The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-11
HIS REPUTATION
FOR TRAVELLING
IS TO CONTINUE
President TAFT, Globe Trotter,
Will Journey Much About
Country as He Wants to
Keep in Touch.
JOURNEY TO ALASKA
is NOW POSSIBILITY
Chief Executive Considering
Making a Trip to Pacific
Slope and the Great Snow
Territory.
0y Sheldon 8. Cline.

Dy Sheldon 8. Cline.
Washington. March 11.-Much has
been said regarding the fact that Mr..
Taft Is the most travelled man Who
ever attained the presidency. The
are that he will travel
more as President than any of his
predecessors. Mr.. Taft is anxious to
get and keep in the closest possible
touch with the people and. strange ~
1t may seem in one of his weight. he
likes to travel. Just how he manages
to rest within the narrow confines
OF Pullman birth IL hard to flgure
but he does rest and is less wearted
by life aboard train than most men
of half his pounds.
A Notable Journey.
The trip which he is planning for
next summer. which will take him to
the Pacific Coast and probably to Al
aska. undoubtedly will be one of the
most notable ever made by q Presi-
dent. Without doubt Mr.. Taft ID to
day the most popular man i'm Ameri-
ca. not excepting Col. Roosevelt. The
people are just as anxious to see Mr..
Taft as Mr.. Taft is to see the peo-
pie. and IL his pre-inauguration recep-
tion In the South is any guage m to
what will happen when he goes West
and later maps 4 return visit to the
South there win be q trial of most
striking demonstrations across the
continent and back again.
Mr.. rasrs Opinion.
The hope has been very generally
expressed that Mrs. Taft will accom-
pany the President In his travels next
summer, but there is no authoritative
informatiop on this phase of the sub
ject. Since Mrs. Taft rode in the car
riage with her husband on Inaugura-
ton day the title Of First Lady of
the land" has had a new meaning to
q great many people. And 1t also IL
true that Mrs. Taft has quite q differ
ent conception Of the position than
that entertained by her predecessor.
Despite her husbands high Official
place Mrs. Roosevelt was unwilling to
look upon herself otherwise than as q
private individual. Mrs. Taft regards
the wife Of the President as more or
less OF a public parsonage and will
cheerfully meet any demands the po-
sition makes upon her. The President
declares the success Of his admins
tration In the Philippines was very
largely due to Mrs. Taft's tact and d.
plomacy. and he expects her to share
the responsibilities Of his new posi-
tion. Prospects would seem good.
therefore, that Mrs. Taft will accom-
pany her husband on most Of his tray-
els about the country.
Must Have Netinuo.
When the President travels ho
must have . retinue. and under pres-
ent conditions 1t IL mighty expensive
business. Until recent years II was
thought entirely proper that the Pres
ident should accept from railroads the
free use Of special trains for himself
and parties. and junkets then could be
made without great expense To the
President or the 9overnmenA1he
practice was common until tt CON-
ing of Roosevelt, and even Mr.. Hoose-
welt in the early years OF his admins
tration accepted these favors from the
railroads. Then came agitation for
government supervision of tho ni1-
roads which resulted In the rate law
with its anti-pass provisions. and FREQ
transportation for the Freshest b.
came q thing of the past
| Congress. recognizing the new or
der of things. made an annual appro-
priation of $e5.000 to cover the Pres
ident's travelling expenseA At the re-
cent session. however. when the pres
idential saiarv was increased to $751;
900 this was cut on. Whatever tTav-
elling Mr.. Taft does. therefore. vill
\ have to be paid for Out Of M own
pocket, but he will have . 375.0oo sai
ary instead OF . $4,000 one With
which to meet It