The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-03-16

SHIP SUBSIDY MEASURE DEAD
STEVENSON TAKES ACTION

|
erson of Minnesota put the finishing
touches on ship subsidy. so far as
this session is concerned. when, hav
ing been refused the floor upon a
question of personal privilege to re-
ply to attacks which had been made
upon him by the ship subsidy inter.
ests, he introduced a resolution call.
ing for an investigation of the meth
DDS employed by the Merchant Ma
rine league
The resolution, of course, was re-
| ferred to the committee on judiciary,
where 1t will remain so long as Mr..
Parker of New Jersey, the keeper of
Mr.. Cannon's morgue, can keep 1t
there. But under the rules 1t will be
and Mr.. Steenerson hopes at that
time to get a hearing and to present
some matters out of his personal ex'
periences with the ship subsidy in
terests which will show that in his
own case these interests attempted
to blackmail him
Echo Of BaIIinger-Plnchot Case.
A. c. Shaw, former law officer Of
the forest service. who at the direc.
tion of Clifford Pinchot aided CLAWS
in the preparation of the report sub
mitted to the president, has been
brought again into the limelight by
the refusal of President Taft to per.
nit the dismissed official to practice
before the departments of the govern
ment The attitude of the president
toward Mr.. Snow Is indicative of how
deerly he feels in regard to the whole
Ballinger-Pin controversy.
Shaw was dismissed from the forest
service for the part which he played
in preparing the CLAWS report. Upon
his dismissal he applied for the right
to practice before the commissioner Of
patents and his application was re-
iected by Secretary Ballinger. The
secretary then withdrew his objec.
tion and referred the whole matter
to the president and the president has
asked Attorney General Wickersham
for legal authority for the step which
he has taken.
There Is a law which forbids any
officer of the government from prac-
ticing before the department in which
he has been employed within two
years after his leaving the public
service, but this does not apply in the
case of man who wishes to prac-
tice before some other department.
The law was flagrantly violated by
Ballinger when he became attorney
for the Cunningham coal claimants,
after having these claims before him
as commissioner of the land office.
Yet, without any pretense that there
would be any improperly in admit.
ting Shaw to practice before the de-
partment of the interior, Secretary
Ballinger refused to pass upon It and
the president has thus far absolutely
rejected 1t.
Inc incident reveals a degree of
1eel1ng against those who are fight.
ing Ballinger, on the part of the pres
1dent, which has caused general aston.
1shment. His action has been criti
clsed as petty and unwarranted and
his best friends deplore the exhibition
of vindictiveness he has made
~eHo" " FrO9reSotveS.
No clearer exposition of the at.
t1tude which the Progressive Repub
l1cans maintain toward legislation
has been given in this congress
than that contained in the speech of
Senator Dolliver of Iowa upon the
postal banks bill Senator Dolliver
said in part:
I'VE are told there is an obligation
on the part of the government of the
united states to make good all the
hoped-for profits of these banks: and
II there Is an obligation of that sort
certainly failure to do so would be a
breach of the public credit. A failure
to do so would create an exigency in
our national financial system which
would certainly warrant the president
OF the United States and his trustees
in taking this money and helping
these good people out; and for the
purpose, | reckon, of exciting SYM
pathy for these poor bank presidents
and directors scattered throughout the
length and breadth of the United
States we are treated to the statement
Via. lhcy nave DCGH lOnS-SuHGrlng
people; that these bankers have lost
a good deal of money by this opera
ton; and at Milwaukee not very long
ago the president Of the United States,
speaking on postal savings banks. re.
ferring to the unhappy situation Of
these bankers, left with seven millions
OF two per cent, bonds on their hands.
said:
1t was just a little bunco game
which the government played, and it
is necessary that in any legislation
which comes along we should take
care of that issue of two per cent. and
not take on too heavy an issue Of
bonds, This question Is one that will
involve great deal of dis.
cussion.
Situation Made Plain.
We'll, | should think it would It
IS going to involve not only a GOOD |
deal OF discussion in this chambe, |
and In the house of representatives. |
cut it Is going to excite q very larce |