New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-05
From The Tribune Rureaul


Washington. Nav l.
DEAD.-Ship subsidy and postal subveu-
! ton legislation rs absolutely dead. SO far as
this session Of Congress is concerned The
/ SPONSORS for the Humphrey postal subven-
| tion bin have nursed the infant with the
! utmost care. but 10 no avail. and they have
! nov come 10 A complete realization that all
their hopes have been in vain They will
! make no attempt to resuscitate the legis-
lation ct this session. When on February
/ :. The Tribune announced that by the in
| cluslon Of certain ill-advised provisions and
the tsCtless method hy which the bill was
/ forced through the committee all chance
/ Of enactment of the Humphrey measure
had been forfeited there was bitter protest
bv certain advocates of the lesisls ton
notably the Merchant Marine League BY
this time all the advocates of that measure
doubtless realize that The Tribune was
right, and If they prove to have prof1ted by
their mistakes Of this session the expert
ence, although dearly bought will not have
been in vain. With tact on the part of the
advocates Of this legislation il is proba BILE
that q straight postal suhvention bill shorn
OF tonnage tax and free shin provisions,
could have been passed by q narrow ma
iority in the House and safe ma iority In
the Senate. such bill was earnestly al
vocafeo by Mr.. Meyer when he was Post
master General and was desired by Presi-
dent TAFT but every additional provision
made more enemies than friends. and 50. as
was foreseen when the Humphrey bin was
reported. Just enough votes to insure fail
ure were forfeited The worse than useless
attacks on opponents of the bill by the
Merchant Marine committee, which have
resulted in an inquiry by Congress, com
rleted the work and killed the mea sure be
Ycnd hope of revival.
HOUSE STTCATION.-Therea arc some in
dications to-day that the House insurgents
are becoming frightened at the havoc their
course is creating. that they foresee no
small degree Of embarrassment in the COM
ing Congress, and that they are anxious
that the House, at least. shall not appear
responsible for the defeat of the Taft pro-
Sramnle, but that If il must fail the meas
urcs shall be left in such position as TO
place the responsibility on the Senate
Many members OF the House predict that
an interstate commerce bill q postal say
ingS bank bill and an anti-iniunCtion bill
will be sent 10 the Senate A statehood
bill has already passed the House Never
theless, the House leaders fear that they
cannot stem the tide of radicalism, and that
even if these measures are sent to the Sen
ate they will be in such form that an
agreement in conference will be impossible
There is no sign of weakening for in
stance, on the physical valuation Of rail-
roads, the inclusion of telegraph. telephone
and wireless telegraph companies in the
provisions Of the interstate commerce bill,
or on The long and short-hauI clause while
II SENS inevitable that the Senate will re-
fuse 10 agree 10 these provisions
POSTAL SAVINGS.-The Republican
members Of the House COMMITTEE on Post
offices met Today and made an earnest
effort 10 get together on a postal savings
bank bill. The Gardner bill was taken as
a basis, and most Of the differences in the
committee were eliminated except the fun
damentaI difference regarding the investment
Of the funds OF the proposed bank, regard
ing which opinion varies widely Some OF
the members urge the inv estment of these
funds in federal securities. in so far d 5 tina
can be done. while those who entertain the
extreme opposite view insist that all funds
should be retained in the local ities in which
they are originally deposited Tho indica-
tons are that the latter proposition will pre-
vail. although the Senate leaders earnestly
hope 1t will not. An agreement was reached
on the maximum deposit OF an individual,
which vas placed at $500. It was also de
cided that state banks should be included
among the lawful repositories If great
difficulty Is experienced with the commit
tee bill when it reaches the floor of the
House, an effort viii be made to ADOPT the
Senate bill substitute for It.