The Red Cloud chief., 1910-03-17


said by the opponents Of the plan /,
that there have only been &c cases
taken on appeal from the interstate
commerce commission within the time
space of several years, and that there
seems to be no immediate chance that
the number OF cases will increase.
They say, therefore. that the court Is
not needed. ON the other hand, the
friends of the court say that because
of the long litigation that was sure to
be ahead OF parties to suit In the
past appeals have not been taken and
that injustice. therefore. was done.
Provisions Objected To.
The new court provision Is not the
only one to which objection Is made
by some of the Republican senators.
most of whom arc what Is known as
insurgents. In the main the same
men were opposed to many Of the
provisions of the Payne-Aldrich tarif
law. The charge is made that power
is taken away from the interstate
commerce commission to pass judg-
ment on all traffic agreements between
the railroads which are allowed by
law. II was one of President Rooso.
velt's ideas that these traffic agree.
ments should be allowed. but the sen.
ators who are in opposition say that
Mr.. Roosevelt intended to give the
interstate commerce commission the
power to decide on these agreements
and to reject them IL they were not
considered proper and within the
spirit of the statutes.
The friends of the court provision
in the bill say that il the agreements
between the railroads are of the kind
to fix rates at too high figure the
interstate commerce commission can
act just as 1t always has acted The
opponents of the bill declare. how
ever, that agreements may be made
which are ia effect deadly to compe-
tition and yet they may not seem to
fix extraordinarily high rates.
Wants Legislation Pushed.
President Taft is beginning to show
/ daily more of the squirting" qualities
of Theodore Roosevelt He is seem.
! ingly dissatisfied with the compare.
! lively slow progress which the legis-
making In congress, and, moreover, he
seems to have been somewhat dis
turbed by the reports that the coun'
| try is taking more interest In the mat.
tcrs now under investigation by con.
gress than II is in the progressive pol
icies Of legislation which occupied all
its attention during the Roosevelt ad'
ministration.
Recently reports were published to
the effect that Mr.. Taft had practical
ly given over all attempts to induce
congress to pass the majority of his
| legislative recommendations at this
session. To his political friends the
president was quick to make denial OF
any such intention. He has let II be
known that he not only wants postal
savings banks, changes in the inter.
state commerce law, and conservation
laws, but an anti.injunction statute
and all recommendations that he has
made, put through congress In law
form before the session closes and
the congressional campaign opens.
The leaders in house and senate
have tried to talk the president out OF
giving public expression to his desire
that a comprehensive legislative pro.
gram shall be put through. The lead
ers seem to be Of the opinion that IL
three or four bills which have attract.
ed public attention and public support
are enacted into law at this session 1t
will be enough in the way of accom-
plishment to satisfy the country. The
president is telling the leaders that
the country won't be satisfied with
three-quarters of a loaf, and that 1t
must be given q whole loaf. Whether
or not attention will be given by con-
gress to what the administration Is
urging, will not be known for a fort.
night, probably.
The Presidents Contentious.
The advisers of the president say
that all through the tariff debate Mr..
Taft was firm in his belief that by
gentle measures which were i'm con.
trast to those of his immediate pre-
decessor. he could get more out Of con.
gress than could be obtained by big
stick methods. He professed satisfac.
ton with the tariff law, but 1t is said
|
ward feelings that he would have eX.
pressed a much stronger and deeper
satisfaction II the bill had gone furth-
er than 1t did in the cutting of customs
duties.
It has been said many times recent.
ly that the country seems to be moro
interested In the Ballinger-Pinchot in
quiry and In the matter Of the high
cost of living than It is In the leglsla-
tive program of the president. 1t Is
believed that Mr.. Taft holds that the
lack of interest in legislation Is due to
the belief on the part of the country
that the organization leaders are not
going to do very much with legisla.
tion, and so naturally the interest to
a considerable extent has subsided.
The members OF both houses are