Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-04

Two brief resting spells" marked Presi-
dent Taft's trip across the continent and
back. Unlike the ordinary excurslonist,
rest does not await him at tho white
House. Enough business is piled up there
to suspend the elght-hour limit for weeks
to come. AS soon as he reaches Washing
ton next Wednesday. the shadow OF the
approaching session OF congress will be
felt II not seen. There is is a
message to compile and deliver scores
Of offices to be filled, and various
suspended problems Of state to solve. Some
Of the more important matters on the
desk, summarized by a Washington cor
respondent Of the New York Post, include
a conference with the interstate
committee OF the house and the
committee OF the senate, for the purpose
Of outlining the administration's program
In congress during the winter. The pres
ident's general ideas with respect to pro-
posed amendments to the interstate com
merce and antitrust laws were made plain
by his speech on his western trip at Des
Moines, la. To lay down the general prin-
ciples- Of a policH to be pursued, however,
is vastly different from writing that policy
into a statute which will hold. While all
men may subscribe to the general policy,
II is the details OF the statute that make
Il plain what interests and what individuals
are to be most affected thereby. 1t is
upon a multitude of details that congress
likes best to differ, and the coming con-
ference, in all probability, will make mani
fest to the president how far he can 60 in
his program without opposition, and Just
what kind Of opposition he will be called
upon to meet.
In addition, President Taft will have TO
confer some length with most of his
cabinet. because practically all the cabi-
net officials are directly interested in inn
portant legislation coming before the next
congress. There is no possibility Of a re-
port by the Monetary commission before
a year from this fall, according to In
formation which has reached Washington,
and, in the meantime, something must be
done to maintain the parity of the>2 per
cent Panama bonds already issued, and
the 8 per cent bonds authorized by the re-
cent special session of congress, IL the
treasury is to be amply protected. Mr..
Macveagh, secretary of the treasury, has
already announced that he prefers TO issue
certificates of Indebtedness, drawing 9 per
cent interest, instead of bonds, in case OF
necessity, until congress ~rectifies the Tecog-
nized discrepancy between the two classes
Of bonds mentioned.
Furthermore, Mr.. MacVeagh is deeply in
terested with the president in a retrench-
ment in government expenditures. The
president Is expected by ongress to see to
it that the estimate Of the various ex-
ecutive departments are kept well within
the estimated revenues for the next fiscal
year, and, II they are not so kept, to sug-
gest to- congress means by which add
tional revenue can be raised. 1t is not ex-
peeted that Mr.. Taft will have to suggest
any new form Of taxation to congress-, but,
on the other hand. it is no easy matter to
economic.
As is usual, just before a session Of 1on-
gress the president will be kept exceedingly
busy comforting with member Of both
houses, not only on the work Of congress,
but on appointments to be made. Mr.. Taft
has made comparatively few appointments
since March 4 last, and the ordinary rOu-
tine Of keeping federal offices filled is no
small job in itself. In addition to the cas-.
ual run Of such appointments, the presi-
dent has only a short time in which to
make up his mind about the new customs
court provided for in the new tariff bill
That law provided that this court must be
organized, within ninety days. thus far
only an assistant attorney has been ap-
pointed in connection with it. In addition,
the president has to appoint an assistant
secretary of and labor and an
assistant secretary of the treasury to ad-
minister the customs law. The resignation
of Charles r. Crane as minister to China
made vacant what is generally regarded
as the most important diplomatic post in
the gift Of the president.
The program for the unwilling of the
statue Of General Lew Wallace in statuary
hall OF the capitol on January IL has been
completed and an incident which promised
to stir up a row between Indiana politi-
clans is closed. William Allen Wood of
indianapolis, one of the three commission
ers, will deliver the address OF presenta-
ton. Senator Beveridge and Governor
Marshall have been placed on the program
for orations, and the Hoosier poet, James
whitoomb Riley, will read a poem written
especially for the occasion.
Lew Wallace, jr. of Indianapolis, grand
son of the general, will pull the cord that
will unveil the statue. On the night of the
18th the Indiana society OF Washington will
hold what 1t will call a Wallace meeting,
men OF prominence having been asked to
deliver short addresses. The Indiana con-
gresslonal delegation will be invited to at
terd this function. An effort is to be
made to have most Of the survivors of the
Eleventh Indiana regiment, which General
Wallace commanded during the early part
of the war. attend the unwilling,