Show T MESSAGE READ 1 TO CONGRESS Needed Legislation Outlined b by Y President Taft WORKINGS OF TARIFF ACT Maximum and Minimum Clause Discussed Dis cussed cussed of Postal Savings SavIngs Savings Sav Sav- ings Banks Considered to Be Beyond Question Tho Washington Washington Tho message of ot the tha president to congress may be summarized summarized summarized sum sum- as follows The relations of the United States to all foreign governments g with the exception of the unfortunate embroilment embroilment embroilment embroil embroil- ment with Nicaragua are declared satisfactory That our friendly relations relations relations rela rela- with Mexico have been cemented cement cement- ed by the recent meeting of the presidents presidents pres pres- of the two republics Is evidenced evidenced evidenced evi evi- by the following passage in inthe inthe inthe the message My me meeting with President Diaz and the greeting exchanged on both American Amen Ameri can nn and Mexican soil loll served I hope to signalize the close and cordial relations which so well bind together this republic and ind nd the great republic Immediately to the tha south louth between which there Is so vast ast a network of material Interests A system providing for the pensionIng pension- pension Ing of ot civil servants is favored The message message makes mention that criminal prosecutions against unworthy unworthy unworthy un un- un- un worthy government officers In connection connection connection con con- with sugar trust custom house frauds are going forward The message says I regret to refer to th the fact tact of the discovery discovery discovery dis dis- covery of ot extensive frauds In the collection lion Hon of the customs revenue at New York city 11 in which a a. number of the linate In the weighing and other departments were directly concerned concerned concerned con con- and Imd in which the beneficiaries were the American Sugar Refining Company Company Com Com- pany and others The frauds consisted In the payment of at duty on of ot sugar The government has hM recovered from Crom the American Sugar Refining Company Company Company Com Com- pany all that It is shown to have been defrauded de- de of at The sum was received in full of the amount due which ml might ht have hava been recovered reco by civil n suit against the tha beneficiary of the fraud but there was WIlS an express reservation in the contract of settlement by which the settlement should not Interfere with or prevent the crimInal crimInal criminal crim crim- inal prosecution of everyone who was vas to be subject to the same Criminal prosecutions are now proceeding proceed proceed- ing against a number of at the government officers The treasury department and the tha department of justice are exerting every effort to discover all the wrongdoers In Including Including Including In- In the officers and of the tha companies who may Jay have been privy to the fraud It would seem to me that an investigation of ot the frauds by congress at present resent pending the probing by the treasury treasury treasury treas treas- ury department and the department of justice as proposed might by giving Immunity immunity immunity im Im- im- im and otherwise prove an embarrassment embarrassment embarrassment embar embar- In securing conviction of ot the tha thaOn guilty parties r On the question of the tariff tho the president reassures the country as to possibility of tariff war over o the maximum maximum maximum max max- and minimum clause in the bill He asks the people to have confidence confidence confidence con con- that the chief executive will tactfully carry out the provisions of ot the measure Quoting the plank of the platform on which the Republican candidate was elected the message declares the tho intention of the administration to uphold uphold uphold up up- hold every principle of law but condemns condemns con con- the issuance of hasty Deficit In the postoffice department the president declares Is due to the undercharging of second-class second mail mall matter he being being- of the opinion that such matter does not pay its due share toward expenses The president continues The deficit ever every year In 11 the postoffice postoffice post- post office department Is largely caused by bythe the low rate of or postage of at 1 cent a a. pound charged on second class mall mail matt matter r which includes not only newspapers newspapers newspapers news news- papers but magazines and miscellaneous periodicals The Tho actual loss growing out of at the transmission oo o of this second-class second mall matter at 1 cent centa a pound amounts to about a n year ear The Tho a average verago cost of at the transportation transportation transportation trans trans- of or this matter is more than 9 cents cents' a n pound It e at the the average distance b b. b per rw Ii net ra ra are atc delivered 11 v e re d w t o their th lr m r u s- s J while thc ithe h 1 se f nt t rou hll ii and d f an Q a Jt l 12 miles miles t haut g 0 nL the ma magazine Is 18 three and one e h half l Ume times and that of the perl d- d leal Ical n nearly arly four tour times the haul of at the tha dally newspaper yet all of ot them pay the same postage rate of 1 cent a pound The statistics of 1007 1907 sho that second-class second mall mail matter constituted constituted constituted per cent of oC the weight of ot all nil the tho mall mail and yielded only pe per percent percent cent of the revenue Tho The figures given are arc startling and show the payment by the government of at an enormous subsidy to the tho newspapers newspapers news news- papers magazines and periodicals and congress may well consider whether radical steps should not be taken to ta reduce the deficit In the post-office post department de- de department de de- caused by this discrepancy between the the- actual cost of Gt transportation tion and the compensation exacted A great saving might be made amounting to much more than half halt of ot tho loss Iou by Imposing upon magazines and periodicals a higher rate of at postage post post- age They are much heavier than newspapers and contain a much higher proportion of advertising to reading matter and the average distance of their transportation is three and a half halt halftimes halftimes times as us great greaL The immediate immediate- institution of ot postal ravings banks is recommended An earnest recommendation is made for the passage of a ship subsidy bill With the urging of legislation look look- the conservation of ot our national resources the message concludes I urgently recommend to congress that hat a law b be passed requiring requiring- that candidates can can- In elections of members of ot the tha of representatives and committees tn in n charge of oC th their lr candidacy and campaign campaign cam- cam file ale In a n proper office omee of oC the United States tales tates government a statement of ot th the tha r received ed and of or the expenditures Incurred in the campaign for tor such elections and that similar legislation b be b. enacted In respect to all other elections which are arc constitutionally within the thC control conol control con con- ol of congress |