The Republican journal., 1909-07-08
Letter from Washington.
Senators Hale and Frye and the Tariff,
and Census. The Senate's Apollinaris
Lemonade

and Census. The Senates Apollinaris
Lemonade.
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 3rd. The
Maine contingent at the capitol had a
sultry time, closing out the month OF
June. y The senators, Of course, are hav-
ing the worst of it, for they put in long
days every twentyfour hours, except
Sunday. The day had been beginning at
10 clock in the forenoon and ending at
7o'clock at night, but last week it began
at 10 a. m. and ended about 10 p. m.
Every few days Senator Frye got a
whack with the senate gavel, while Vice
President Sherman went out to play golf
with President Taft. and somehow or
other he managed to boost the tariff bill
along several spaces. That is because
he knows how to hustle the Senate along
to vote and how to discourage wran-
Cling and debating.
There is little prospect that the Maine
members will be back in their homes be-
fore the end of July. Senators Hale
and Frye think it will take the best part
of another month to reach final vote on
the tariff bill, to adjust the differences
between the Senate and the House over
the schedules and then to debate the
conference report in the Senate and
House and get the bill to the President
for his signature All in all Maine has
been faring pretty well in the measure
and Maine industries will get about as
much as those of any other manufac-
turing State Of the union. Senators
Hale and Frye have been standing to-
gether in practically all the votes taken
IN the senate on the tariff.
Senator Hale has been putting in some
hard ticks lately. He has had an active
part in gathering up the odds and ends
of the tariff schedules. He was one of
the Republican senators who co-operated
with President Taft in getting the cor
poration tax amendment whipped into
shape and, with other Republican sena-
tors, was a dinner guest at the White
House TWO evenings when the amend
1nent was under discussion. He took
charge Of the Senate provisions for rails
ing the duties on boots and shoes to 20
per cent While the tariff bill was thus
focusing the activities Of those at the
capitol. Senator Hale was also pushing
the Census bill to finality and grinding
out an appropriation of $40, 600 to
keep The big bureau at the foot of Capt.
tol hill at work after July lst. He was
one Of The conferees who finally fixed up
the long delayed legislation for taking
the next census and. not only fastened
the preparation of the appropriation bill
but passed it through the senate so that
it could become law before July 1st. In
this effort he had meeting Of the ap-
propriations committee, of which the
Senator is now chairman, during one of
the hottest afternoons of the week and
shaped up the bill for the Senate's con-
sideration.
Senator Hale took very positive ground
about the duty on boots and shoes, which
are manufactured in great quantities in
Maine factories. He felt unwilling to
tariff bill. because it meant a reduction
Of the duties on boots and shoes. 1t is
the Senator's judgment that the duties
on boots and shoes should not in any
event be reduced. The last stage of
the manufacture which puts the article
upon the market, as it is worn by the
consumers, the men, women and children
whose feet are shod,' said the Senator
during the debate in explaining his posi-
ton, has to deal not only with the duty
upon hides, but with the duty we put
upon sole leather that enters into the
product | think We're it not for my
general course Of fealty to the finance
committee and my acquiescence in its
conclusions, l should move to make the
duty upon boots and shoes % per, cent,
in lieu Of 20 Yer cent.
One great assuager of a hot legislative
summer in Washington is apollinaris
lemonade. 1t is product of Senate de-
lDttduOnS. Inc house OlllCldlly hllOWS
nothing Of the cooling drink that is man.
ufactured daily by the barrel down in the
basement of the capitol. 1t is lifted up
by the pailful-big round pailsful-by
iusty negro messengers and placed on oil
cloth covered tables in the Republican
cloak room, the Democratic cloak room,
and in other places around the north end
of the capitol where men in the public
service most do congregate.
The Senate apollinaris lemonade is not
quite so thick as pudding, but it is sweet
ened powerfully, as apollinaris takes
more sWeetening than plain water. A
couple Of glasses Of it make fairly good
midday meal so that the keeper of the
Senate restaurant sees his receipts for
luncheons falling off when the weather
gets sufficiently warm for the starting Of
the apolinaris lemonade industry. Apol
}inaris lemonade for all the Senate and
ali the Senate's friends is an institution
Of recent years. Of course it costs quite
a little bunch Of money when the hot
sumner session is prolonged as it is
i, ! Put II oil