The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-03-17

the provision for new court 1t is
said by the opponents of the plan
That there have only been 26 cases
taken on appeal from the interstate
commerce commission within the time
space of several years, and that there
seems to be no immediate chance that
the number of cases will increase.
They say, therefore. that the court is
not needed. On the other hand the
friends OF the court say that because
of the long litigation that was sure to
be ahead OF parties to a suit in the
past appeals have not been taken and
that injustice. therefore. was done.
Provisions Objected To.
The new court provision is not the
only one to which objection is made
by some of the Republican senators,
most of whom are what is known as
insurgents. In the main the same
men were opposed to many of the
provisions of the Payne-Aldrich tariff
law. The charge is made that power
is taken away from the interstate
commerce commission to pass judg-
ment on all traffic agreements between
the railroads which are allowed by
law. 1t was one of President Roose-
velts ideas that these traffic agree.
ments should be allowed, but the sen.
ators who are in opposition say that
MIR. Roosevelt intended to give the
interstate commerce commission the
power to decide on these agreements
and to reject them if they were not
considered proper and within the
spirit of the statutes.
The friends of the court provision
in the bill say that If the agreements
between the railroads are of the kind
to fix rates at too high a figure the
interstate commerce commission can
act just as it always has acted. The
opponents OF the bill declare, how.
ever. that agreements may be made
which are in effect deadly to compe.
tition and yet they may not seem to
fix extraordinarily high rates.
Wants Legislation Pushed.
President Taft is beginning to show
daily more of the squirting" qualities
! of Theodore Roosevelt He is seem
!
| lively slow progress which the legis
lation that he has recommended lie
making in congress, and, moreover. he
seems to have been somewhat dis
turbed by the reports that the coun
try Is taking more interest In the mat
tiers now under investigation by con
gress than 1t is in the progressive pol
! inioc pf oil hinh cd oil
its attention during the Roosevelt ad
ministration.
Recently reports were published tc
the effect that Mr. Taft had practical
ly given over all attempts to induce
congress to pass the majority of his
legislative recommendations at this
session. To his political friends the
president was quick to make denial Of
any such intention. He has let 1t bt
known that he not only wants posta
savings banks, changes in the inter
state commerce law, and conservation
laws, but an anti-injunction statute
and all recommendation that he hai
made, put through congress in Law
form before the session closes ant
the congressional campaign opens.
The leaders in house and senate
have tried to talk the president out o
giving public expression to his desire
that a comprehensive legislative pro
gram shall be put through. The lead
ers seem to be of the opinion that l
three or four bills which have attract
ed public attention and public supper
are enacted into law at this session 1
will be enough in the way of accom-
plishment to satisfy the country. Thu
president is telling the leaders tina
the country won't be satisfied will
three-quarters of loaf, and that l
must be given whole loaf, Whetbe
or not attention will be given by con
gress to what the administration 1
urging, will not be known for a fort
night, probably.
The Presidents Contentious.
The advisers of the president sa,
that all through the tariff debate MI
= Taft was firm in his belief that b.
: gentle measures which were in cor
trast to those of his immediate pre-
decessor, he could get more out of cor
gress than could be obtained by BIZ
stick methods. He professed satisfat
ton with the tariff law, but it is sal
by those who seem to know his II
ward feelings that he would have e>
pressed a much stronger and deepe
satisfaction if the bill had gone furtf
err than it did in the cutting of custom
duties.
1t has been said many times recen
Iv that the country seems to be NOR
interested in the allinger-Pinchot II
t auiry and in the matter of the hig
cost of living than it is in the legislf
tive program of the president. 1t
believed that Mr.. Taft holds that tn
lack of interest in legislation is due t
: the belief on the part of the countr
= that the organization leaders are nc
r going to do very much with legisli
l. ton. and so naturally the interest t
5 a considerable extent has subsidized.
l The members of both houses ar
= still getting scores of letters fror
= their constituents weekly, eXpressin
f the deepest concern over the high cos
4. of living, and also expressing a fea
~ o,,,,,,ittao nm inVnctip1 tiO