Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-13
Taft Getting in Touch With
Affairs in Capital.
HIGH OPINION OF FISHER
Regards His Work in Alaska as Of
Greatest Value.
FOR REFORMS IN PRINTING
Senator Smoot Says He Will Press
His Bills at the Coming Session
Of Congress.

President Taft's first day in the
executive offices since August % was
, spent in conferences with cabinet offi-
GERS, appointments for both today and
tomorrow having been refused The
President has naturally been out of
, touch with departmental affairs for a
what is going on that needs attent. on
from him.
The President was in his offices early
this morning. and before 10 o'clock
three cabinet officers were with him
Secretaries Knox and Fisher and Attor-
ney General Wickersham. Mr., Knox.
the first one to leave, talked briefly
with the President as to affairs In
China and the trouble between Italy
and Turkey. Mr.. Fisher. who left
| next frankly stated that he had been
discussing conditions in Alaska with
the President and touching upon one
or two other subjects connected with
the Interior Department.
1t Is well known that the President
VIII devote considerable part of his
annual message to Congress to recon-
| mendauons for important legislation
for Alaska The President is in hearty
agreement with Secretary Fisher that
something must be done for the de-
veiopment of that territory. He has
Endorsed Mr. Fishers plan of proposed
leasing of public lands containing coal
and other natural resources. and will
urge serious consolidation for this
IN his remarks to Congress. The
President has also heartily indorsed
the plans of Mr. Fisher for expediting
the settlement OF many public land
claims in the west The President re-
CARDS the work Of Mr.. Fisher during
the past summer, in visiting Alaska
and seeking to solve the difficult prob
lens there. as the best done by any
government officer in years
Long Talk With Wickersham.
The Presidents conference with Atfor.
ney General Wickersham lasted for long
time. evidently covering wide range of
business connected with the Department
Of Justice. The administration is yet to
determine what sits attitude will be to-
ward the Reorganization Of the tobacco
trust. a. approved by the Tn ted States
matters 81 iinp6rfahcs 10 Be handled.
jud. cal nominations. headed By aa ssso.
ciate justiceship Of the United States Su-
preme Court. Justice Harlan death
made the vacancy. The President will
probably not make any Of these selections
tn $ policy ever since he has been chief
executive.
AS result Congress has been prompt
In its confirmation of the judicial nomi-
United States circuit judges and two
cabinet officers are mentioned in connec-
tion with the Supreme Court. These are
Secretaries Nagel and Fisher Mr.. Fisher
has proven himself such an able cabinet
officer that hfs name is mentioned with
nearly everything good that comes along.
| He is among T. Ose conspicuously n1en-
tened for probable chairman Of the re-
publican national committee next year.
Several senatorial callers at the execu-
tive offices today got a few minutes with
the President. They were Senators Cul-
lom. McCumber. Smoot and Rayner.
Smoot to Press Bills.
Senator smoot said today that he pro-
poses to push with vigor his printing bill.
introduced at the las, session Of Con-
gress, for reforms in the bureau OF en-
craving and printing and government
Irinting Office .ich, ii Is claimed, will
save the government something like ST.
100000 annually. The first of these re-
forms is the substitution of power presses
for hand presses In the printing Of cur
rency in the bureau OF engraving and
| printing. Another is the elimination OF
what Senator Smoot declares to be use
| less printing in the government printing
| Office
My bill proposes to substitute power
presses for the hand presses at the rate
| of 20 per cent a year, giving five years
| before all power presses are In use said
the senator. Because of the immense
/ increase in the work of the bureau bach
year l do not think that any workman
| wou.,. lose his place. Certainly no de-
| serving man or woman would be left
without place. the bureau Is unable
| now to print enough money to keep uD
with the demands of the country. -espe-
| cially in small bills, and there Is no good
| reason why power presses should not be
used. At the end of five years, when the
presses would be In general use. the saw
| ing TO the government would be $675,uDO
| year.
I'm the government printing office USE
| less and undesirable public documents are
printed each year at big cost to the
| government. These can be eIimiaated
| without harm to anybody. I have In mind
| one of these, the Patent Office Gazette.
That costs $4,000 a year and nobody
| wants 1t. Public libraries to which II is
| sent return II at cost to the government
/ mailed to public libraries letters ask
| ing whether this document was desired
!, by them Over 95 per cent said they
didn't have room for IL. The Same thing
| Is true of other documents authorized by
law"
| The installation OF power presses in the
| bureau has been successfully fought by
the plate printers for many years May
years ago they go: through Congress d
| law requiring PAPER currency to be pr mt
| ed by hand press es only, AMI at.eInp to
| repeal this law have been In vain Sem
| attr Smoot said today he was con id nj
that power presses will be authorize be.
fore a great while. The plate inter
are already preparing for the fig he.
know will be made. The cont oil er Z
| the Treasury recently ren-ered a de-
cision that Will permit the pa 1er m. ney
OF the Philip ines to be printed by y ,wer
| presses. but the labor uii.cn ave SIC r
ed from the Secretary OF War. il is stat
/ ed, a promise that hand pre- ses ii en-
tinue to turn out Philippine money he
labor unions claim that no po ser o ess
| on earth can print the same clas OF
paper money as the hand presses.
Abernathy Boys Write Taft.
Louie and Temple Alternately, the two
small sons Of Jack" Alternately. noted
throughout Oklahoma and the west as the
man who kills EN- alive meaning
| wolves. have written President Taft a
u