A PRESIDENT'S PREDICAMENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15968, 29 June 1912, Page 10

A PRESIDENT'S PREDICAMENT.

That intricate automatic system of " ohecks and balances" devised by the framers of the Constitution of tho United States has placed . President Taft in a very awkward predicament. The Chief of the General Staff of the United States Army, General Wood, in a recent report recommended the abolition of a number of army posts, in various parts of tho Union. From a military standpoint tho condemned posts are unnecessary and very costly to maintain, but tho establishment of a post means a largo amount of Government expenditure in the district in which it is situated, and the people of tho district naturally re-sent its removal. Pressure lias been brought upon members of the House of Representatives to move for General Wood's removal, and a proposal to this effect was added by the House to the Bill providing for naval and military expenditure. President Taft exercised his power of intervention and vetoed the Bill. He has saved General Wood, but has incidentally wiped out the authority for appropriations contained in the measure. It is manifestly necessary to obtain funds for the maintenance of the army and navy, but tho House of Representatives Is standing by its privileges under the Constitution and blocking tho President's attempt to secure the passing of the Bill without the amendment to deprive General Wood of his position. It is a provision of the First Article of tho Constitution that " No money shall be drawn from tho Treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law," and it would be competent for tho Senate, sitting under the presidency of the Chief Justice, to try the President, upon impeachment, should he contravene the provisions of tho Constitution, remov© him from office, and disqualify him from holding '"any offico of honour" in future." The Constitution is so arranged as to' balance legislative power. The individual States can exercise checks on the United States, and both can check the cities. The Senate and tho House of Representatives can block each other, and the President can block Congress, while in certain cases tho judiciary can hold up both President- and Congress. The admirers of the Constitution say that the system has operated admirably, and has " kept all political trains on the track." Its detractors admit this, but say it has in many instances kept the trains from moving. Tho present instanco seems to be a case in point.