f protection against contagious diseases in international conference,
with a view of adopting means of mutual assistance. The creation of such
a national health establishment would greatly aid our standing in such
conferences and improve our opportunities to avail ourselves of their
benefits.

I earnestly recommend the inauguration of a national board of health
or similar national instrumentality, believing the same to be a needed
precaution against contagious disease and in the interest of the safety
and health of our people.

By virtue of a statute of the United States passed in 1888 I appointed
in July last Hon. John D. Kernan, of the State of New York, and Hon.
Nicholas E. Worthington, of the State of Illinois, to form, with Hon.
Carroll D. Wright, Commissioner of Labor, who was designated by said
statute, a commission for the purpose of making careful inquiry into
the causes of the controversies between certain railroads and their
employees which had resulted in an extensive and destructive strike,
accompanied by much violence and dangerous disturbance, with
considerable loss of life and great destruction of property.

The report of the commissioners has been submitted to me and will be
transmitted to the Congress with the evidence taken upon their
investigation.

Their work has been well done, and their standing and intelligence give
assurance that the report and suggestions they make are worthy of
careful consideration.

The tariff act passed at the last session of the Congress needs
important amendments if it is to be executed effectively and with
certainty. In addition to such necessary amendments as will not change
rates of duty, I am still very decidedly in favor of putting coal and
iron upon the free list.

So far as the sugar schedule is concerned, I would be glad, under
existing aggravations, to see every particle of differential duty in
favor of refined sugar stricken out of our tariff law. If with all the
favor now accorded the sugar-refining interest in our tariff laws it
still languishes to the extent of closed refineries and thousands of
discharged workmen, it would seem to present a hopeless case for
reasonable legislative aid. Whatever else is done or omitted, I
earnestly repeat here the recommendation I have made in another portion
of this communication, that the additional duty of one-tenth of a cent
per pound laid upon sugar imported from countries paying a bounty on its
export be abrogat