Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-31
&C. P. FAILS TO
REDEEM PLEDGES
MADE TO PEOPLE
Legislation Demanded by
President Given But
Slight Attention
LEADERS TO CONFER
investigations Going on in
Congress Block Plans
to Amend Laws
LEADERS TO CONFER
ASSOCIATED PressI

w ASHINGTON, Jan. 3o.-Little
w headway has been made in the
two months that congress has
been in session toward the enactment
of important legislation demanded by
President Taft, yet on every side are
predictions of an early adjournment.
Thoughtful members are asking each
other what kind of a reception they
will get if they go to the White
House April 10 or May l, with plans
to quit work for the summer, if the
administration program is untitled.
The question is one that congression-
al leaders admit is giving them deep
concern. The absence of unanimity Of
thought on almost every one of the
presidents measures is such as to
make exceedingly difficult the work
mapped out for those who have the
bills in charget
Bills to create court OF commerce
and amend the railroad rate laws, to
establish postal savings banks, to Vali-
date Withdrawals of public lands want
ed for conservation purposes and to
legalize national charters for corpora
t1ons for doing interstate business have
met determined opposition.
From a political point of view. Re-
publican waters seemingly are beeom-
ing muddied by the several investiga-
tons in progress, and the minority
members appear not unwilling to let
TINS procedure continue indefinitely.
Harassed by Investigations
Inquiries such as that being made
into the affairs of the interior depart
ment and the forest service naturally
are having some effect on plans to
amend land laws and enact legislation
FOR Alaska, and even bear to some ex-
tent on the Arizona and New Mexico
statehood bill
Other investigations, such as those
relating to second-class mail matter
and the postoffice deficit, and causes
of increased cost of living, tend to
minimize a complete redemption of
A confe6ff4enfcaa,r 81 4!S Z, pledges. s
being considered and probably will be
held soon after Senator Aldrich re-
turns from Florida, as he is expected
to do this week. Vigorous means will
be advocated to restore some sem
blanee of order to the chaotic condi-
tions.
The plan most in favor with such
Republican leaders as are now in
Washington is for a rearrangement of
the Taft policies, placing them in or
der of executive preference or in such
sequence as it is thought would most
benefit majority of the party.
Progress Seems Dubious
1t has been declared that no progress
will be made so long as some leaders
are pushing interstate commerce leg
islation, others conservation policies
and others postal savings banks or
federal incorporation laws.
AT present the house is occupied
with appropriation bills; in the senate
two administration measures-the pos
tai savings bank bill and the Alaskan
Legislative council bill-are being placed
against each other. Opposition has de-
Veloped against both, and Republican
leaders say the present tactics affect
the chances of both.
The statehood bill is ready for con-
sideration by the senate and the army
appropriation bill will be reported to-
morrow.
The several propositions before the
house for the elimination of Speaker
Cannon from the committee on rules
and for the enlargement Of the COM
mittee form basis of informal dis
cussion No one is willing to predict
when questions involved in these reso-
lutions will come to "show down. !"
There are various ways in Which the
matter could be brought up on the
floor, and it may be precipitated sud-
denly or be deferred for weeks.
Many members of the house are abb
sent on account of approaching pri-
maries in their districts.