The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-02-11
WASHINGTON
From our Regular Correspondent.

| -
of many important measures before
Inauguration continues TO david,
and waste its time. This week il
has spent many hours arguing ovel
twelve thousand appropriation fol
automobiles for the White House.
Representative Sims of Tennessee
and twenty-seven of his friends are
sternly opposed to the introduction
of automobiles for the President
and he with number of his col.
leagues have made speeches against
this their pet aversion. Their ar
guments have been futile in the
lower House though and all of their
CORY pictures Of the dead and
wounded who are left in the trail
Of the gasoline machines succeeded
in securing only twenty. seven votes
against the appropriation to 1855 in
in its favor. Mr.. Taft will have a
machine. Maybe he will have two
and he is to have a chauffeur aud a
footman and if the ordinary man is
judge of such things he will get
all of the punishment that Mr..
Sims and his friends wish him.
The horse is a known and tried
luxury but the automobile is fit
full, unreliable thing as yet and no
man can be the possessor of one,
much less two or three without
having as much trouble as his ell
vious friends and enemies can wish
him. And if the automobile is a
care there are no mild terms for
the description of the load of troub-
lie he has undertaken in a chauffeur
If the automobile is still far from
perfectionith average chauffeur has
just emerged from the neither re-
gions. Probably Mr.. Taft will not
be so unhappy in his automobiles
as the average man. His chauffeurs
will be responsible to some one be-
sides the President who will hot
have to find out that his car is left
10 stand in oil to 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 hav-
ing them blow up. The chauffeur
has a rake off on all the supplies
and repairs for his machine and it
is up to him to see that the car
which would ordinarily behave like |
an angel on wings does not pursue
its peaceful career. Presumably |
there will be some one to see that
when the cars are turned in at
night the chauffeur does not take his
family and friends out for moon
light drives and it is TO be hoped |
that there will be some adequate in
spection of the car before it starts
out on a long trip so that Mr.. Taft |
may not find himself stranded miles
from car line on a lonely road.
Still If all of these safeguards are
provided there will doubtless be
many times when the President
elect and his family will wish for
horses and when Mr.. Sims aud his |
twenty-seven friends may indulge |
in Il told you sos"
Xxx
1t is probable that the friends of
the movement for the conservation
of our national resources will see
Congress adjourn without having
made provision for that purpose.
SO far that body has appeared con-
tent to let the movement diff and
it is not likely the enemies of the
movement will allow an appropria-
ton to be made for it in the last
hurried month that remains. The
President has done his best and
there may be other messages dis
patched to Congress with the OBJ
lect of prodding it on to its duty
in the matter. The enemies of con-
servation led by the Speaker of the
House are so numerous and power
ful though that il is not likely any
thing will be accomplished and the
fifty thousand dollars that the
President has asked for the begin
ming of the work will probably not
be Forthcoming. Mr.. Pinchot, the
national forester has returned from
his trip to Canada and Mexico for
the purpose of interesting those
countries i'll the movement and re-
ports informally that these govern
ments are in full sympathy with
the proposed work and that they
are eager to join the international
conservation commission that will
meet in Washington by invitation
OF the President, February eigh-
teenth. AT this conference many
important questions will be discus.
sed, among them the bo.de forest
fires which may originate in one