulated by a few Individuals of re cent years, in what has amounted to a social and industrial revolution, has been as regards some of these individ uals made possible only by the improp er use of the modern corporation. Cor porations are necessary Instruments of modern business. They have been per mitted to become a menace largely be cause the governmental representatives of the people have worked slowly In providing for adequate control over them. Real damage has been done by the manifold and conflicting interpreta tions of the interstate commerce law. Control over the great corporations do ing interstate business can be effective only if it is vested with full power to an administrative department a branch of the federal executive, carrying out federal law. It can never be ef fective if a divided responsibility is left in both the states and the nation. It can never be effective if left in the bands of the courts to be decided by lawsuits. The courts hold a place of peculiar and deserved sanctity under our form of government. Respect for the law is essential to the permanence of our in stitutions, and respect for the law is largely conditioned upon respect for the courts. But we must face the fact that there are wise and unwise Judges, Just as there are wise and unwise ex ecutives and legislators. . When a president or governor behaves improp erly or unwisely the remedy is easy, for his term is short The same Is true with the legislator, although not to the same degree. With a Judge who, being human, Is also likely to err, but whose tenure is for life, there is no similar way of holding him to responsibility. Under ordinary condi tions tbe only forms of pressure to tba kgUlaUva branch. Out If tbla eat rooaldared k-s!rU a aperlal ex reptkta could be made ta tbe law pra- hlblUng the ose of tbe aecret arrhw force In tovesttgattng member ef tba cotigTesa. It would be far better ta do tbla than to do wbat actual! wa done nd atrfre to prevent or at least to hamper effective action agalnat crim inal by tbe executive be orb of tbe government Portal levlng Banks. I gtn renew my reronimendatioa for postal aavinga banka, for deposit lng savings wltb tbe aerurlty ef tbe government behind them. The object Is to encourage thrift aod economy In tbe wage earner and person of mod erate means It la believed tbat In tba aggregate vaat sum of money would be brought Into circulation through tbe liiatrumenttlity of tbe postal tv Inga banka Postal saving banka are now In operation la practically all tbe great ctvillaed countrlea wltb tbe ex ceptlon of tha United State. Parcel Peat. In my last tnnual aieasag I com mended tbe postmaster general' rec ommendation for en extension of tbe parcel post on tbe rural route. The establishment of a local parcel post on rural route would be to tba tnu tual benefit of tbe farmer and the country storekeeper, and It ia desirable that tba routes, serving mora than 15, 000.000 people, should be utilized to tbe fullest practicable extent Education. Tbe share that tbe national govern ment should take In tba broad work of education baa not received tbe atten tion and tbe care It rightly deserve. I earnestly recommend tbat thla un fortunate state of affair regard tbe national educational office be rem edied by adequate appropriation. Census. I strongly urge tbat tbe request of tbe director of the censua In connec tion with tbe decennial work to soon to be begun be compiled wltb and that the appointment to the censu force be placed under tbe civil service law, waiving tbe geographical requirements as requested by the director of the census. Tbe supervisors and enumer ators should not be appointed nnder the civil service law for the reasons given by the director. Publio Health. The dangers to public health from food adulteration and from many oth er sources, such as the menace to the physical, mental and moral develop ment of children from child labor, should be met and overcome. This na tion cannot afford to lag behind in tbe worldwide battle now being waged by all civilized people with the micro scopic foes of mankind. Tbe first leg islative step to be taken Is that for tbe concentration of the proper bureaus into one of the existing departments. Statehood. I advocate the immediate admission of New Mexico and Arizona as states. This should be done at the present ses sion of tbe congress. Tbe people of tbe two territories have made It evi dent by their votes that they will not come in as one state. The only alter native is to admit them as two, and I trust tbat this will be done without delay. Foreign Affairs. This nation's foreign policy is based on the theory that right must be done between nations precisely as between individuals, and in our actions for the last ten years we bave In this matter proved our faith by our deeds. We have behaved and are behaving to ward other nations as In private life an honorable man would behave toward his fellows. ' Latin American Republics. The commercial and material prog ress of the twenty Latin American re publics is worthy of the careful atten tion of the congress. No other section of the world has shown a greater pro portionate development of its foreign trade during the last ten years, and none other has more special claims on the interest of the United States. Panama Canal. The work on tbe Panama canal is be- they are now, under the interior de- lng done with a speed, efficiency and partment and policed by the army. Pure Food. The pure food legislation has already worked a ltenefit difficult to overesti mate. Secret Service. Last year an amendment was incor porated in the measure providing for the secret service which provided that there should be no detail from the se cret service and no transfer therefrom. It Is not too much to say that this amendment has' been of benefit only. and could be of benefit only, to the criminal classes. The amendment in question was of benefit to no one ex cepting to criminals, and it seriously hampers the government in the detec tion of crime and the securing of Jus tice. It prevents the promotion of em ployees in the secret service, and this further discourages good effort In its present form the restriction operates only to the advantage of the criminal, of the wrongdoer. The chief argument in favor of the provision was that the congressmen did not themselves wish to be Investi gated by secret service men. Very lit tle of such investigation has been done In the past, ut it is true that the work of the secret service agents was partly responsible for the indictment and con viction of a senator and a congressman for land frauds In Oregon. I do not believe that it is in the public Interest entire devotion to duty which make it a model for all work of the kind. No task of such magnitude has ever before been undertaken by any nation, and no task of the kind has ever been better performed. The men on the isthmus, from Colonel Goethals and his fellow commissioners through the entire list of employees who are faithfully doing their duty, have won their right to the ungrudging respect and gratitude of the American people. Ocean Mail Lines. I again recommend the extension of tbe ocean mall act of 1S91 so tbat sat isfactory American ocean mail lines to South America, Asia, the Philippines and Australasia may be established. The creation of such steamship lines should be the natural corollary of the voyage of the battle fleet It should precede the opening of the Panama canal. The Philippine. Real progress toward self govern ment is being made in the Philippine Islands. The gathering of a Philippine legislative body and Philippine assem bly marks a process absolutely new in Asia, not only as regards Asiatic colo nies of European powers, but as re gards Asiatic possessions of other Asi atic powers, and Indeed, always ex cepting the striking and wonderful ex ample afforded by the great empire of arteee wtoe tewpered wt aatfete whir a fcaa bppe4 aaaon Asia tie power w hick are tbetr ewa BMstera, W bare gtvea tbe TUiplaua ruaeUta tlooal geveroweet. foveraattet baaed opoq justice, and wa bava aaowa tbal bave gevrA4 tbnt for lbtr good i s3 3t tor cur aa&UMSM&l At tbe preeeat lime, a durtag tbe past tea years, tba Inexorable togte ef fart abow tbat tfaie govern axutt must be auppltd by as and not by tbeta. We must be wise sud geoer oua We mast betp Iba Filipino ta master tbe difficult art ef aeif coo. trui, which ta almply another nam for aeif government Hut we cannot glva tbeui self government ssva lo tbe sense of governing them so that grad ually they may. If tbey are able, team lo govvrn tbemeelvea. No uo can prophesy tbe eiact date when It will be wise to consider Independence aa a fixed aod definite polh'y. Perte Rise. I again recommend tbat American citizen Ulp be conferred upon tbe peo ple ef Porto I Uco. Cuba. lo Cuba our occupancy will cease la bout two months time. Tbe Cuban bava la orderly manner elected tbelr own governmental authorities, and tba Island will ba turned over to them, Our occupation ou this occasion baa lasted a Utile over two year, and Cuba ba thriven and prospered under It Our earnest hope and one desire hi that tbe people of tbe Island shall Dow govern tbemaelve wltb Justice. ao tbat peace and order may be ae-cure. The Fleet'e Fteeeelen. I take tbla opportunity publicly to tat my appreciation of tha way In wblcb in Japan, In Australia, In New Zealand and la all tba atatee of South) America tha battle fleet ba been re ceived on It practice voyage around tbe world. Tba American government cannot too strongly express lu appro elation of tbe abounding and generous hospitality abown our ablpa in every port they visited. The Army. As regard the army, I call attention to tbe fact that while our junior offi cer and enlisted men atand very high. the present system of promotion by seniority result in bringing into the higher grade many men of mediocre capacity wbo bave buc abort time to serve. No man should regard it hi vested right to rise to tbe highest rank In tbe army any more than Id any other profession. Tbe scope of retiring boards should be extended to tbat tbey could con sider general unfitness to command for any cause in order to secure a far more rigid enforcement than at pres ent in the elimination of officers for mental, physical or temperamental disabilities. But this plan is recom mended only if tbe congress dos not see fit to provide what In my Judg ment is far better that is, for selec tion lu promotion and for elimination for age. Now that the organized militia, the national guard, has been incorporated with tbe army as a part of the national forces It behooves the government to do every reasonable thing in its pow er to perfect its efficiency. A bill is now pending before the congress creating a number of extra officers in the army, which, if passed, as it ought to be, will enable more of ficers to be trained as Instructors of national guard and assigned to that duty. There should be legislation to pro vide a complete plan for organiz ing the great body of volunteers be hind the regular army and national guard when war has come. i While teams representing the United State won the rifle and revolver champion ships of the world against all comers In England this year, it is unfortunate ly true that the great body of our citi zens shoot less and less as time goes on. To meet this we should encourage rifle practice among schoolboys and indeed among all classes, as well as in the military services, by every means in our power. The Navy. I approve the recommendations of the general board for the Increase of the navy, calling especial attention to the need of additional destroyers and coliiers and, above all, of the four bat tleships. It is desirable to complete as soon as possible a squadron of eight battleships of the best existing type The North Dakota, Delaware, Florida and Utah will form the first division of this squadron. I most earnestly recommend that the general board be by law turned Into a genera staff. The is literally no excuse whatever for continuing the present bureau organization of the navy. . The navy should be treated as a purely military organization, and everything should be subordinated to the one object of securing military efficiency. A system of promotion by: merit, either by selection or by ex clusion or by both processes, should be introduced. Nothing better for tn navy from every standpoint has ever occurred than the cruise of the battle fleet around the world. The improvement of the ships in every way has been ex traordinary, and they have gained far more experience in battle tactics than they would have gained if they ha3 stayed in the Atlantic waters. I do not believe that there is any other service in the world in which the average of character and efficiency in the enlisted men is as high as is now the case In our own. I believe that the same statement can be made as to our officers, taken as a whole, but there must be a reservation made in regard to those in the highest ranks and in regard to those who bave just entered the service, because we do not now get full benefit from our excellent Japan,' it opens an entirely new de-' naval school at Annapolis.