The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1909-03-16
new PRESIDENT A
GREAT TRAVELLER
BY Sheldon s. Cline.

Las been said regarding the fact that
Mr.. Taft is the most travelled man
who ever attained the presidency.
probabilities are that he will travel
more as president than any of his pre-
decessors. Mr.. Taft is anxious to get
and keep in the closest possible touch
with the people and, strange as it may
seem in one of his weight, he likes to
travel. just how he manages to rest
within the narrow confines of a Pull
man berth is hard to figure, but he
does rest and is less wearied by life
aboard train than most men of half
his pounds.
The trip which he is planning for
next summer, which will take him to
Alaska, undoubtedly will be one of the
most notable ever made by president.
Without doubt Mr.. Taft is today the
most popular man in America, not ex
cepting Col. Roosevelt. The people are
lust as anxious to see Mr.. Taft as Mr.
Taft is to see the people, and if his
is any guage as to what will happen
when he goes west and later pays n
return visit to the south there will be
a trail of most striking demonstrations
across the continent and back again.
The hope has been very generally ex-
pressed that Mrs. Taft will accompany
mer but there is no authoritative in
formation on this phase of the subject.
Since Mrs. Taft rode in the carriage
with her husband on Inauguration day
the title of First Lady of the Land
has had a new meaning to great
many people. And it also is true that
tion of the position than that entertain
ed by her predecessor. Despite her hus-
bands high official place Mrs. Roose-
welt was unwilling to look upon her
self otherwise than as a private indi
vidual Mrs. Taft regards the wife OF
the president as more or less of "A pub
lie parsonage and will cheerfully meet
any demands the position makes upon
her. The president declares the sue
cess of his administration in the Phil
ippines was very largely due to Mrs.
Taft IS tact and diplomacy, and he ex-
poets her TO share the responsibilities
of his new position. Prospects would
seem good, therefore, that Mr. Taft
will accompany her husband on most
of his travels. about the country.
When the president travels he must
have retinue, and under present con
ditions it is mighty expensive business.
Until recent years it was thought en-
tirely proper that the president should
accept from railroads the free use Of
special trains for himself and parties,
and junkets then could be made with
out great expense to the president or
the government. The practice was
common until the coming of Roosevelt
and even Mr.. Roosevelt in the early
years of his administration accepted
those favors from the railroads. Then
came agitation for government super
vision of the railroads which resulted
in the rate law with it's anti-pass pro-
visions, and frea transportation for the
president became thing of the past.
Congress, recognizing the new order
tion of $4,000 to cover the president =
travelling expenses. At the recent ses-
sion, however, when the presidential
salary was increased to $4,000 this
was cut off. Whatever travelling Mr..
Taft does, therefore, will have to be
paid for out of his own pocket, but he
win have $4,000 salary instead of
$4,000 one with which to meet it, +,
The plan to provide the president
with train of several specially built
coaches has often been discussed in
congress and in the press, but the agi-
tation has never gotten beyond the
point of discussion. Members of con
gress generally favor the project, how
ever, and were it not for the distress
ing tendency Of the treasury to sport
deficit the money necessary might be
forthcoming, now that there is an EZRA
of good feeling between congress and
the executive.
That this will be done some dav
goes almost without saying, and when
the presidential train is provided
there will be an ample appropriation
for hauling it about the country 1t is
recognized that travel is very propr'