The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-30
PRESIDENT THINKS H|SPROGRAMME IS
 10 BE CARRIED OUT
Chief Executive Is Given Hopeful Words by Con- gressional Leaders as
 to Desired Laws

WhsniuStOhs JahuurE <bs--AIter Se- ries of conferences at the capitol on practically all features of his Iegis-
 Iative programme, Prer'dent Wilson
 told his advisers today r- he be-
 Iieved action could be 7 2 ed at this
 session on every imp ss measure
 i'm which he is interest," With differ ent members of the and House
 he had discussed meh-J preventing
 railroad strikes, votS al education,
 revenue, flood contrc z 2 general land
 measure to allow fcan exporters to form commof q Hing agencies abroad, increased for federal cm- pIoyes and the placing of pOstmasters
 under civil service.
 ifle President told Senator Poindex- Legislative, judicial and executive ap- propriation bill adopted by the Senate which would extend the civil service Requirements to all postmasters, that he favored the change. At present only postmasters in small towns in the fourth class are selected by examina- tion and the remainder are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. MT. Wilson said he would be gratifed to have the amendment Iagreed to in conference. He has pre- viously urged proposal of this kind and Postmaster General Burleson has indorsed it in his annual report. It is expected to meet with some democratic opposition.
 Representative Simms of Tennessee, a member of the House interstate com Imerce committee, told the President that he did not believe the House would approve the part of the admin Iistration recommendations prohibiting tigation.
 WILL INSIST
 The President said he would not in- sist on any particular form of 1egis lation, but that it was absolutely nec- essary to decide on some means of preventing strikes on the railroads of the country. Administration leaders lnow are working on compromise measure which the President proba- l bly, will indorse. It provides for an in- Ivestigating board made up of repre- sentatives of both sides as suggested by the railroad brotherhoods, but adds la representative of the public. Charges that fraud Is invloved in at least some of the claims to oil land 1 in the west included in naval Oil pre- serves dealt with in the general leas- ing bills were made to the President by Senator Husting of Wisconsin. The President has not finally made up his mind what stand to take.
 Discussing vocational education leg |islation with Senator Hoke Smith, the President said he favored the bill passed by the Senate over that adopted by the House Senator Smith assured him that 1t would be possible to se- lcure final action on the measure dur ing the present session.
 RIVER BILL COMING Senator Ransdell of Louisiana told
 MT. Wilson that when the rivers and harbors bill is brought up in the Sem ate an effort will be made to attach lit to the administration proposal,
 eliminated in the House, creating a
 board to investigate and coordinate all improvements having to do with
 flood control, river improvements and irrigation. The President was also in
 formed that an early effort would be
 made to secure action on the Porto
 Rica bill.
 The Webb bill for common selling
 agencies abroad for American export
 CTS, already passed by the House, was
 gone over in detail with the President
 by Senator Pomerene, who told of
 amendments he expected to offer in committee. These amendments are de-
 signed to prevent exporters from using
 the combinations for foreign trade to increase prices in the United States,
 and would authorize the federal trade
 committee to investigate wrong prac-
 tices and report to the department of
 justice.