Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-05-20
REFORM PLANS UNDER TAFT
President Will Use Vacation for
Mapping Out.
First Regular Message Will Give G..
tails OF Ills Policies-Monetary and
Immigration Commissions Have
Made important studies.

vii. be under way. says the correspond |
eht of the New York Post President |
Taft has many ideas already looking 30 |
this end and will take away with him,
wien he goes to Massachusetts for his
vacation. the best information
his assistants can give him on all Of
them. BY the time he gets back to
Washington in the fall he will have prac-
tcslly his entire message to Congress
ready for that body, which meets in
December again. II will be tho first
message OF President Taft to a regular
session OF Congress. and. as such. 1t
may be expected to go into detail as to
tho policies the President is prepared to
advocate at that time.
Between the White House and Capitol
Hil' there are already a good many irons
in the fire Congress has outstanding a
monetary commission and an immigra-
tion commission. both OF which have un
Gcrtaken works of tremendous magni-
tu0e Both have been at work for more
tnan a year dealing in the most compre-
hcnsive way with their respective sub
jects and both will probably be ready 10
report next winter. The monetary COM
Ir.ssion had under consideration prac-
tically everything relating to government
finances and their relation TO the coun-
Try at large except the question Of the
gold standard
II has studied the relations Of all for
cign governments to the money ques-
tons OF their respective nations. giving
especial attention to the bank of Eng
land. France. Germany and Japan with
view to culling out the best that is in
each national banking system which will
amalgamate and suit financial and bust
ness conditions in the United States. The
object OF the commission is. Of course.
10 devise financial system for the
United States which will be lasting In
It's effect, relieve the treasury from fire.
quent embarrassment arising out of de-
yiessions in business coupled with an
irelastic currency system. and at the
Sc me time provide that cooperation be-
tween the government and the nation
through the national banks which will
accrue to the benefit OF both. The So
ca led Aldrich- vreeland emergency cur
icncy bill passed by the last Congress
was merely makeshift piece of lcgisla-
tior to tide the country over until the
monetary commission could report to
Congress it's best judgment for a revision
Of the whole currency system.
IMMIGRATION STUDIES.
In speaking OF the work Senator Dilling-
hams commission the correspondent
says:
In a somewhat similar manner the i'm
migration commission has been at work
studying exhauStvely the various as
poets OF immigration into the United
States. 1t is already known that the
commission has gathered statistics
hitherto never compiled in connection
With the scientific study of immigration.
The commission has even undertaken to
ascertain as far as possible the effect Of
the United States and It's customs and In
stitutions on the Immigrant himself. with
a view to ascertaining by degrees the
QTalifica lions of various peoples for
| American citizenship and thus sitting the
dc sirable from the undesirable immgra-
| ton. This commission. like the none
| tary commission. will report to Con-
sress. in all probability with a bill draft
ed to meet its ideas. accompanied by an
exhaustive report to support its legsa-
tive conclusions. Whether two such mo-
Inentous questions. accompanied by other
congressional questions. and the recon-
Ynendations OF the President besides, can
be disposed OF In one session of Con-
eress remains 10 be demonstrated.
COOPERATION FOR ECONOMY.
O. equal interest is the cooperation OF
the Congress and the executive depart
r1ent in the interest Of economy. Much
has been written about this question OF
| late SO that It needs no further eXploita-
ton except to say that when Congress
| meets in December the Senate committee
| on public expenditures. of which ex-Sen-
| ator James A. Hemenway of Indiana is
the clerk and the active member, will be
| ready to report to that body exactly how
and where millions II dollars can be
saved to the United States annually b,
| The exercise OF a little more wisdom ir
passing appropriation bills. Senator AL
drich has already estimated the saving
which can be made in the fiscal year 1911
ct $35. 900. In the meantime, Secre
tary Of the Treasury MacVeagh. who Is
head of the budget committee OF tho
executive departments, will begin or
June l to Gull them out and get read,
to present to the House committee or
appropriations what he terms "wel
balanced budget"
The House committee was the first t'
take action on this reform. having in
serted In a general Appropriation bill las
winter a paragraph calling upon tn
President to assist Congress in makint
the expenditures meet the estimated rev
enues. The work OF the Departmental
4 udRet committee is expected to lighter
the work of the House committee on ap
propriations at least one-third. Until
March this work was almost too bur
} densome to be carried further with jus
ttce to the committee, to Congress, ant
to the country.
THE PRESIDENTS VIEWS.
President Taft has not yet definitely in
tmated just what recommendations h
will make to Congress but enough Of hi
ideas are known to warrant the state
inent that he contemplates amalgamat
ing several OF the bureaus Of the gov
eminent working somewhat along tn
same lines. with view TO Strengthening
their general efficiency. He also has un
der contemplation an amendment to tn
Sherman antitrust law. and seVera
amendments to the interstate commerce
, law which are practically the right an
left hands OF the government In regulat
Ing corporations.
1T has already been pointed out in thes
columns that the President wishes I
strengthen the interstate commerce com
mis- sion and the bureau OF corporation
and the department OF justice in thei
functions with respect to the administra
, ton OF the interstate commerce and anti
, trust laws. At the present time the In
teTstatc commerce commission not onl