The Washington herald., 1913-03-05

. to be stressed by his frlends. But TIC
President paved the way to what In
evitably must come-business methods
; in government administration. 1mme-
diateIy after his Inauguration in 1903
he appointed a budget committee OF
i his Cabinet, with a view to reducing
and equalizing public expenditures
in the executive departments He re-
, quired of his Cabinet officers that
, they appoint and direct economy and
efficiency boards in their several de-
, partments. with a view to improvement
| and economy.
His Economy Commission.
Virtually all OF Mr.. Taft's efforts to-
ward economy and efficiency met with
, strong, IL not always open, opposition
from Congress Mr.. Taft, looking
through the eyes of business man.
rather than Of a politician. saw and
early called attention to the utter Alb
surdity and incongruity OF the present
system of apportioning appropriations,
where an entire membersip of Congress
appropriates almost at will and then
blames the Executive for extravaganza.
After a strenuous fight, Mr.. Taft was
able to obtain appropriation for an econ
cmy commission, composed of experts,
with DR. Frederick A. Cleveland at the
head. This commission started in to work
out logical system of government ad-
ministration. entirely disassociated from
political exigencies. Its work was SO
Ientirely satisfactory that a Democratic
House continued il. Besides going
through the department and pointing out
poor business methods. useless bureaus,
idle and helpless employees. and other
abuses, which no sane business man
would tolerate for an instant in his own
establishment, the commission worked
out a logical budget plan of appropri-
las ha hiehA ha
of this plan is found in the present ac-
acknowledgement of Democratic leaders in
the House that they must adopt some
Isuch system to prevent further extra
VACANT appropriations. The Democrats
in the House are now planning a budget
committee which will work, to a certain
extent in conjunction with an executive
or Cabinet budget committee in an effort
to prevent a continuation of the extrava-
gances which the Sixty-second Congress
was guilty Of.
Although he has not satisfied the ex-
tremists in respect to conservation, Pres
ident Taft has been vigilant In protect
ing the public Almost no conservation
policy imaginable would be entirely sat
isfactory to radical conservationists af-
ter the policy adopted and carried
through by President Roosevelt, but Mr..
Taft has proven himself repeatedly
friend of conservation and construc-
r
vice following the unfortunate removal
OF Clifford Pinchot. Mr.. Taft placed
man who has vindicated his appointment
lin every way-Henry S. Graves. Follow
ling the tardy resignation OF Secretary
Ballinger in March, 1911, Mr.. Taft called
to the Interior portfolio a lawyer and
a conservation expert whose appoint
lment met with universal approval-Wal-
ter L. Fisher. of Chicago. MIR. Taft.
while the Ballinger-Pinchot controversy
was at its height, ordered the with
drawal of 100000 acres of Alaskan land
and IS 100000 acres of Western coal lands.
Conservation Fight Continued.
Mr. Taft continued his fight for con-
servation against the reactionary ele-
ments of both parties in Congress al
most up to the day he retired from Of
flee During the Sixty-second Congress
he outlined and defended with the veto
power a water-power conservation plan
" hich resulted in the saving. for the time
being at least, of millions upon mil
lions of dollars worth of valuable water
!: power concessions This policy brought
the Democrats to the front with the
!, dried-up States right doctrine, the only
breastwork behind which special privl-
lege can now seek shelter. and which
the President denied special privilege
during his administration.
corporations to usurp dam sites in vari-
Gus localities and obtain a perpetual hold
upon the water privileges resulting, with
out reserving to the Federal government
some measure of remuneration and some
means Of protecting the people who would
be dependent upon the utilities operated
by this water power for their water
. light. and transportation facilities from
extrotionate rates. The result OF Mr..
Taft's firm stand in this respect was
that the Senate Committee on Commerce
reported out a water-power bill modelled
upon lines suggested by the President
: The reactionaries of both parties in the
Senate cut most of the good out OF the
bill and sent il over to the House. 1t
was referred to the Senate Committee on
Interstate and Foreign Commerce. head
ed by Judge Adamson. of Georgia pro-
nounced reactionary and an ardent States
rights man. Judge Adamson Immediately
announced that as far as he was con-
cerned the bill could lie there forever.
The reactionary wing Democrats are
banking upon Woodrow Wilson to restore
to them their States rights, prevent Fed
eraI regulation knock conservation gal
ley-west, and sign away the resources
which otherwise would be reserved for
coming generations without deprivation
of the present generation.
Defends sherman Law.
i Mr.. Taft has been called upon to de-
, fend not so much his own trust record
!. as the Sherman antitrust law. He be-
lieyes the law is an effective curber OF
|, monopoly. He refuses to agree with
George w. Perkins, Bull Moose angel.
Morgan partner. organizer of the Har-
Iyester Trust insurance king, ct al, that
rnonopoly has gone beyond the reach OF
the statutes, that the best thing to do
is To recognize and condone existing con-
ditions. draw OF from attacks upon the
billions of water in stocks OF big cor
porations, and regulate them so as to
prevent further overcapitalization and
monopoly.
The greatest criticism Of Mr.. Tafts
trust record is the failure to obtain
convictions that will stand under the
criminal clause of the Sherman law. Mr..
Taft believes this clause should be
strengthened, but he is not willing to
discard either the whole clause or the
entire statute.
A prominent Democrat and a great
LAWYER was mentioned as possible
Attorney General under Wilson. He
thanked his friends for the compliment
and concluded, Gentlemen. 1 could not
fill the shoes of the incumbent"
Mr. Taft's trust record" may be said
to include the prosecution and conviction,
with wholesale reimbursements. of the
Sugar Trust officials responsible for the
weighing frauds at the New York GUS
tom house; action looking to the dis
solution of the Steel Trust; half victory
before the United States Supreme Court