Evening star., 1909-05-07
Judiciary Committeeman Con-
fer With President.
OBJECT IS NOT REVEALED
Callers Reticent Regarding the
Topic Discussed.
QUARREL IN CABINET DENIED
Secretaries Wilson and Ballinger
Have Not Been Disturbed.

The first mystery OF the Taft admins
tration reared its head at the White
House today. But it soon pulled its head
in. and inquiries began to fly. and now
both head and tail are out Of sight.
There's something curious about 1t all.
as would be natural with any first-class
mystery.
For two days members OF the Senate
committee on judiciary have been drop
ping in upon the President. by invitation
from the chief executive. They have been
dropping out as noiselessly as they knew
how. They have been turning down all
questions at the rate Of 998 minutes, at
the same time giving the tip that the
President had put them under a special
inhibition Of confidence This morning he
talked with Senators Culberson, Rayner.
Bacon and Paynter, democratic members
Of the committee. He saw Senator Over
man. another democrat, yesterday. and
likewise talked with Senators Clark. Dill
lingham, Piles, Warner and Borah, re-
publicans. They all wore the solemn look
the democrats carried with them today.
The democrats asserted that the confer
ence In no way related to political Ques-
tons, but further than that they stopped
short. The best Information Is that the
matter relates to q judgeship nominee
whose history Is pretty we'll known to
members of the committee and that the
President does not desire to have any one
done an injustice by the talk that would
follow any publication of the matter.
Various Suggestions Offered.
Various suggestions were made during
the day as to possible legislative problems
the President wished to settle or have
taken up now. One was as to the commod-
tiles clause provision of the Hepburn
railway rate law and the understood wish
Of the President that this be amended SO
as to prevent stock ownership by rail-
roads In companies handling commodities
really belonging to the railroads. The i'm
probability, however, to taking this up In
advance OF the next session of Congress
and the still greater improbability that
the committee could be brought together
upon any problem of that kind at this
time dispels that theory.
Invitations for the President.
Senator Paynter of Kentucky asked the
President today to attend the meeting Of
the Kentucky Retail Grocers' Association
at Frankfort the 10Th Of this month. The
President said he was sorry he could
not go.
tional committeeman of Virginia, asked
the President today If he would not be
able to visit Norfolk in June, according
to the invitation extended him by the
board of trade of that city. The President
said he thought he would be able to run
down to Norfolk next month.
No Quarrel in the Cabinet.
The cabinet meeting today was a COM
paratively short one Secretaries Wilson
and Ballinger were both asked about the
alleged row between themselves and their
respective departments over the question
of withdrawal of sites for forest ranges.
1T is made out Of the whole CLOTH .
declared Secretary Wilson. There is alb
solutely no truth in the story"
Secretary Ballinger said practically the
same thing, declaring that the basis of
the whole story had been mere matter
of administrative detail and interpreta-
ton of law, which at no time threatened
any unpleasant relations between himself
and the head of the Department of Agri-
culture.
Wants to Name Judge Willard.
President Taft desires to name Charles
A. Willard, Minnesota man. as judge
of the district court at Minneapolis, in
place of Judge Milton D. Purdy, resign
ed. Mr.. Willard was a judge in the
is a personal friend of the President, who
knows him to be wen qualified for a
place on the bench. Senator Nelson,
who is a member of the judiciary COM
mittee, is evidently opposed to Mr.. Will
lard, as he was to Mr.. Purdy, or the
President would not have conferred with
members of the judiciary committee about