West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-02-11
Congress Working Overtime Doing
Nothing.
AUTOMOBILES FOR THE PRESIDENT
Conservation or National Resources
wireless Equipmentto lie Provided
for Passenger Steamers.

4 isoo'kc VI Iihiiy important measures bN-
fore Inauguration, continues TO dawdle
and waste its time. IL has spent many
hours arguing over n $4,000 appropria-
ton Tor automobiles for the White House.
Representative Sims, of Tennessee, and
twenty seven Of his friends are sternly
opposed to the introduction of automo-
bilcs for the president, and hc with n
number of his colleagues have made
speeches against this their pet aversion.
Their arguments have been futile in tho
lower house though and all of their CORY
pictures OF the dead and wounded who
are left in the trail of the gasoline ma
chimes succeeded in securing only 81 votes
against the appropriation To lS5 in its
favor.
MIR. Taft will have u machine. Maybe
he will two, and he is 10 have q chaflcur
and footman, and il the ordinary man
IL judge OF such things ho will get all OF
the punishment that Mr.. Sims and his
friends wish him. The horse IL known
and tried luxury, but the automobile is n
htful, unreliable thing az yet and no man
can be possessor OF one, much less two or
three, without having as much trouble az
his envious friends and enemies can wish
him. And II the automobile is u care,
there are no mild terms for the descrip-
ton OF the load Of trouble hc has under
taken In II Chauffeur. II the automobile In
still far from perfection the average chat
ieur has just emerged from the neither
regions.
Probably Mr.. Taft will not be 40 un-
happy in his automobiles M the average
man. His chaiieurs will bc responsible
To some one besides the president, who
will not have TO find out that his car Is
left TO stand in oil 10 weaken the tires !;
that tacks are recklessly sprinkled in his
garage for the same purpose, and that
| gasoline is soaked into the inner tubes
with the object of having them blow up.
The chauffeur has rake-of on all TIA,
supplies and repairs for his machine, and
IT TX up 10 him 10 see that the car which
would ordinarily behave like an angel Oh
wings does not pursue it, peaceful career
Presumably there will be some one to
sec that when the cars are turned in al
night the Chauffeur does not take his
family and friends out for moonlight
drives, and IL IL to be hoped that there
VIII bc some adequate inspection of the
car before II starts out on long trip, 80
that Mr.. Taft may not find himself
stranded miles from car line on a lonely
road. Still, If all these safeguards are
provided, there will doubtless be many
times when the president and his family
will wish for horses and when Mr.. Sims
and his twenty seven friendsmayAndulge
in 81 told you so's."
IL is probable that the friends Of the
movement for the conservation of our
national resources will zee congress ad-
jonrn without having made provision for
that purpose. So far that body has APP
peared content TO let the movement drift
and II Is not likely the enemies OF the
movement will allow an appropriation TO
bc made for IL In the last hurried month
that remains. The president has done
his best, and there may bc other mes.
sagcs dispatched 30 congress with the OBJ
| ject Of prodding IL on 10 its duty in the
matter. The enemies Of conservation, led
by the speaker Of the house, are 40 nu-
merous and powerful, though, that il IL
not likely anything will be accomplished
and the $4,000 that the president has
asked for the beginning Of tine work will
probably not be forthcoming.
Mr.. Pinchot, the national forester, Ina.
returned from his trip 10 Canada and
Mexico for the purpose Of interesting
those countries in the movement and re-
ports informally that these government
are in full sympathy with the proposed
work and that they are eager 10 join the
international conservation commission
that will meet in Washington by invita-.
tion of the president, February 1s. AT
this conference many important questions
will be discussed, among them the border
forest fires, which may originate in one
country and carry devastation into tho
next, and also the question Of the tariff
ON lumber and how It's removal would
affect the matter Of the conservation o.
forests.
The thrilling incident Of the rescue o
more than 900 persons from the steamer
Republic through tho agency Of wireless
telegraphy has inspired congress 10 TAX,
some action with regard 10 the equippinl
OF all passenger carrying steamers with
che apparatus. Had the Florida been 80
equipped the accident by which the Re
public was sent to the bottom would not
have occurred, for the two vessels would
have been able 30 exchange signals IN the
fog
It appears that the French assembly la,
already taken up the subject, and II is
probable that England will follow with
laws requiring vessels 10 carry the wire
less equipment. It's cost Il slight, ranging
from $500 to 81 900, and is maintenance
is not exorbitant, and Il is proposed by
the committee on merchant marine 4
urge that all ocean steamers carryins
more than fifty passengers shall carry In,
apparatus.
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