The sun., 1910-02-17
TAFT SUMMONS SENATORS
INPATIENT OIER INDIFFER-
ENCE TO ms PROGRAMME.

= NAsaINaToN, Feb. Is--President TSTt's
impatience over the apparent Indifference
and hostility OF Congress to his legis-
htivs programme becsme more evident
to-day when he summoned a number
III Senators to the White House and
urged them to do something. In measure
Ne succeeded in getting action.
He called Senator Carter Of Montaua
to the White House to discuss the pros
pect for the postal savings bank bill.
and from Senator Beveridge he requested
an account OF the difficulties that beset
the pathway Of the bill reorganizing the
Alaskan government and the measure
giving statehood TO New Mexico and
a Ari1oua.
The President also called 10 Senator
Borab Of Idaho and tried to persuade
him that il was his duty TO oease obstT1Ict
in6 the Alaskan bill. Senator Borah has
been one OF the most persistent opponents
( II the bill He has oontended on the
foor OF the Senate that the passage of
the bill would result in turning the pro-
posed legislative council into the hands
of the wealthy mine owners of Alaska.
n 10 understood that the President found
Senator Borah very stubborn in his
opinion and that before the Sen&tor left
the conferences the President knew that IL
was hopeless to expect him to. reconcile
HE views on that question With those
of the Administration.
The President has been Informed from
several sources that thers 10 a very strong
opposition to his Alaskan hill and il 10
understood he has decided 20 Law It on the
shen along with his Federal iRcorpors-
tion bill to I've taksn up at another se~sion
of Congress-
senator Carter. who has had charge
: af the measure In the Senate. explained
4 IN the President the increasing oppOsi
ton In the Senate to the postal savings
hill He told the President. ia 10 under
stood, that IL would he impossible to pass
che Amendment proposed by Senator Root
which was designed by the New York
Senator 10 make the bill constitutional
The amendment requires the investtnent
OF the postal savings hank deposits ia
Government securities SSnAtO- Root
holds that without the amepdpsent the
Government would he en- gagged in a bank
I. ing business. President Taft has indOrsed
the hooe annendnnestt md has practically
eccepted the view OF the Senator that
without the proposed amendment the bill
probably might be unoonsttutionaI
Senator Carter reported 10 the Pres-
sienf that ali the votes of the Democratic
Senators. as well AZ the insurgents among
the Republicans. would be cast against
( the Root amendment, and that the votes
of these. together with tho votes Of the
regular Republican Senators, who are
cppoee6 70 any postal savings bank bin,
would make certain the defeat Of the
neasurs carryine the Root amendment
\ reports President Taft pointed out 10
Senator Carter the necessity OF making
sonae progress with the bills now pending
Gin the two housse OF Congress that en-
i clear that Of thsse MEASURES the postal
e&vings bank bill was Of vital Importance
< Senator Carter expressed confdence
lin his ability TO pess the bill stripped
@ck the Root amendment, u he could have
"a htte time TO compose differences among
Y the Republican leaders Of the Senate.
Before Senators Carter and Beveridge
hnq left the White House II vas agreed
tleAt the Alaska bill should be sdstraek I'd
"a ssnf 6iIE should sS Ss made as % pSs nnsninSesa ns
bueinees OF the Senate and kept before
flAA body TO the exclusion OF everything
3 slse except general appropriate tepn bills
THIS agreement was rehected a little
ntor an the day when Senator neveridGe
nhnounced that the alaska bill would
not be urged as the unfinished business
IN view Of the legislative situation in the
Senate and the necessity Of passing the
RuHtdi caNlnks Dank DlIl.
senator Carter promptly made a re-
quest that the postal savings hank bill
4 80 on the calendar as the unfinished
< business, but his request was objected
20 By Senstor Hepburn OF Idaho. vino
has been one Of the most vigorous op-
ponefts Of the measnre. But Mr.. Carter
I, moved then that the Senate proceed 10
the consideration or the postal savings
bank bill. and his motion was adopted
Ihis will give that measure the Legislative
~ -. L.
fhe direction Of the Republican leaders,
adjourned rather suddenly sfter having
been in session only about an hour.
The object OF tie hssty adjournment
30 early in the day became known later
when II was learned that an informal
conference Of Republican leaders win
be held to-tnorrow morning in an effort
10 harmonize differences on the postal
savings bank bill. The consideration Of
the measure will he resumed tomorrow
when the senste meets and sena tor Carte
expressed hope to-day that substantial
progress would he made with the bill
btfcre adjournment tomorrow. He told
the President to-day that he believed
Republican votes IL the amendment OF
senator Root was not insisted on.
The postal SAYINGS bank bill and the
Elkins-Townsend bill amending the inter-
state commerce law are the two measures
on which the Republican leaders with the
support Of the President. will concentrate
their efforts for the immediate future
With view TO passing them, so that il
Z cannot he said that all Of President Taft's
recommendations for legislation were
thrown down by Congress Senator
El<ins. chairman Of the Committee on
Interstate Commerce. said to-day that he
hoped TO be able to report the bin amend
ing the interstate commerce law next
week. Attorney General Wickersham
vho has been advising with the Presi,
dent, IL at work rewriting certain fea TIRES
OF the bill and will have them ready 10 be
considered probably Tomorrow While
there 70 strong opposition TO the proposed
Commerce court. especially from Repre-
eentative Mann OF Illinois, chairman OF
the House Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce. the. authorization
Cor the court will be left in the bill by the
senate committee. The feature Of the
bill relating TO Federal control over the
ietue Of railroad stocks viii be materially
changed; In fact IL IL nov being rSwritteT,
by Attorney General Wickershan