Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-12
Will Not Sign Measure Abol-
ishing Commerce Court.
TIES UP HIS OWN SALARY
Legislative. Executive and Judicial
Appropriations Doomed.
CONVENTION EXODUS BEGINS
Senator Root and Others Paw Re-
spects to President Before
Going to Chicago.

That President Taft and Congress will
have serious clash over the abolition OF
the Commerce Court in the legislative,
executive and judicial appropriation bill
IS now assured as II is the positive inten-
tion Of the President to veto the bill when
1t reaches him. The President has his
mind made up on this point and at
present sees no reason why he should
change it and permit the court to be
put out of existence.
In vetoing this important appropria-
tion bill because it contains the pro-
vision putting the Commerce Court
out of business. the President will be
taking the chance of going without his
own salary in the next fiscal year.
The bill provides for nearly all salaries
and expenses connected with the legisla-
tive. executive and judicial branches of the
government and complicated condition
would arise should 1t be vetoed. II the
bill is not presented to the White House
until within a short time of the adjourn
ment of Congress the responsibility of
clogging the machinery of the govern
ment would rest wholly with the Presi-
dent. Congress would be compelled to re-
main in session to pass the bill without
it's abrogating feature touching the court
or put it through over the veto of the
President, just as IL stands.
The President is convinced that the
Commerce Court is good one, and most
valuable in the adjudication of the many
cases arising out of the decisions OF the
interstate commerce comm ssion AFFECT
ing railroads. In a number of speeches
the President has pointed out that the
court saves immense time in appeals. Be
fore the establishment of the court ap-
pealS from the decisions Of the inter-
state commerce commission went through
the United States district courts, then
into the circit courts and on up to the
Supreme Court The court calendars
throughout the country were clogged with
cases of this kind. Since the new court
was created the appeals are direct 10 IL,
and from it to the United States Supreme
Court Not only are the regular courts
relieved of the pressure of the interstate
commerce business. but the railroads ana
shippers both get prompt action upon Inn
dent.
Root Off for Chicago.
Senator Root. over whom the first
great fight will occur at the Chicago
convention, made a brief call on Presi-
dent Taft today He said that he
would leave for Chicago this afternoon
and that he had merely called for a
short chat with the President before
departure Mr.. Roots speech. like
many other things connected with the
Chicago convention. Will not be
framed until the result of the contests
before the national committee is
known and the temporary makeup Of
the convention is reasonably sure. Mr..
Root is going to Chicago to study the
situation at first hand. His speech
b dinfa cd tn rA
of the week. He has done practically
no work upon il so far, although the
general line of it has been discussed
with the President. and the two un-
derStand each other.
AS temporary chairman of the con-
vention, If elected. the Taft forces
are sure Senator Root will be. the New
York statesman will recognize the wis
dom of thorough recognition by the
convention of progressive ideas and
propositions that promise to receive the
sanction of a real majority of the people
of the country. when uninfiuenced by
clamor and pyrotechnics. The speech Is
expected to he tactful but firm, and will
seek to anticipate the bringing together
of the warning elements of the party
as soon as the nomination of the Presi-
dent has been made.
The President conferred today with
Representative Slemp of Virginia and
several others on their way to Chica go.
He continued to show his confidence in
his nomination, and his callers were
equally confident.
Il told the President that / was sure
he would be nominated. and that 1 would
consider ii the luckiest birthday OF my
life,' said Representative Loud of Michi-
gan. Mr.. Loud will be sixty years old
June Is, the day the convention assem-
bles in Chicago.
Will Nominate Taft, He Says.
Il told the President that we are going
out to nominate him, and that he could
count on that sure said Representative
Howell of Utah. Mr.. Howell presented
the President an invitation to attend tl.e
ceremonies incident to the completion of
the great Strawberry valley reclamation
project in Utah July 2. but the President
said he could not be present.
Senator Stephenson has discovered a
good luck emblem for the President, and
will send it to the White House in a day
or So 1t is a horseshoe imoedded IN a
beach tree from the forests of Wisconsin
Senator Stephenson said the horseshoe
was evidently hung over the limb of this
tree fifty years ago, when the forest was
being cut for lumber. Gradually the tree
began TO grow over the horseshoe. A
lumber workman found it, and Senator
Stephenson bought 1t for $40 to present TO
the President
Associate Justice Pitney called on the
President and accepted challenge from
this afternoon.
Representative Pray of Montana sub
mitted to the President a largely signed
petition for executive clemency for Max
inc Matt q Montana man who pleaded
guilty to technical violation of law for
bidding the carrying of whisky to an In
dian reservation. the President called
for report on the case from the De-
partment or Justice.
For Central Purchasing Agency.
Representative Willis of Ohio was at
the White House today with an important
bill he said he would introduce I'm the
House today creating a bureau of gov
ernment supplies. which will have abso-
lutte control of the purchase and dis
tribution of all supplies for government
use Mr. Willis said there was no doubt
that tn. old method of each department
purchasing it's own supplies. even IL there
was some cooperation between the de-
partments and bureaus of voluntary
character, lost much money to the gov
ernment.
Mr. Willis proposes that this central
purchasing agency shall purchase all
supplies needed. place these in a ware
house and distribute them on the requi-
sition of the departments.
Il am satisfied that this would result
in an immense saving" said Mr.. Willis
.'The need of central purchasing
nv ba of oil