The Press., 1902-10-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
washington, october "a. 1909.


congress as subject Of speculation, and
although, of course, Mr.. Roosevelt has
oonfldedt his int 'ntions to NO one, aside,
perhaps, from his cabinet officers, a care
full collaboration of his and their utter
ances on various subjects makes 1t possi-
ble.to forecast the presidents views with
considerable accuracy. There is little
doubt but that the trust and the tariff
will occupy the leading positions In Mr..
Roosevelt's recommendations. 1t la be-
lieved that the attorney general is now
engaged on u measure which will be pre-
sented at the forthcoming session of con-
gress, and which is designed to perfect
the legislation inaugurated by the Shell
man antitrust bill. 1t Is almost needless
to say the bill will contain no provisions
inimical to what, in republican parlance,
are Egood trusts" 1t will be In line with
the recent recommendations of Mr.. Knox,
and will merely supplement the Sherman
law by authorizing legal proceedings, not
only against corporations instituted for
the purpose of restricting trade, but also
against those which incidentally take
measures calculated to effect that end.
Opinion differs as to what congress will
do with Mr.. Knox's bill, but that it will
receive the Endorsement of the president
Is generally conceded.
A most careful canvass OF those most
likely to know warrants the statement
that the president will frankly state that
there are tariff schedules which should be
revised. What they are he will not indi
cate, neither will he advise immediate re-
vision, but on the contrary he will recon-
mend that provision be made for a COM
mission of commercial experts to care
fully Investigate the situation, and prepare
for congress report on which tariff bill
may be based during the first session of
the fifty y-eighth congress. While it may
not be embodied in his December mes
sage, Mr.. Roosevelt will, according to a
statement made to your correspondent by
person very close to him, urge congress
before taking up measure intending to
revise the tariff to announce definitely and
unequiyocally just what schedules will be
changed, and then adhere to that state
ment. By this means he believes that
any uncertainty In regard to prices as
result of tariff revision can be confined to
a few classes of merchandise, and the
general trade need not be made to suffer-
That there will be some pertinent sug-
gesttons In regard to the anthracite coal
situation Is foregone conclusion, but
whether they are included in the first
message, or will be made the subject OF a
subsequent message, will depend upon
the celerity with which the anthracite
coal strike commission completes the
task before it. The commission, after
meeting at the white house and receiving
its instructions from the president on Fri
day, adjourned until Monday, when the
first actual meeting was held. President
Mitchell and the coal operators have been
invited to be present for the purpose of
setting dates and places when and where
the hearings will be held. Bishop Spaul-
ding, of the commission, told your corre-
spondent that the time which would be
required for the work was variously esti-
mated at from one to three months, but
he hoped that it would be completed by
the fifteenth of December at the latest.
The president will, of course, reiterate
his views in regard to the necessity of re-
ciprocal legislation with Cuba, although
legislation to that end is practically as
sured. The condition uf affairs In the
Philippines will be made the basis for
congratulation, and it is possible that
some legislation supplementing the Phil
ippine bills of the last session will be
asked for, especially new currency pro-
vision. The various insular possessions
will be dealt with at length. Secretary
Shaw Is now at work Oh review of the
financial system of the government, with
hope of being able to make some con-
crete and feasible recommendations to
congress, and II he succeeds the president
will embody them In his message. The
section devoted to an isthmian canal
promises to be full of interest, ,1although
Its character will depend on the report
which Attorney General Knox will tring
to the white house, possibly to-day, at
least in the course of a few days. Forest
resources and reservations, irrigation, etc..
will also be comprehensively discussed.
The news Of the campaign which reach
es Washington is variously interpreted
according to the person retailing 1t. 1t
is rumored, however, that there Is some
anxiety in administration circles regard
Ing the outcome in New York. A man
who stands high In the counsels of the
republican party told your correspondent
recently pitiful story of apathy among
the upstate" republicans, and of an
overweaning desire on the part of the city
democrats ''to share In the pie," In other
| words, to secure some of the offices. Ex-
Senator Hill and Tammany Hall are once
more working together, and Mr.. Cleve-
land Is sending letters Of commentator,
so that there Is likelihood of the demo-
cratic organization effecting more than 1t
has been capable of for some time past
Chairman Babcock has so far refrained
from making any definite predictions, and
until he does Washington will be In
doubt. Attorney General Knox and Sec
retaries Moody and Root will speak In
New York state In the course of the next
ten days, however, which is taken to mean
that the state needs attention.
A most extraordinary error in connec-
tion with the presidents new offices has
just been discovered. They are about
finished and the president expected to
move In this week, but 1t was found that
the architects had completely overlooked
the heating apparatus. A contract had
been placed for furnace, but no room
had been left for 1t, no place had been
| provided for the storage Of coal or the
temporary disposition Of ashes. The con.