Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-10
PRESIDENT HAS MUCH TO OVER
COME IN PUSHING HIS coRpo.
RATION CONTROL PROGRAM.
COMMITTEES ON COMMERCE
IN HANDS OF THE ENEMY
Taft Must Force Thru Any Desired
Legislation to Como Before Either
'House-Mann Heads House and Eli
lins tho Senate Committee - Presi.
dent Has One Strong Advantage.
Especial correspondence.l

Especial Correspondence
Washington, Aug. 10.-WIth Presi-
dent Taft pushing his plans for get
ting congress to enact next winter
comprehensive legislation with respect
to railroad and corporation control, it
becomes almost a certainty that the
White House program will find itself
up against strong opposition in con-
gress almost from the day that body
reassembles in December. It appears
almost a certainty that it will be nee
essary for President Taft, If not to
swing the big stick, at beast to exert
unusually strong pressure to get to any
large extent the sort of legislation he
wants. If the president manages to get
the legislation he seeks without COM
ing into serious collision with the
house and senate leaders, it will be a
conclusive demonstration of the fact
that the occupant of the White House
is rare diplomat and an unusual
manager Of men.
Committees Are Feminist,
"A glance at the makeup OF the house
and senate committees on interstate
commerce is interesting at this time;
1t will show that the president is GER
tain to have uphill work in getting re-
ported from committee, in either
branch Of congress, bills of the kind
he hopes to see passed. In the house,
Speaker Cannon has Just appointed
| Representative Mann OF Illinois. as
chairman of the committee on inter-
state and foreign commerce to sue
coed Col. w. P. Hepburn, who was de-
feated for reelection. Mr. Mann him
self is conservative He has been all
he'd pretty closely with the Cannon or
ganizaton in the house. 1t is true. he
did not go along with the organization
on the tariff bill and voted against
the conference report on that measure
because he did not like the action talk
en- on wood pulp and print paper. But
there is reason to believe he knew
Speaker Cannon would not frown upon
him for this 1t is certain that his re-
volt ON the tariff bill did not prevent
his appointment to one of the greatest
chairmanships in congress. Not only
is Mr.. Mann a conservative and listed
askance on the idea Of the government
extending its authority over the rail-
roads and corporations but there is a
strong element on the committee which
| is inclined in the same direction. The
man on the committee on whom, ap-
tparent1y. Mr.. Taft is relying to large
extent to get the bills he wants re-
ported out Of committee, is Represen-
tative Townsend of Michigan. one Of
the authors of the Esch- Townsend
railroad rate bill The president has
been in consultation for months with
Mr.. Townsend over the program of
railroad legislation and corporation
Legislation for next winter.
Elkins Heads Senate Committee.
In the senate, the interstate COM
merce committee is headed by Senator
Stephen B. Elkins. of West Virginia.
Senator Elkins is one of the stronges.
conservatives Of the senate. He is him
self interested in railroads and corpo-
rations. He Is frank and open about
1t. Senator Elkins was an opponent of
the rate legislation which was secured
in the Roosevelt regime. On the same
committee are other conservative SEN
ators. One of them is Senator Aldrich
himself. Another is Senator John Kean
of New Jersey. Senator Crane of
Massachusetts and Senator Nixon of
| Nevada are among the republican
members of the committee. 1t may be
expected that the members of the COM
mittee who will be willing to go
farthest in the extension of government
control over railroads and corporations
will be Senator'S Cummins and Clamp
and Senator Cullom, the aged states
man from Illinois, who is, however, to ,
far along in years to make an agrees
sive fight. The president is apparently
not unaware that he may have to get
support for his program from the SEN
ators on the republican side who have
been insurgent thru the special session.
1t Is understood Senator Cummins is
one of the members of congress who
has has been asked to return to Wash :
ington early in November for the pur-
pose of counseling with the president
on the sort of railroad and corporation
legislation which ought to be enacted
at the regular session.
1t will be recalled that in the rate
controversy, the rate bill would never
have got out of the senate committee
on interstate commerce had 1t not been
for the democrats, who Joined with
Clapp and Dolliver in voting to report
bill 1t is not at all unlikely similar
situation will arise when 1T comes to
the measures President Taft advocates
next winter.
Taft Has One Advantage.
While the president thus has difficult
ties ahead in the way of getting the
legislation he wants, he has one dis
tinct advantage and one that may
prove to be decisive of the outcome
With the White House urging further
extension of the authority OF. the gov
eminent over railroads and corpora
tons, it will be difficult for members
of the house, especially in western dis
tricts, to stand in the way with the
congressional elections coming on
Likewise, it will be hard for some of
the senators who are seeking re-eiec-
ton to appear before the country as
obstacles in the path of the reform
which the president is trying to work
out.