Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-11
TAFT Expects new LAWS
President Tells Passaio Board He
Thinks Several Bills Will Pass.
RAILROAD MEASURE IMPORTANT
Says It's Passage VIII Mean Great
step Forward In Regulation
Hopes for Adoption of
other Measures.

,al Of emphasis and amid an outburst :,
applause that the railroad bill has not
zen emasculated i'm any vital way and
reelected that a satisfactory law would be
assed. q
The BILL" said the president "still re- t
Inns its important features, and am hope p
III that by the next few weeks we shall 81
ee the passage Of the bill in both houses, q
he adjustment Of the differences between a
he two houses and its final enactment" v
In a review OF pending legislation Mr.. I
aft expressed the belief that the following 8
measures will be enacted into law: Il
statehood for Arizona and New Mexico. r.
Postal Savings bank .
Antl-in junction.
The so-called validating bill Of the con- 9
servation measures. =
The publicity of canRaisn expenditures.
The railroad bill
Children wave Flags.
Passaic turned out its entire population
to honor the president. The streets were
and school children, waving flags,
surrounded the streets.
Governor Fort of New Jersey aroused
great deal of enthusiasm with a speech in
which he denounced the criticism Of an
executive on the ground that he would be
held responsible for legislation and every
thing else"
President Taft was decidedly hoarse to- |
night He left Washington this morning |
with severe cold, which threatened bron-
chial complications. His physician, DR.. G.
n j. Richardson of Washington, accom-
panied him President Taft returned to
Washington today.
situation in Congress.
The president said:
You have been doubtless advised by your
newspapers that there is certain legisla-
| ton pending in congress in which the ad-
ministration has very intense interest
| growing out of the fact that 1t was
promised by the platform of the republican
! party and has been recommended by the
| president to congress and / feel as II it
might not be without some use for me to
say what the condition of the legislation is
and what the prospect is of its passage.
I'm the first place. the bill granting state
hood TO New Mexico and Arizona passed
the house some months ago, but it is still
pending in the senate. Objection was made
10 the bill as it passed the house in regard
to certain provisions as to elections which
disfranchised Mexicans not speaking Eng
. llsh. who had Heretofore by reason Of
length of residence, acquired under previous
laws the right of suffrage. There is some
difference too, between the houses as TO the
provisions made in respect to the public
lands and the payments of the debts of the
: territories.
There is hesitation on the part OF the
republicans in the senate to pass a bill
which is so likely to add four democrats
. to the senate, or If not democrats, republi-
a cans of that radical type that are entirely
v out of sympathy with the more conserve
n tive notions of the east. Still there is a
promise I'm the platform. distinct and clear,
that this bill shall pass and I am very
anxious chat the party shall meet its OBJ
. legations in this regard. and enact the nee
essary legislation. l do not think that l
shall be disappointed.
n Conservation Bills.
y THE conservation bills with reference to
r the public domain, by which the govern
g ment shall retain over the undisposed lands
n power of disposition or readjustment of
t interest in waterpower sites, coal lands, oil
e lands and phosphates, are not in very
t advanced state. The conditions are such
t as 10 make imperative in the interest OF
conservation, the passage of only one law.
That law has passed the house and am
Il very hopeful that it will pass the senate
/. 1t ratifes all the Withdrawals of public
y, land heretofore made, amounting to up
A wards OF $4,000 acres, and 1t specifically en-
; powers the president to make other with.
!, drawals when he desires to ask congress to
A pass laws varying the existing laws for the
disposition in class of public lands
- The absolute necessity of this act arises
- from the very grave doubt whether The
!, reservation Of 90 900 900 acres II subjected tC
: the test of legality in the courts coult
= stand it,
= 1T is a very grave question whether the
executive has the power to make reserva
lions thus merely TO avoid the disposition
of the land under existing congressional
enactment and there are those in the west
: who. taking the advantage Of doubt in thu
question and assuming that the withdraw ali
. are without authority are standing GU
- claims with a view of testing their validity
- in the courts.
:. should the courts hold that the eXecu
= tive authority has been abused in this re
q. gard. then 1t will leave the public domain
in a mess. For this reason, sincerely hop,
the status quo will be maintained by thu
= speedy passage of the act in question
through the senate
Water Power and Coal.
There are other acts-one with reference
to oil lands; one with reference to wate
power sites; one with reference TO coal
The one with reference TO coal land pro
vides that the surface OF coal lands shall
be subject to settlement as agriculture
lands to the homestead and presumption
laws, but that the coal beneath shall still
belong to the government and be subject
. to mining by and to whom the government
may lease it or in other methods part Will
title to 1t.
There is a bill providing for the classif
cation of lands useful in preventing
:. fraudulent disposition of them.
y There is a bill providing for the explora
, ton Of oil lands and fixing the rights OF
, explorers who discover oil; and then Their,
. is a bill providing for the granting o.
= water power sites TO the states. with a view
:, to their disposition TO private owners by tn,
states.
~ This bill is a most important one. 4
probably needs amendment. but the peopl,
:. OF the bill may work out to a satisfactor!
solution
The water in the streams Is now unde
the control and ownership of the state.
Combine sites.
"A The water power sites essential to tn