The Rice belt journal., December 09, 1910, Image 2

About The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??

Image provided by: Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge, LA

                
PRESIDENT TAFT'S IESSAGE
Resume of the Work of the Various
Departments of the Goverment Is
Presented to Congress.
NEED OF ECOMONY POINTED OUT
Has Little to Say About the Tariff---Work on
Panama Canal Is Reviewed---No Change
in Anti-Trust Laws---Interstate
Commerce Laws Are Discussed.
Washington, Dec. 6.-In the longest
document of its kind ever sent to
congress, President Taft reviews at
length the business of the year in the
various departments of the national
government. The settlement of the
flshries dispute with England through
the largue tribunal comes in for a
considerable 'hare of the president's
attention. The history of the fisheries
dispute and the establishment of the
tribunal are comprehensively review
ed.
The president gives a resume of the
foreign relations of the government,
which are declared to be in a satisfac
tory condition.
Tariff Negotiations.
Referring to the negotiation of new
tariff agreements President Taft
says:
"The new tariff law, in Section 2,
respecting the maximum and mini
mum tariffs of the United' States,
which provisions came into effect on
April 1, 1910, imposed upon us re
sponsibility of determining prior to
that date whether any undue discrim
ination existed against the United
States and its products in any coun
try of the world with which we sus
tained commercial relations.
"In the case of several countries in
stafices of apparent undue discrimina
tion against American commerce were
found to exist. These discriminations
were removed by negotiation. Prior
to April 1, 1910, when the maximum
tariff was to come into operation with
respect to importations from all those
countries in whose favor no proclama
tion applying the minimum tariff
should be issued by the president, one
hundred and thirty-four such procla
mations were issued.
"This series of proclamations em
braced the entire commercial world
and hence the minimum tariff of the
United States has been given univer
sal application, thhs testifying to the
satisfactory character of our trade
relations with foreign countries.
"Marked advantages to the com
merce of the United States were ob
tained through these tariff settle
ments.
"The policy of broader and closer
trade relations with the Dominion of
Canada which was initiated in the ad
justment of the maximum and mini
mnum provisions of the tariff act of
August, 1909, has proved niutually
beneficial. It justifies further efforts
for the readjustment of the commer
tial relations of the two countries so
that their commerce may follow the
channels natural to contiguous coun
tries and be commensurate with the
steady expansion of trade and indus
try on both sides of the boundary
line."
Ship Subsidy.
The president urges such action as
he believes will increase American
trade abroad, and says:
"Another instrumentality indispen
sable to the unhamapered and natural
development of American commerce is
merchant marine. All maritime and
commercial nations recognize the im
portance of this factor. The greatest
commercial nations, our competitors,
Sealously foster their merchant ma
rine. Perhaps nowhere is the need
for rapid and direct mail, passenger
and freight communication quite so
urgent as between the United Stateq
apd Latin America. We can secure
in no other quarter of the world such
immediate benefits in friendship and
ommerce as would flow from the es
tablishment of direct lines of com
munication with the countries of
Latin America adequate to meet the
requirements of a rapidly increasing
appreciation of the reciprocal depen
dence of the countries of the western
hemisphere upon each other's prod
ucts, sympathies and assistance.
"I alluded to this most important
subject in my last annual message; it
has often been before you and I need
not recapitulate the t-easons for its
recommendation. Unless prompt ac
tion be taken the completion of the
Panama canal will find this the only
great commercial nation unable to
avail in international maritime busi
ness of this great contribution to the
means of the world's commercial-in
tercourse."
, Goyernmental Expense.
To no one subject does he devote
znore space than to the expense of
conducting the various government
departments and the urgent need for
economy, and in this connection he
says:
"Every effort has been made by
each department chief to reduce the
estimated cost of his department for
the ensuing. fiscal year ending June
30, 1912. 1 say this in order that con
gress may understand that these esti
mates thus made present the smallest
sum which will maintain the depart
ments, bureaus and offices of the gov
ernment and meet its other obliga
tions under existing law, and that a
cut of these estimates would result
in embarrassing the executive branch
of the government in the performance
of its duties. This remark does not
apply to the river and harbor esti
mates, except to those for expenses of
maintenance and the meeting of obli
gations under authorized contracts,
nor Coes it apply to the public build
ing bill nor to the navy building pro
gram. Of course, as to these con
gress could withhold any part or all
of the estimates for them without in
terfering with the discharge of the or
dinary obligations of these functions
of its departments, bureaus and' of
fices.
"The final estimates for the year
ending June 30, 1912, as they have
been sent to the treasury on Novem
ber 29 of this year, for the ordinary
expenses of the government, including
those for public buildings, rivers and
harbors, and the navy building pro
gram, amount to $630,494,013.12. This
is $52,964,887.36 less than the ap
propriations for the fiscal year end
ing June 30, 1911. It is $16,883,153.44
less than the total estimates, includ
ing supplemental estimates submitted
to congress by the treasury for the
year 1911, and is $5,574,659.39 less
than the original estimates submitted
by the treasury for 1911.
"These flugres do not include the
appropriations for the Panama canal,
the policy in respect to which ought
to be, and is, to spend as much each
year as can be economically and ef
fectively expended in order to com
plete the canal as promptly as possi
ble, and therefore, the ordinary mo
tive for cutting down the expense of
the government does not apply to ap
propriations for this purpose.
"Against the estimates of expendi
tures, $640,494,013.12, we have estimat
ed receipts for next year $680,000,000,
making a probable surplus of ordinary
receipts over ordinary expenditures of
about $50,000,000, or taking into ac
count the estimates for the Panama
canal, which are $56,920,847.69, and
which will ultimately be paid in bonds,
it will leave a deficit for the next
year of about $7,000,000, if congress
shall conclude to fortify the canal."
The Tariff.
The President devotes but little
space to the subject of the tariff law,
and of it he says:
"The schedules of the rates of duty
in the Payne tariff act have been sub
jected to a great deal of criticism,
some of it just, more of it unfounded,
and to much misrepresentation. The
act was adopted in pursuance of a
declaration by the party which is re
sponsible for it that customs bill
should be a tariff for the protection
of home industries, the measure of
the protection to be thqedifference be
tween the cost of producing the Im
ported article abroad and the cgst of
producing it at home, together 'ith
such addition to that difference as
might give a reasonable profit tO the
home producer. The basis for the
criticism of this tariff is that in re
spect to a number of the schedules
the declared measure was not follow
ed, but a higher difference retaihed or
inserted by way of undue discrimina
tion in favor of certain industries and
manufactures. Little, if any, of the
criticism of the tariff has been direct
Sed against the protective principle
above stated; but the main body of
the criticism has been based 'on the
attempt to conform to the measure of
protection was not honestly and sin
cerely adhered to."
The Tariff Board.
The president refers to the,appoint
ment of a board of experts to investi
gate the cost of production of various
articles included in the schedules of
the tariff, and says:
"The tariff board thus appointed
and authorized has been diligent in
preparing itself for the necessary in
vestigations. The hope of those who
have advocated the use of this board
for tariff purposes is that the question
of the rate of a duty imposed shall
become more of a business question
and less of a political question, to be
i ascertained by experts of long train
ing and accurate knowledge. The
r halt in business and the shooLk to bust
ness, due to the announcement that a
new tariff bill is to be prepared and
put in operation will be avoided by
treating the schedules one by one as
occasion shall arise for a change in
the rates of each, and only after a re
port upon the schedule by the tariff
board competent to make such report.
It is not likely that the board will be
able to make a report during the pres
ent session of congress on any of the
schedules, because a proper examina
tion involves an enormous amount of
detail and a great deal of care; but I
hope to be able at the opening of the
new congress, or at least during the
session of that congress, to bring to
its attention the facts in regard to
those schedules in the present tariff
that may prove to need amendment."
Our Island Possessions.
"During the last summer, at my
request, the secretary of war visited
the Philippine islands and has de
scribed his trip in the report. liHe
found the islands in a state of tran
quillity and growing prosperity, due
largely to the change in the tariff
laws, which has opened the markets
of America to the products of the
Philippines, and has opened the Phil
ippine markets to American manu
factures.
"The year has been one of prosper
ity and progress in Porto Rico.
Panama Canal.
"At the instance of Colonel Goeth
als, the army engineer officer in
charge of the work on the Panama
canal, I have just made a visit to
the Isthmus to inspect the work done
and to consult with him on the
ground as to certain problems which
are likely to arise in the near fu
ture. The progress of the work ,s
most satisfactory. If no unexpected
obstacle presents itself, the canal
will be completed well within the
time fixed by Colonel Goethals, to
wit, January 1, 1915, and within the
estimate of cost, $375,000,000.
"Among questions arising for pres
ent solution is the decision whether
the canal shall be fortified. I have
already stated to the congress that
I strongly favor fortification and I
now reiterate this opinion and ask
your consideration of the subject in
the light of the report already be
fore you made by a competent board.
"Another question which arises for
consideration and possible legislation
is the question of tolls in the canal.
This question is necessarily affected
by the probable tonnage which will
go through the canal.
"In determining what the tolls
should be we certainly ought not to
insist that for a good many years to
come they should amount to enough
to pay the interest on the invest
ment of $400,000,000 which the United
States has made in the construction
of the canal. We ought not to do
this, first, because the benefits to be
derived by the United States from
this expenditur9 is not to be meas
ured solely by a return upon the in
vestment. If it were then the con
struction might well have been left
to private enterprise.
"My own impression is that the
tolls ought not to exceed $1 per net
ton, and I should recommend that
within certain limits the president be
authorized to fix the tolls of the canal
and adjust them to what seems to
be commercial necessity.
"I cannot close this reference to
the canal without suggesting as a
wise amendment to the interstate
commerce law a provision prohibiting
interstate commerce railroads from
owning or controlling ships engaged
in the trade through the Panama
canal. I believe such a provision
may be needed to save to the people
of the United States the benefits of
the competition in trade between the
eastern and western seaboards which
this canal was constructed to secure."
Department of Justice.
Discussing the affairs of the de
partment of justice, the president
says:
"I invite especial attention to the
prosecutions under the federal law
of the so-called 'bucket shops,' and
of those schemes to defraud in which
the use of the mail is an essential
part of tie fraudulent conspiracy,
prosecutions which have saved ig
norant and weak members of the pub
lic and are saving them hundreds of
millions of dollars. The violations of
the anti-trust law present perhaps the
most Important litigation before the
department, and the number of cases
filed shows the activity of the govern
ment in enforcing that statute.
"In a special message last year I
brought to the attention of congress
the propriety and wisdom of enacting
a general law providing for the in
corporation of industrial and other
companies engaged in interstate com
merce, and I renew my recommen
dation in that behalf."
The crying need in the United
States of cheapening the cost of liti
gation by simplifying judicial proced
ure and expediting final judgment is
pointed out and action looking to cor
rection of these evils is urged.
SThe president recommends an in
crease in the salaries of federal
judget.
Postal Savings Banks.
"At Its last session congress made
p rovision for the establishment or
savings banks by the postoifce de
partment of this government by which
under general control of trustees, con
sisting of the postmaster general, the
secretary of the treasury and the at
torney general, the system could be
begun in a few cities and towns, and
enlarged to cover within its opera
tions as many cities and towns and as
large a part of the country as seemed
wise. The initiation and establish
ment of such a system has required a
great deal of study on the part of
the experts In the postoflice and treas
ury departments, but a system has
now been devised which is believed to
be more eononmical and simpler in its
operation than any similar system
abroad. Arrangements have been per- i
fected so that savings banks will be
opened in some cities and towns on i
the 1st of January, and there will be a
gradual extension of the benefits of
the plhn to the rest of the country "
"It is gratifying," says the president,
"that the reduction in the postal
deficit has been accomplished without
any curtailment of postal facllities.
On the contrary, the service has been
greatly extended during the year in
all Its branches."
Second-Class Mail.
"In my last annual message I in
vited the attention of congress to the
inadequacy of the postal rate imposed
upon second-class mail matter in so
far as that includes magazines, and
showed by figures prepared by experts
of the postoffice department that the
government was rendering a service
to the magazines, costing many mil
lions in excess of the compensation
paid. An answer was attempted to t
this by the representatives of the
magazines, and a reply was filed to
this answer by the postoffice depart
ment. The utter inadequacy of the
answer considered in the light of the
reply of the postoflice department, I
think must must appeal to any fair- I
minded person. Whether the answer
was all that could be said in behalf of
the magazines is another question. I
agree that the question is one of fact;
but I insist that if the fact is as the
experts of the postoffice department
show, that we are furnishing to the a
owners of magazines a service worth
millions more than they pay for it,
then justice requires that the rate
should be increased. The increase in
the receipts of the department result
ing from this change may be devoted
to increasing the usefulness.of the de
partment in establishing a parcels
post and in reducing the cost of first
class postage to one cent. It has been
said by the postmaster general that a
fair adjustment might be made under
which the advertising part of the
magazine should be charged for at a
different and higher rate from that of
the reading matter. This 'would re
lieve man'y useful magazines that are
not circulated at a profit, and would
not shut them out from the use of the
mails by a prohibitory rate:
"With respect to the parcels post, I
respectfully recommend its adoption
on all rural delivery routes, and that
11 pounds-the international limit-be
made the limit of carriage in such
post."
Abolish Navy Yards.
The president calls attention to cer
tain reforms urged by the secretary of
the navy which he recommends for
Adoption, and continues:
"The estimates of the navy depart
ment are $5,000,000 less than the ap
propriations for the same purpose last
year, and included in this is the build
ing program of the same amount as
that submitted for your consideration
last year. It is merely carrying out
the plan of building two battleships a
year, with a few needed auxiliary ves
sels. I earnestly hope that this pro
gram will be adopted.
"The secretary of the navy has
given personal examination to every
navy yard, and has studied the uses
of the navy yards with reference to
the necessities of our fleet. With a
fleet considerably less than half the
size of that of the British navy, we
have shipyards more than double the
number, and there are several of these
shipyards expensively equipped with
modern machinery, which, after inves
tigation the secretary of the navy be
lieves to be entirely useless for naval
purposes. He asks authority to aban
don certain of them and to move their
machinery to other places, where it
can be made of use."
"The complete success of our coun
try in arctic exploration should not re
main unnoticed. The unparalleled
achievement of Peary in reaching the
north pole, April 6, 1909, approved by
critical examination of the most ex
. pert scientists, has added to the dis
tinction of our navy, to which he be
longs, and reflects credit upon his
country. I recommend fitting recogni
tion by congress of the great achieve
ment of Robert Edwin Peary."
Conservation.
"The subject of the conservation of
the public domain has commanded the
attention of the people within the last
two or three years.
"There is no need for radical re*
form in the methods of disposing of
what are really agricultural lands. the
present laws have worked well. The
enlarged homestead law has encour.
aged the successful farming of lands
in the semi-arid regions.
"N'othing can be more important in
the matter of conservation than the
treatment of our forest lands. It was
probably the ruthless destruction of
forests in the older states that first
called attention to the necessity for a
halt in the waste of our resources.
"in the present forest reserves there
are lands which are not properly for
est, and which ought to be subject to
homestead entry. This has caused
some local irritation. We are care
fully eliminating such lands from for
est reserves or where their elimina
tion is not practical listing them for
entry under the forest homestead act.
"Congress ought to trust the execu
tive to use the power of reservation
only with respect to land most valu
able for forest purposee. During the
present administration, 62.250,000
acres of land largely non-timbered,
have been excluded from forest re
serves, and 3,500,000 acres of land
principally valued for forest purposes
have been included in forest reserves,
making a reduction in forest reserves
of non-timbered land amounting to
2,750,000 acres."
Coal Lands.
"The next subject, and one most im
portant for your consideration, is the
dlsponasitinn of the coal lands In the
United States and Alaska. At the be
ginning ol this administration there
were withdrawn from entry for pur
poses of classification 17,S67,000 acres
Since that time there have been «ith
drawn by my order from entry for
classilication 78,977,745 acres, making
a total withdrawal of 96,844,745 acres.
Meantime of the acres thus with
drawn 1,061,889 have been classified
and found not to contain coal alad
have been restored to agricultural en
try, and 4,726,091 acres have been
classified as coal lands; while 7,993,2;;9
acres remain withdrawn from entry
and await classification. In addition
337,000 acres have been classified as
coal lands without prior withdrawal,
thus increasing the classifiod coal
lands to 10,429,372 acres.
"Under the laws providing for the
disposal of coal lands in the United
States, the minimum price at which
lands are permitted to be sold is $10
an acre; but the secretary of the in
terior has the power to fix a maximum
price and to sell at that price.
"As one-third of all the coal supply
is held by the government, it seems
wise that it should retain such con
trol over the mining and the sale as
the relation of lessor to lessee fur
Ilish 's.
"The secretary of the interior thinks
there are difficulties in the way of
leasing public coal lands, which ob
jections he has set forth in his re
port, the force of which I freely con
cede. I entirely approve his stating
at length in his report of the objec
tions in order that the whole subject
iay be presented to congr ess, but
after a full consideration, for the rea
suns I have given above, I favor a
leasing system and recommerd it."
Water Power Sites,
"Prior to M1arch 4, 1909, there had
been, on the recommendation of the
reclamation service, withdrawn from
agricultural entry, because they were
regarded as useful for power sites
which ought not to be disposed of as
agricultural lands, tracts amounting
to about 4,000.003 acres. The with
drawals were hastily made and in
eluded a great deal of land that was
not useful for power sites. They were
intended to include the power sites
on 29 rivers in 9 states. Since that
time 3,475,442 acres have been re
stored for settlement of the o.iginal
4,000,000 because ,they do not con
tain power sites; and meantime, new
withdrawals have been made which,
with other restorations based upon
field examination, result in withdraw
als at present effective of 1,218,356
acres on vacant public land and 202,
197 acres on entered public land, or a
total of 1,420,553 acres. These with
drawals made from time to time cover
all the power sites included in the
first withdrawals and many more, on
151 rivers and in 12 states. The dis
position of these power sites involves
one of the most difficult questions pre
sented in carrying out practical con
servation.
"The subject is one that calls for
new legislation. It has been thought
that there was danger of combination
to obtain possession of all the power
sites and to unite them under one
control. Whatever the evidence of
this, or lack of it, at present we have
had enough experience to know that
combination would be profitable, and
the control of a great number of pow
er at will within certain sections.
"However this may be, it is the
plain duty of the government to see
to it that in the utilization and devel
opment of all this immense amount
of water power, conditions shall be
imposed that will prevent extortion
ate charges, which are the usual ac
companiment of monopoly.
"The question of conservation is
not a partisan one, and I sincerely
hope that even in the short time of
the present session consideration may
be given to those questions which
havq now been much discussed, and
that action may be taken upon them."
Alaska.
"With reference to the government
of Alaska, I have nothing to add to
the recommendations I made in my
last message on the subject. I am
convinced that the migratory charac.
ter of the population, its unequal dis
tribution, and its smallness of num
ber, which the new census shows to
be about 50,000, in - relation to the
enormous expanse of the territory,
make it altogether impracticable to
give. to those people who are in
Alaska today and may not be there a
year hence, the power to elect a leg
islature to govern an immense ter
ritory to which they have relation so
little permanent."
Bureau of Corporations,
Referring to the report of the com
missioner of corporations, the presi
dent says:
"The commissioner finds a condi
tion in the ownership of the standing
timber of the United States other
than the government timber that calls
for serious attention. The direct in
vestigation made by the commissioner
covered an area which contains 80
per cent. of the privately-owned tim
ber of the country.
"His report shows that one half of
the timber in this area is owned by
200 individuals and corporations;
that 14 per cent. is owned by these
corporations, and that there is very
extensive inter-ownership of stock,
as well as other circumstances, all
pointing to friendly relations among
those who own a majority of this tim
ber, a relationship which might lead
to a combination for the maintenance
of a price that would be very detri
mental to the public interest, and
would create the necessity of remov
ing all tariff obstacles to the free im
portations of lumber from other coun
tries."
Bureau of Labor.
'"The commissioner of labor has been
actively engaged in composing the dif
ferences between employers and em
ployees engaged i. interstate a
t ,rtfli n 1' ! r " - Erdmanat.
lii u.th i ,i: t iiilan Of the -te
Sk in oo high te
T}¢' * ' ' , O ) ice rs l
,ei'io t ,in !t''1ern t of COD
SIes ,W !I ,'i!. i ,!;t for their interp0
would hag . r".sited disastrou871
Civil Service Commion.
'lh r c it ! s.irvice commissls0
continueld n ,- useful duties do lj
ear l'lh nIlesslty for the
Iance of tl:e Irovisions of the
sericer law was hever greater h
ay.t Ofticers responsible for the
i, o(f thhe adlluistration, and
immlilatp p'ersonal assistants or
ties, shouild nut be Included hlth
classified service. but in my
11ent t, Ip!hlic ulrlnion has advaadg
the Illnt where it would supportt
providing a secure tenure during
(ieoncy for all purely adminishtr
officials. I nte r'ain the profounad
vIctili that it wc)uldl greatly add
(ause of ,ftliceitnt and economical
'rllllnent aiind (f bettl-r Politics if,
gross could 'nlact a hill providingt
the executive shall have the pIe
to include in the classified service
lo(,cal oflices under the treasury depa,
ien!t, the departrment of justice, th
plostoftfic· delart ent, the interior j
lpartitnt and the ,lpartment of co
Imerce and labor, appolntments 0
which now reulllire the confrma
of the sen:ate, and that upon su
classification the advice and coons
of the senate shall cease to be r
qutired in such appointments. r
the iI certainty of tenure, dependents
good service. and by their freedo1
from the necessity for political astie.
itv. those local officers would be is
(iucid to become more efficient publ
st rvants.
Economy and Effictency.
"Th e increase in the Activities ul
in the annual expenditures of the e,.
,ral government has been so nriP
and so great that the time has com
to check the expansion of governmens
activities in new directions until n
have tested the economy and eliciens
with which the government of todayb
being carried on. The responsibli~t
rests upon the head of the administrt
tion. Hie is held accountable by th
public, and properly so. Despite tn
unselfish and patriotic efforts of tih
heads of departments and others
chargeli with responsibility of govet_
ment, there has grown up in thiscom
try a conviction that the expenses t
government are too great. The fa
damentrl reason for the existence aus
detected of waste, duplication, and ead
management is the lack of promptso
curate information.
"I have requested the head of each
department to appoint committees a
economy and efficiency in order to a
cure full co-operation in the moveat 
by the employees of the governmest
themselves.
"I urge the continuance of the ai
propriation of $100,000 requested for
the fiscal year 1912.
"My experience leads me to bellen
that while government methods ais
much criticized, the bad results-it l
do have bad results-are not due to a
lack of zeal or willingness on the paId
of the civil servants."
Interstate Commerce.
"There has not been time to test th
benefit and utility of the amendmmts
to the interstate commerce law 005'
tained in the act approved June II,
1910. The law as enacted did not eC
tain all the features which I resme
mended. It did not specifically de
nounce as unlawful the purchase bY
one of two parallel and competiel
roads of the stock of the other. NW
did it subject to the restraining 151
ence of the Interstate Commerce 0a
mission the power of corporationu l
gaged in operating interstate rarlmri
to issue new stock and bonds; nor t i
it authorize the making of tempormf
agreements between railroads Umlito
to 30 days, fixing the same rates M
traffic between the same places.
"I do not press the consideration d
any of these objects upon congfl5 :,
this session.
"The interstate commerce ceol*
sion has recommended approprli
for the purpose of enabling it to fhl'*
upon a valuation of all railroads. Tb1lb
has always been within the jurisie
tion of the commission, but the rei
site funds have been wanting. Sa
tics to the value of each railroad wI
be valuable for many purposes, 5P
cially if we ultimately enact any 113
itations upon the power of the isaT
state railroads to issue stockI s5D
bonds, as I hope we may.
"For the protection of our on
people and the preservation of od
credit in foreign trade, I urge aupo
congress the immediate enactment d
a law under which one who, In g~
faith, advances money or credit upS
a bill of lading issued by a commI-
carrier upon an interstate or forei, ·
shipment can hold the carrier libl_
for the value of the goods describd:
in the bill at the valuation specl.
in the bill, at least to the extent of th
advances made In reliance upon it
"I further recommend that a punlb
ment of fine anti Imprisonment be 1
posed upon railroad agents and shiPb
pers for fraud or misrepresentatio"
connection with the Issue of bills d
lading issued upon interstateand sa "
eign shipments.
"Except as above, I do not rec
mend any amendment to the interst5
commerce law as it stands. I do D0
now recommend any amendment M
the anti-trust law. In other words, I
seems to me that the existing legisio
tion with reference to the regtlatld
of corporations and the restraint -
their business has reached a p
where we can stop for a while and wit
ness the effect of the vigorous xcZ*
tion of the laws of the statute b
in restraining the abuses which eI
tainly did exist and which roused
public to demand reform."