The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-12-25
CONGRESSMAN ARE TRYING
TO PLACE THEMSELVES

| tative Fowler, as chairman and it has
held meeting or two TO organize and
u get into shape for the consideration
of numerous plans which have been
offered for curing financial ills. It IS
a foregone conclusion. however. that
the law. as finally passed, will be franz
ed in the Senate. Chairman Fowler
is an asset currency man and he has
named as subcommittee with himself
as chairman men who will likely ac-
Gulesce in what he recommends. The
s.rar.e men of the committee. at least
the strong men in the estimation Of the
H"Cse. such as Representatives Theo-
dare Burton of Ohio. John w. Weeks Of
Mas sachusetts, a leading banker OF
Boston, and Lewellyn Powers of
Maine. have been left off the subcom-
mittee entirely. Their voices will be
heard when the bill gets into commit
tee but probably they will be unable
To r:nulG measure that can COM
mahd the support of the conservative
forces in the Senate and the House.
Senator Aldrich has been working on
currency legislation ever since he ar
rivei in Washington. He has conferred
extensively with the members of his
committee on Finance and with other
Senator's. He has also made two visits
to the White House, the last time of
an evening in company with Senator
Crane of Massachusetts. The Presi-
dent asked both of them to come and
thereby gave proof of his desire for
harmony within the Republican party
during the session. Senator Aldrich
had not been to the White House for
many months and it did not seem likely
that he would go there right away, as
his sentiments toward the President
are far from cordial.
The meeting between she two men,
however, was frank and cordial The
President gave no indication of a wish
to dominate Congress in the matter of
financial legislation. He is interested,
of course, that Congress shall pass
some emergency currency law, but he
surprised Senators Aldrich and Crane
by announcing that he intended to
keep hands off and leave Senate and
House to work out the problem ac-
cording to their own best judgment.
OF course, the President may change
his mind after while, as ne generally
gress it not coming up to the expecta-
tions of the country, but it looks at
present as though the Congress would
a currency bill.
1t may be that the President will
get back to harmonious relations with
Congress during the present session.
Possibly Congress would not be averse
to such a condition of things. It's
leaders have been more or less at odds
with the President ever since he en-
tered the White House. Every VIM
ter there has been some legislation
which the President wanted to get
through and which Congress would
enact only reluctantly and under pres
sure from the White House.
As far as the signs go, no program
for legislation has been made up at
the White House this year. The Pres
ident's recommendations for more
enactments against corporations, it is |
understood, viii not be\ passed at this |
session, and the legislation will be
passed over for his successor in office
to handle A modification of the Sher-
man antitrust law is being drafted at
the Department of Justice by the As
sistant to the Attorney General, Mr..
Purdy Some think the President
will likely start a campaign for its
enactment into law before this session
closes.
But Congress is in no mood for that
kind of legislation and, with the pres
ent spirit, neither Senate nor House
could be pushed very hard. The Re-
publicans want to do nothing to jeop-
ardize their chances in the Presiden-
tial campaign. The corporations are
already in an ugly mood because of
what the administration has done to
them and because of the current de-
preston. They will be let alone for