The Republican journal., 1909-11-25
Washington Letter.

WASHINGTON, D. C, November 22nd.
with the elections over and the return Of
President Taft and Cabinet officers and
the daily incoming Of Senators and Rep
resentatlves, interest is conferred in the
work OF the first regular session of the
6lst Congress-. The Presidents message
VIII be awaited eagerly, as it is expected
that now the tariff question is settled for
this administration Mr. Taft will make
many other recommendations for Con-
gresslonal action in his first message.
Among them will probably be suggestions
TOR increasing the scope and power of
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
including court to expedite litigation.
MIR. Taft said in one Of his speeches:
me administration was elected on
platform that we propose to carry out
the policies of Theodore Roosevelt. and
we propose to keep that promise"
He had made it clear, however, that
no legitimate corporation has anything
to fear and this applies to railroads as
we'll as Industrial concerns.
In the same conservative Way the
President will deal with the labor inter
ests. He will recommend legislation rel
atlve to the issuing of injunctions, but
there will be no suggestions favoring la
Dor unions. Every man and every organ
ization will be equal before the law. and
there will be no special legislation for or
against any one.
The conservation policy will attract
much attention, and an attempt will be
made to prevent all control of natural
resources by monopolies. No definite
policy for inland waterways will be an
nounced until its feasibility is determined
by capable engineers and its cost fully
determined. The government s irrigation
policy will, however, be continued and
extended.
1t is hardly likely that there will be
any monetary legislation during the com
ing session. The commission will not
have its report ready and the President
will not ash for action till the report is
complete. The question of Postal Saw
ings Banks, which the President favors.
may be debated, but it it thought that
final action will be in conjunction with
the new currency law.
A Ship Subsidy bill will be recommend
ed and it is believed will be passed. For
years the rehabilitation of our merchant
marine has been unsuccessfully attempt
ed, but it can confidently be predicted
that bill of some sort will reach the
President and be approved during the
coming session.
The onward march of industrial pro-
gress under the operation of the new
tariff law is unchecked. New records
are being made every week and a volume
of business has already been reached
never before attained.
Nowhere are business conditions so
emphatically reflected as in the matter
of idle cars. On August 4th, the day
before the passage of the tariff law
there was surplus of 207, 173 On No
vember 4th, just three months after the
law went into operation there was ac-
tually shortage of cars amounting to
some 5000. This means that not only
the entire transportation resources of
the country are employed, but orders
for thousands of new cars must be at
once placed to meet future conditions.
1t is very significant fact that the So
called insurgents who are still grumbling
because they were not able to make the
tariff law themselves have nothing to
say about its operation. So far, there
does not seem to be on record a single
expression from anyone complaining of
the results of the operation OF the new
law. This, of course, is the greatest
vindication possible of the Judgment and
wisdom of the trainers of the tariff and
of the President who approved it, The
proof of the pudding is in the eating, and
the proof of the value of the tariff now
in operation is the results recorded day
by day of unprecedented business.
Of course it was expected that the
trainers of the law would only say the
very best thing possible about it, but we
are hearing from day to day what others
think about it who are not politicians
for instance, VIM. E. Curtis, who is per-
haps the most famous newspaper cores
pondent of the day, says:
" 1t is undoubtedly the most consistent
and scientific law that has ever been en-
acted. 1t contains no oddities or eccen-
tricities, and thus far no serious errors
have been found. Usually the engross-
ing clerks have left out commas or in
serted semicolons which have provoked
controversies and caused litigation and
perverted the intention of Congress
Several years ago the accidental inser-
ton of a comma nulifed an entire sec
ton, and by similar mistake in another
law the importation of certain article
was absolutely prohibited, when the
Congressional Committee intended that
it should come in free. But there are no
freaks in this law, and, as l have
said, the general tendency is to lower
duties"