Catoctin clarion., 1910-01-13
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 1910.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(FRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

WASHINGTON. D. c., JAN. 8.
Pretty much everybody in the
country, or at least every reader
knows the Chief of the Forestry Bu-
reau is or rather was Clifford Pinchot.
Mr.. Pinchot began with two or three
clerks and now has two or three hun
dred employees looking after the
preservation of the national forests.
He is a warm personal friend of ex-
President Roosevelt, in fact, in a
certain sense he is the alter ego OF
Mr.. Roosevelt and no more certain
representative of his policies and his
ideals lives. When the great con-
servation convention of governors OF
States with invited guests met in the
East Room of the White House the
then President emphasized the fact
that if it had not been for Pinchot's
initiative and his enthusiasm for the
protection of the national natural re-
sources that unique convention would
not have been. Mr.. Pinchot has lost
his official head but this little calam-
ity will not cause him the least in
convenience for it cannot affect his
unofficial heart and will only increase
his unofficial influence. 1t is ex-
tremely probable that the country is
with Mr.. Pinchot and that in the
discussion between him and Cabinet
Minister Ballinger, who was the late
commissioner of lhe Land Office, no
mere question of official etiquette IS
of moment. The country will con-
tinue to look upon Mr.. Ballinger as
the ex-attorney of Cunningham and
as the representative of mill'onaires
interested in the absorption and mon
opoly of the public lands and it will
continue to look upon Mr.. Pinchot
as the determined antagonist OF these
schemes and the advocate of the in
terests of the whole people. This is
what the people of the country un-
dcrstand as the Rooseveltian policy
and what Mr.. Roosevelt has cmpha
sized as the Pinchotian policy.
President Taft has at length sent
to Congress his long anticipated special
message urging additional legislation
for the management of railroads and
all common carriers. The message
was heard in the House of Represent
atives on the afternoon of Friday but
the Senate having adjourned until
Monday it will not be officially before
that body until the first of next week.
1t will doubtless, however, be read
hy all interested senators who can
find time from their social and other
engagements to peruse it. The mess
age is the most important one that
the President has placed before Con-
gress. 1t embodies ideas which have
been evolved after many conferences
with his cabinet concerning the furth-
or control of common carriers and
corporations. 1t is said that the
President expects the approval OF
Congress and of the country, mas
much, as he holds that he is carrying
out his promise to maintain the
Roosevelt polices. 1t will be remem-
bered that last week the President had
conference with some of the rail-
road presidents of the country in
which, it was said, he was besought
to modify his railroad program. The
President, it seems. has not thought
it expedient to make material altera
tions in his proposals and if the
recommendation which he has made
shall be enacted into law the powers
of the Interstate commission in rela-
ton to common carriers will be much
widened. 1t can be seen from a per-
usal of the Presidents message that
the legislation asked for by him is
much farther reaching than that OBJ
tanned under the Roosevelt admins
tration and should the Interstate
Commerce Laws be amended as rec
commended by President Taft the
Commission will have measure for
the complete control OF common car
riers engaged in Interstate Commerce.
There is much discussion in the
cloak rooms of the Capitol and in the
lobbies of hotels with reference to the
relative attitudes of the adlninistra-
ton and the so-called insurgents. 1t
is said that the latter will not take
any planned action in the matter OF
official patronage until they have had
an interview with President Taft on
tho al1hiant