Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-05-29
/. CAPITAL CHAT.
Sec. Taft Pleased With
His Reduction in Weight.
Senator Hale Arranging for Rest
Of This Sessions Business.
lsihmian Canal Action Is Urged--.Ssa
Level Grows in Favor.

Washington. May 2S.-(SpeciaD.-Sec
rcta"Y Taft has demonstrated during
the past winter what an influential eX-
ample q public man can exert III almost
any respectable field of activity. He is
To-Day Il walking example of his own
Influence, rs he goes about, too small
| for his clothes and 50 lean that some
Of his friends look twice before recog-
| ni2ing him.
The whole country was Informed long
ago that the secretary was training
down and only a few days ago it was
| informed that he had quit training and
| at last had taken & square meal How
| ever there are hundreds of fat men
| her" in Washington, many of them in
public life who are following the sec
| ietary's prescription relgiously and
| seeking to get off 4 few pounds Of fat
| in the course of few weeks. They eS-
| chs ~ al kinds of starchy foods-will not
| eat butter, bread. potatoes, or any
| thing sweet, and subsist ON lean meat,
| vegetables that have nothing sweet or
| starch in them and fruit. They drink
| only water and buttermilk, giving
cream the go-by.
| The Washington markets note the
| change III purchases. 50 widespread is
| the observance Of the secretary's diet
| ing. The hotel and restaurant keepers
| find that their patrons include men
| and also Women-Who are following the
secrctary'S example. The Washington
| tailors become aware of the success of
| the training brigade, because of the
| coats and waistcoats they have to
/ n tho h1U windows,
which have shrunk under the persistent
| dieting.
| Secretary Taft is very happy man
under the results of his dieting. He
| thinks the results have fully warranted
the self-denial. But he is still the heav-
| lest man the cabinet. He is not 50 tall
as Secretaries Hoot, Wilson, Mctcalf
and Hitchcock, but he outweghs them
| on the scales.
| Congress has become decidedly I'M
| interesting since the rate bill was dis
posed of in the Senate. The galleries
| arc not half rs popular as they We're q
| week or 10 days ago. although many
| wondered how the people visiting the
| Capitol could sit for hours in the Sen
| at galleries to hear the long drawn out
| debates on rates. Nowadays, however,
| when the Senate is handling an appro-
priation BILL which from all thai is
| said one would regard quite as inter
| .stinG as the rate bill legal debate
! which few people could understand. the
| Senate chamber is deserted. There are
| sometimes not more than eight or 10
| senators on the floor and twice chat
| number Of spectators in the galleries.
| Eut there We're thousands of people
in Washington and visiting Washing
| ton who liked to be able To say they
| had looked in on the rate debate or sat
| on. an AFTERNOON while it WAS under
| discussion. 1t was the thing the coum-
try was talking about, hence the puru-
| lar interest to look right in where the
| work was being done and tO ascertain
| AS much as possible ut first hand of
| how ii was being done.
Senator Hale has received a number
of letters from Maine and Massachu-
sets, calling attention to the paragraph
in the rate bill. which provides that
| "equally good accommodations shall
he provided for all passengers in inter
state commerce who pay the same mon
ey for interstate transportation. These:
letters come from negroes who think
this amendment. which was presented
by Senator Warner. Republi, an Of Mis-
souri,. constitutes It National Jim Grow
| Car law" They now want the amend
ment. repealed. but the matter has
passed beyond the jurisdiction of the.
| Senate and If the amendment is re
| pealed il will have to be by the action
| OF the House. which now has the bill.
There is an impression that the ne
| groeS are mistaken about the amend
ment, which its authors intended should
be for the benefit of negro passengers,
rather than to their disadvantage.
AS il member Of the Senate steering
committee Mr.. Hale has been looking
over the ground To ascertain what work
| the Senate can dispose Of ut this scS-
sion ana what work will have to BE-
postponed. 1t is expected that Il pro-
gram will be made up in the rough
in the course of a few days. Mr.. Hale
| personally believes that Congress
| should meet its responsibility in declar-
| ing what the type of the Panama canal
should he at this session of Congress.
Others want to postpone action on the
bill declaring the type till next year
The House is apparently determined to
| do nothing about the bill at this SEES
| sion because it does not wish To stay
here any longer than can possibly be
helped.
1t is quite surprising how the belief
in a sea level canal has grown among
| the New England senators. At first
most of them thought the lock project
preferable. but the more they have
read about it the more they are inclin-
cd 10 the sea level idea Senators Hale
of Maine and Gallinger of New Hamp-
shire are two of these New Englanders.
| now. at least. almost converted to the
| sea level idea.
| The educating effect of debate in Con-
press is often illustrated. notwith
standing the contempt with which de-
hates are often referred to in these
DAYS If the universally of newspapers.
L