The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-22
He Called a Conference at the
White House and Insists on
Postal Savings Bank Bill
Coming Up.
EXECUTIVE is VERY
CONFIDENT OF HOUSE
Taft Believes That the CON-
merce and Conservation
Bills Should Be Pushed
Without Delay.

Washington, D. c., Jan. 22.-Presi
dent Taft read in the papers yesterday
that the senate was marking time
while the house struggled with the
appropriation bills
He sent for Senators Penrose of
Pennsylvania, Crane of Massachusetts
and Carter of Montana and asked why
it would not be a good thing for the
senate to ''get busy" on some of the
measures he has recommended. Mr..
Aldrich, being absent from the city,
was not included in the summons.
The president broached the subject
of the postal savings bank bill. All
three of the senators thus summoned
to the white house are members Of
tht committee on post offices and post
roads. Mr.. PenrOse is chairman. Sen
ator Carter is sponsor for the meas
ure.
Some of the senators, it was sug-
gested in reply to the president, are
not warm advocates of postal banks.
In fact, it was said such states as
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania,
great strongholds of savings institu-
tiOns, are not at all in favor OF the
scheme. The president argued, how
ever, that the republican platform
called for postal savings banks and
surely the senators were going to re-
deem the party pledges.
But what about the house? This
was propounded as poser.
Reassured As To House.
President Taft is said to have as
sured the senators that they need not
worry about the house 1t was assert
ed there was every reason to believe
the house would come around all
right; that its members were coming
to the president for the good reason
that they had no other place to go.
1T is case of water running down
hill,' said one of the presidents call
ers. He doesn't have to go to the
regulars or the insurgents either:
they have got to come to him. Every
man on Capitol hill is looking for an
thing on which to go before the peo-
pie. Congress must do something,
and all the republicans, regardless of
the fight against Cannon or the rules
committee. will vote for Mr. Tafts
measures.
So it happened when Senators Pen
rose. Crane and Carter left the white
house, the latter. acting as spokesman
for the trio. declared:
The postal savings bank proposi-
ton will become a law at this ses-
sion.''
Taft Urges Commerce Law Action.
The postal banks, however. will not
be the first of the Taft measures con-
sidered. The president ranks his
recommendations for changes in the
Interstate commerce law as of first
Importance and he so indicated his
position to the senators.
The president told his callers also
that he regarded at least one of the
conservation bills he has recommend
ed to congress as of prime importance
This is the measure TO validate the
withdrawal of lands containing water
power sites. coal. and phosphates
The laws as to the disposition of these
lands can be worked out and thrashed
over at the convenience of congress.
The important thing, the president
believes, is to validate the withdraw
ais which were made under the form
er administration and, during the ten
months Of the present administration,
under the shadowy power of the dis
erection of the secretary of the inter-
ior. The president wants this power
to be made unquestionable. The valu-
able Alaska coal lands are included in
the Withdrawals which Mr.. Taft is
anxious to have validated.
Senators Penrose, Carter and Crane
took back this word to the capitol
late today and passed it along the
line. Mr.. Taft believes the senate
should go ahead with these three
measures at once and then, he SAYS.
the house can get them in some sort
of shape. can have the benefit of the
senate discussion. and can put the
measures through in short time once
the supply bills are disposed of
Feels Confidence in AIdrich.
The president is confident Senator
Aldrich will do all he can to further
the passage of the postal savings
bank bill. This measure, it is argued.
will give the leader of the senate an
opportunity to show to the people of
the country that they are to get their
share of the benefits Of forthcoming
financial legislation.
Mr.. Aldrich is anxious to secure the
support of the country for the new
currency laws and the central bank of
issue. or whatever form the legisla-