The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1910-01-21
OF
THE GOVERNORS
The Conference Brings Many
NOtaOleS to Washington.
INQUIRIES ON At CAPITAL.
Numerous Investigations Have Been
Arranged With New Ones Being
Planned DaiIy-An Annual "Port"
Bill Hereafter-Many Conservation
Messages by the President.

Planneo Daily-An Annual Pork
Bill Hereafter-Many Conservation
Messages by the President.
Washington, Jan. 19.-Two Of the
prominent figures in the house of gov.
errors are Charles E. Hughes Of New
York and Judson Harmon of Ohio
Though of opposite parties, both are
recognized as possible presidential
timber. Hughes, in addition to being
a member Of the committee which call
ed the present conference, has recently
been brought into the limelight by his
income tax message and the direct
nominations and other reforms he is
trying to force through the New York
legislature. Harmon is the Democratic
governor Of the presidents own state
and as such will be in a hot fight for
reelection next fall Moreover, he is
perhaps the most generally talked Of
candidate Of his party for the presi-
dency in 1912. If he is reelected his
stock is certain to take a Rock Island
leap upward and If defeated will suf-
fer corresponding slump. The des-
TIMES Of Taft and Harmon have been
intermingled In peculiar ways. Both
lawyers in the same city, both judges
on the same bench, both cabinet Off
GERS. it would be strange If they should
be opposing candidates for the nations
highest office two years hence.
Many other well known chief execu-
tlves are at the capital to attend the
conference, and probably never before
have so many of the country's famous
men been in Washington at the same
time. They come from every state in
the Union, and the registers at the
leading hotels furnish a feast for auto
graph fiends containing, as they do,
the signatures Of so many famous
chief executives.
Author Of House of Governors.
One of the notable figures in Wash
ington this week is William George
Jordan, the man who first suggested
the house Of governors, which with
this meeting has probably come into
permanent existence. Mr.. Jordan Is a
lame little man who was once editor
Of the Saturday Evening Post 1t is
an interesting fact that Mr.. Jordan's
first circular letter and pamphlet urg-
ing the house Of governors were sent
to President Roosevelt and that few
months afterward the president called
the body into being.
investigator an Investigation.
More inquiries are coming to light
each day. There are not only the
monetary commission, the tariff COM
mission, the customs house probe, the
Ballinger-Pinchot investigation, the
high prices inquiry, the waterways
commission, to say nothing Of the null
tifarious inquiries Of the agricultural
department and the trust probings by
the secretary Of commerce and labor,
but the president has recently started
an investigation into an investigation
1t was in this wise: About three years
ago the department of commerce and
labor started upon an inquiry into the
lumber business. Nothing much has
since been heard Of it, except that the
bills appeared regularly for auditing.
Recently the lumbermen appeared on
the scene and raised a kick because
the inquiry so long hung fire. They
went to the president about 1t, ana the
president started little inquiry Of his
own. since which time things have
been happening in the office Of the
chief Of the bureau Of corporations,
Herbert Knox Smith, and it is now
thought that there may be a report on
the lumber investigation before the
dawn of the twenty-frst century.
A Pork Bill Every Year.
Whatever the river and harbor COM
mittee Of the house may do about de- |
clariEg n general waterways policy, it |
is evidently going to change in one re- |
spect. Heretofore the pork bills /
have come along at the rate Of one |
every two or three years. but hereafter
they are to be annual This years
will carry about S3OOOO.OOO. .
that Of the Sixtieth congress
footed up ST5O1OOOO. Is the talk that
he president may veto a pork bill
framed on old lines having an effcctg
Five Special conserv ation Messages.
President Tafts conservation mes
age shows that whatever may be the
ate OF individuals or the outcome Of
he Balliu-er-Tinchot Investigation.
he president has taken no backward
tep. So thoroughly does he propose
o 90 into the various branches 81 the
ul'r.' that he has promised other
pc igl uu. sgges on Waterways. en-
Exclamation and irrigation. on forest
reservation ard on coal and rhus-
hate lands ard water power sites.
hose. with the present communication.
making Eve special messages on the
roup % policies usually Included un- \
or the head of conservation. More s
yer. e Is probable that congress will . y
blow most Of the presidents suCges- q
ons. So completely has the agitation :
reused the country and 50 much are !,
] sides Of the controversy apparently
greed on the character Of the leCisla-
on which should be adopted that lit
e opposition is likely to manifest IT. I
N Scarcely IN the nations entire n
story has any cause made more rapid &