Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-17
At THE WHITE HOUSE
Maximum and Minimum Tariff
Matter Comment.
TWO CLOSEST TO PRESIDENT
Secretary Root and Speaker Cannon
Both Favor It.
49, 49,
THE SHIP SUBSIDY BILL
SHIP SUBSIDY Bill
THE
Mr.. Littauer Believes Prospects Are
Growing Brighter for Its Pass
age Next Week.

The fact that two of the three men closest
to President Roosevelt have come out for
maximum and minimum tariff COM
mented upon in a significant way today
by more than one White House caller from
congress. onal halls.
The mighty important suggestion was
made that it begins to look as if the adj
ministratOn, or the leading men who make
it, will adopt the maximum and minimum
doctrine and carry it into the next nation
al campaign.
With Secretary Root leading off for this
sort of tariff REVISION, followed by Speaker
Cannon, the expectation is that the lesser
lights all the way down will take up the
same cry. If it should become popular the
President would lend his mighty influence
for the same doctrine, he is said to be-
heve in its beneficial capabilities as a So
luton of the much-veXed tariff question.
1t is not a matter OF speculation when it
is stated that "a the present time there are
no closer men to the President than Sec
rotary Root, Secretary Taft and Speaker
Cannon. With these three men the Presi-
dent is frequently in close conference.
reaching no important decision without
first consulting them.
AS to Mr.. Root, the President. several
years ago, pronounced him the greatest of
Americans. and he was generally believed
to want to see the Secretary of State the
republican nominee next year. Then came
the wave of radicalism and the lessening
of talk of the conservative New Yorker as
possibility next year.
Root Talk Again to the Front.
AS the radical wave appears to recede
the Root talk comes to the front again,
aided by the Presidents renewed praise
last night OF the work that has been done
by his Secretary of State LAS 1 see it,"
again looming up for the nomination, and
back of him l see the fine hand of a mas
ter in politics. If the issue next year can
be turned from the question of corpora
tons, and the tariff be put forward as
paramount, Root will be a tremendous
factor. l can't help but see signs that
there are Intentions to quietly force the
tariff forward the object being to have the
! republican national convention declare for
the doctrine promulgated by Root and
Cannon and promise the people that the
Dinsley tariff will be revised imme-
dately after the election along certain lines
and no other. If Root cant be nominated
there is Cannon, who holds almost as close
place TO President Roosevelt. AS to
Taft the opinion appears to be that he is
sln-cre III not wanting to be considered in
the YGce and | believe that the President
knows positively that Taft has no ambi-
tons III that line but desires recognition
III another direction-the United States
supreme Court"
Secretary Shaw put forward the sugges-
tioa of a maximum and minimum tariff
several years ago in one of his annual re-
ports to Congress, but he did not indorse
1t or continue to follow it up in any way
as it is believed will be the case with Sec
rotary Root, Speaker Cannon and their
presidential followers.
Speaker Cannon With President
Speaker Cannon talked with the President
, today, but the presumption was that he
! was discussing the ship subsidy proposition,
fnasmuch as his chief lieutenant Represen-
tative Littauer of New York, did talk on
this subject with the President.
Mr. Littauer said TO-DAY that the prospects
were growing brighter for the passage of
the ship subsidy bill. which will be brought
to vote some time week after next Rela-
tive to the suggestion that the House con-
ferees may surrender to the Senate and
acccde to the Senate's bill for i subsidy
for cargo ships well mail vessels, Mr..
Littauer said:
The men who will be the conferees of
the House in the event the House bill
passes that body have given abundant as
surances that they will be perfectly loyal
to the House view Of the subsidy question.