The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-12-10
MESSAGE DAY
in CONGRESS
Senate and House Hear PreSi-
DENTS Document Read.
some BUSY TIMES AHEAD.


oussion at This Sesson-Bitter Ar
eument on Ship Subsidy Proposal
Likely.
Washington, Dec. 7.-[Special. lin
the old days it could have been said,
"Of messages there is no end" and
this would have been true whether the
messages were spoken of singly or in
the mass. Times have changed. Now
the complaint is that the president
does not write his message till the last
minute, and there is little of it when it
is done. To the extra session he sent
little more than "Good morning-hope
you are we'll" His effort to the regu-
lar session is much more pretentious,
but is mere pamphlet compared to
some of the voluminous outpourings of
ten at SO late a date that it had the
newspaper men doing regular election
night stunts to get it into print.
Soft Pedal on Anti trust Law.
In one particular the president
changed his mind in regard to his rec
IlC uCu llltubcu SOluB
deliberately into the subject of amend
ing the Sherman antitrust law, but
owing to the decision of the United
States circuit court in the Standard
Oil case and the subsequent appeal to
the supreme court he decided to forego
any extended discussion of the matter
at this time. After the decision of the
highest tribunal is handed down he
may discuss the subject in a special
message. TO enter into it now he con-
sidered an improperly, and, besides,
the action of the supreme court may
entirely change the situation in regard
to needed legislation.
Regulating the Railroads.
Perhaps the recommendation of the
president that will occasion most work
and not little discussion and con-
fict is that proposing the group of
measures known as his railroad poll
cies. The commerce court will occa-
sion fight on the score of expense,
though it will not meet as bitter OPP
position from the railroad men them
selves and from Wall street as will
the proposals to do away with stock
watering and speculation in railroad
securities. In this connection ii is
certain that Senator La Toilette will
continue his crusade for physical val
uation. a rather amusing fact about
the fight on physical valuation is that
there are two forms of it urging exact
ly opposite arguments. The friends
of the roads antagonize it because it
would place the value too low, while
Senator Cummins, La Follette's broth
err insurgent, is against it because it
would place the value too high. Cum
minis contends that the basis of earn
ings should be the actual cash original
ly invested, which often would repre-
sent an amount very much less than
the current physical value Of the prop
erty.
Where the insurgents Come In.
One question that is certain to arise,
not scheduled on the regular
is that of a tariff commits
sion. On this point the insurgents are
a unit, and the Democrats probably
will support them. The contention is
that the present so called commission
has only a nominal existence without
any real power. What the progress
ives want is a perpetual body that
will investigate all subjects relative
to schedules at home and abroad and
recommend individual changes as fast
as such are Necessary. They assert |
that the present hurried and haphaz-
ard method of tariff revision is not sci
entific and that it unsettles business, |
whereas If the matter were in the
hands Of a board Of experts that could
frame new schedules ON certain arti-
cles whenever the needs of the case
seemed TO demand it a more intelligent
and dispassionate consideration would
be possible and business would not suf-
fer. Other than this there will be no
tariff discussion in this congress, the
extra session having mercifully reliev-
ed it Of the burden.
The Subsidy Cat Comes Back.
The ship subsidy proposal is certain
to cause an acrimonious discussion. 1t
will doubtless be more bitter than i'm
the past for the reason that two new
forces have appeared, one in favor of
the bill and one opposed TO it. The .
new element in favor of the measure
is the presidents open advocacy. The /
adverse feature Is the treasury deficit. F..
There is such call for economy that 4
the departments are all cutting down
their estimates. The opponents Of the
subsidy will use this fact for all it Is
worth Not without interest in con I
necti0n with this effort TO put the
American flag back On the seas is the .
proposal Of Senator Elkins to remit
Iomc OF the tariff on all imports
brought to this country IN our own
ships. That ought to help.
The Taft Stroll.
one Of the familiar sights Of the cap T.
ftaI now T. the figure Of President Taft +
about the streets at any
hour Of the day or night that pleases /
him. His are not the slsshing walks
Of Roosevelt. but the same kind Of
stroll that you OF I take. The spec .
tacle does ones democratic heart good