The sun., 1910-05-08
TO WRANGLV OVER TAFT TRIPS
DEMOCRATS PLAN ATTACK on
TRAVELLING EXPENSES.

Item N suRdFy ChH nlll Making Nsxl
EeaFs APpropSlatlon ''ImmedlatelS
Available" AFomes IFe-PreSident
cancels IIis Atlantic city Trip,
WAsHNOToN. May i-PTesideht Tait'S
iourneying about thecOuntFy is to be made
the subject Of debate in the House when
the sundry civil bill Gomez up for con
sidsratiOn in that body, The measure
contains q provision apprOpriating t2S,OOC
70 deiray the Presidents travelling sI.
penses Under ordinary circumstances
this amount would not become availablc
until July /. the beginning Of the neW
fiscal year. Az the request q Fred W
Carpenter. the Presidents secretary. the
appropriation 10 to -hecOme Immediately
available
Members Of the House Committee on
Appropriations say they were not in
formed why the White House wanted
the amount to become Immediately
available They took it for granted
that the current appropriation was about
exhausted and therefore acceded 70 the
White House request Democratic mem
bers 0f the COMMITTEES az the meeting
a, which this item was considered entered
a protest against the appropriation being
made availsbls for expenditure before
July T. jut they we're hOWled down by
their Republican colleagues
President Taft u FvNsrs oi the CTiti-
oisms that have been hsade by Republi-
cans In Congress Of his frequent ahsenees
from Washington during the oOnsidera-
ton Of important bills on the Admins
trations legislative programme. Answer
inR his critics he has declared that Il was
the duty OF the President 70 accent some
Of the invitations extended 10 him TO
appear al public or quasi public Affairs
and that he hat done 20 on occasion
without disturbing the equilibrium of
QOvsrBment business in Warrington
The Presidents tFips formed the sub
isct Of An animated disopssiOn Of the meet
Ing Of'the Committee on Appropriations
when Il vas decided to make the travel
account Of the Executive available as soon
AZ the undry cvif bill was approved.
The Democrats insisted that as O00 was q
generous appropriation for tho President' =
travelling They pointed out that Il the
committee -hould recommend that the
amount b. made Immediately availAhle' >
thai an increase In the appropriation would
thus b. made in a rOundabout gay and
that nsHt year probably the White House
would make \ similar request
10 yOn usnt 10 increases the amount
above t2S.Oo. the Democrats said. why
don't you do Il openly and not Whip the
devil around the stump
The Democratic Will oppose the EIndry
Civil item Representative FitygrrBld of
NeS NoTk uill take he lead In the faht
he - q mamD~r Of tho COMMITTEE on Ap-
preparations The Democrats will uss
this provision in a partisan way to inform
The country that tho President spends too
littis time in Washington In this oon-
aeCtion they have been collecting a lot Of
hgurs~ twill pe charged that Mr. Taft
has spent more time away from Washing
ton propOrtionatelv than any other Presi-
dent since March T. 1879 he has travelled
nearly o. .OgD miles Mos q HE trips haya
been short ones lie has made one lOhs
Journey which extended across the ooun-
Try. taking up siXty days and adding
l2OO miles 20 he recnrd Of travel
Mr. TAFT b-EAn travelling on March n.
Iea after he had been President two
v eeks On that OCca sion h bgnads = three
days trip 20 NeW York and New Haven
Al Of these things m great detail will b.
related by the Demucrats " hen the sundry
civil bill comes up Tor debate Repre-
sentative TaWnsy. chairman of the Com
miitee On Appropriations. who will have
% defend the item is not IN a happy frame
Of mind Eyery time he thinks of Il he
q corrugated iron corhioe
The President IL beginning 10 haarksn
% Suggestions ~ his Republican friends
that he stand by Ia piping times v hen
party bills may he flIrthsred by his pres
ence in Washington Yesterday the Pres
ident cancelled an engagement 10 attend
the launching Of the battleship Florida
in Brook lyn on next Thursday ami to-day
was made A. the White
HOuss that Mf Tar had called "a his en-
gaRsmsnt to deliver an address at A.
Iantic City on May p. when the labor ie-
pRrtmsnt Of the Presbyterian Church 10
scheduled 10 meet
The President has an engagement TO 60
10 Michisan early IN June. and II cannot