Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-01-15
ELKIAS CALLS ON
PRESIDENT TAFT
Senator Draws Some lronical IT,
Illustrations for Him.
CAUGHT PRESIDENT MAPPING

ment Supervision Of Chicken Farms
Senator Eiklns Presents Dracnet
Resolution on the High Cost Of Liv-
ing, and the Senate Leaders Are Be-
ginning TO Set Up and Take Notice.
Washington. ID. c., January Ter
mination OF the West Virginia struggle
over Federal appointments by Presi-
dent Taft's naming of the Santa
Claus slate forecast by Senator Ell
kins was not the only result of that
Senator's White House visit He dis
cussed with the President the forth
coming special message on supple
mentary railroad legislation and reg
istered his hearty disapproval of car
rying the policy of Capitalization to
the point OF Federal incorporation.
The President was always aware of
the Senator's general views In this re-
spect, but was taken unawares by pic
turesque illustrations in the way Of
opposition to Federal supervision of
poultry raising and other such dis
tasteful examples of intensive Gov
eminent inspection. He assured the
President the American people take
too much pride in their Wanted lber-
ty to accept extreme Capitalization
ideas
Nevertheless, there Is consensus
of opinion about the Senate that tho
Elkins conference with the President
may be productive OF some big devel-
opments in the speedy enactment Of
the amendatory legislation to he COW
cred by the special message. IL is
known that the Senator has been in
conference with several of the rail-
read presidents who called on Pres
ident Taft this week, and IL Is limited
that he counseled them to take their
medicine promptly" If they wanted to
avoid worse dose after too prolong-
ed debate in Congress- This view Is
based on the Presidents determine
tion to persist in his main rectrnmen-
dations and the assurance that the
Senate Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, Of which Elkins is chairman, will
put through some kind of program
acceptable to the White House.
One Of the new issues" which has
given the Senate leaders a worse
scare than they are willing TO admit
openly is the widespread agitation
over the high cost OF living. So inn
pressed has Senator Elkins become
with the justice of the complaints
everywhere heard that he hastily
framed dragnet resolution of inquiry
after his White House visit and intro
duced it before the ink was hardly
dry.
The following is the resolution as
presented:
Resolved, That there shall be ap-
pointed by the President Of the SEN
ate select committe Ct five Sena-
tors, with authority to sit during the
session of the Senate or during the
recess cf Congress, either as a com
mittee or by subcommittee, with in
structions to make an exhaustive in
vestigation into the cost Of living and
any increase in the same since nine
teen hundred; to ascertain whether
the price OF the necessaries OF life
which enter into the general use and
consumption Of the people have since
the year nineteen hundred been In
creased and If so to- ascertain the
cause or causes which have Influenced
said increase. In making such inves-
tigation special attention shall be Civ
en- by the committee to the subject OF
wages and income. and if the increase
in the same has kept pace with the In
crease in the cost of living; increased
price, if any, of such articles as meat,
grain, provisions, rents, cotton, wool,
clothing. lumber coal, iron, oil. brick,
and cement; stating in said report the
price to the producer, the wholesaler
or jobber, the retailer, and the con-
sumer at which said articles included
in the investigation by said committee
were distributed and sold in theh year
nineteen hundred. and the price for
their disposition and sale at the pres
ent time. It shall further be the duty
Of said committee to ascertain the
cost of production of said articles and
the cost OF their distribution and sale
when in the hands OF the wholesaler
or jobber and the retailer between
the same periods. If, in the judge
ment OF said committee, such articles
have been increased in price by rea-
son of legislation by Congress, or by
any monopoly. combination, or con-
spiracy to control, regulate, or re-
strain interstate or foreign commerce
in the supply, distribution, or sale OF
such articles, 1t shall report the same
b. the Senate, with suggestions or re-
commentators as TO the remedy 70
be applied to reduce the cost OF living,
and accompany its report with such
bill or bills as will, in the opinion OF
the committee. correct and remove the
cause or causes which have enhanced
the price OF said articles. Said Com
mittee or subcommittee is authorized
to employ experts. administer oaths,
tal,o 4on4t,,.ou4r oand for uQrg0nS and