The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-02-21
ADMINISTRATION !.
PROGRAM CUT TO
FOUR MEASURES
Congress Will Not Be Urged to
Pass Whole Grist of
Bills
POSTAL SAVINGS BANK BILL
WILL. Be PUSHED IN SENATE
Other Measures Will be Amendment to
Interstate Commerce Law, Statehood
Bills for !A.riz0na and New Mexico
and Regulation Of Injunction.

Washington. Feb 21-The an
nounoement from the white house
that President Taft had by his own
motion cut down ito four the number
Of administration measures he would
demand at the present session of
congress, is received by Republican
leaders with unmixcd feelings of re-
lief. The administration program
was SO formidable that members who
are warmly supporting the Taft
policies hardly knew where to begin.
A schedule including only the bills
to amend the interstate commerce
laws, provide for the regulation of the
issuance of injunction. start Arizona
and New Mexico ON the road to state
hood, and validate the withdrawal of
public lands for conservation pur-
poses, is regarded a quite possible of
attainment. Most of these measures,
it is believed. can be put through the
senate while the house is still wrestl-
ing with appropriation bills.
When it was reported at the capitol
that the president would be satisfied
with the enactment of the four meas
ures named, steps were taken to
bring all OF these matters out of COM
mittees at the earliest possible date.
The postal savings bank bill already
is before the senate. and an agree
ment between the supporters OF con-
flicting amendments is assured 1t is
regarded as practically certain that
the bill can be passed during the COM
ing week.
i Hearings have been closed by the
senate committee on interstate COM
meice on the bill to create COLI
merce court ard strengthen the en-
listing laws for the regulation, Of COM
mon carrier corporations. Tomorrow
an effort will be made to report the
bill at once.
AS soon as the postal savings bank
bill will be made the order OF busi-
hess and probably will be held before
The senate constantly until passed.
No decision has been reached i'll the
house committee on interstate COM
merce on the proposition to eliminate
from the administration bill the pro-
vision for the creation of a court OF
tcommerce. Even if this is done, it is
practically certain that the court fea-
ture will be retained by the senate,
and the question of establishing a new
tribunal to try cases appealed from
decisions of the interstate commerce
commission would thus be thrown in
to conference.
The one conservation bill that
: President Taft is determined shall he
passed is that which gives to the
president the unrestricted power to
withdraw public lands from settle
ment and place them in reserves that
will continue in force until restored
by him or by congress to the portion
of the public domain that shall be
open to settlement.
/ In the meantime an effort will be
made by a special committee OF west
ern senators to perfect other conser.
walton measures so that they will be
ready for consideration at the mex,
session.
| Hearings are now in progress on
the statehood aill, but it is unlikely
that the measure will be brought on,
of committee until the postal savings
bank and railroad bills are out of the
way.
f, The fourth measure to be pressed
is that relating to the issuance of in.
functions. Several bills on this sub.
ject may have been prepared but they
have not been considered by commit.
tee. That introduced in the house by
! Do, nti <f ,,:.,
! has been endorsed by the president
i and there are others that are thought
would prove satisfactory 10 the presi-
| dent.
Ship subsidiary legislation is un
popular in some many sections of the
country that some members are dis
/ tinctly relieved at the prospect that
f; the Humphrey bill may not he taken
up at this session.
There is Il feeling in the senate
committee on commerce that the
rivers and harbors bill as passed by
! the house carries about as heavy ap-
preparations now as can be hoped for
+! 1t is freely charged that the house
"sobblcd up about all OF the pie
available for present distribution and
much dissatisfaction is heard. Some
! members OF the committee have gone
so far as to argue that the whole bill
should be killed in committee, but
they were overruled.
The policy OF the senate committee
will be to scale down the house an
preparations wherever possible and
make room for pet projects favored
by senators without greatly swelling
the aggregate sum. Inevitably this
will lead to long and bitter con-
troversy. and The bill probably will
be ono Of the last to be adjusted
| Tariff revision Democrats and in.
surgcnt Republicans appear to be moi