Semi-weekly herald., 1909-03-18
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS


Gus this morning and nominate
Champ Clark as their candidate 70
speaker. in opposition to Cannon
Clark is very strong but he canno
beai Cannon for the speakership. TIL
combination made with Democrat
may succeed in defeating him on tn
big question of rules. If defeated
Il is said this morning that Cannon
will resign the speakership at one,
and return to Illinois and break tn,
senatorial deadlock thereby beins
elected senator and as a compromise
- he will be very apt to carry the iii
nols legislature whirl.
WASHINGTON. Mar. l5.-Pre cisely
-, noon today the extraordinary ses
Sion of the Sixty-first congress, called
by the president for the purpose OF
enacting tariff legislation. began. The
senate already has to its credit a
brief session of the new congress,
this being customary. following the
incoming of new administration in
order that The cabinet and other ap-
pointments might be confirmed. As is
always the case with the convening
of a new congress. great crowds were
altacted to the capitol but only a
small percentage of these were able
10 gain admission to either chamber
It's organization is complete, although
interest in .today's proceedings cen
tered on the new vice president. Mr..
Sherman, and the swearing in of Sen
ator Stephenson of Wisconsin. At the
other end of the capitol, however, a
different situation was presented. The
house with its seventy-seven mem
> sbers had to organize and this con
sumed considerable time While this
is being done, Clerk Alexander Nc,
Dowell acted as presiding officer. II
us necessary first of all to swear in
the entire membership and this is
done by states. Various groups of
members marched down the aisles
and Sanding in front of the rostrum,
took the oath of office. This com
pleted the house entered upon the
work of electing speaker.
WASHINGTON, Mar. 15.-Mr. Can.
non was elected speaker by a vote
of 204 10 167 for Champ Clark, Can
non did not receive the full Repub-
lican vote, members voting for other
Republicans. The insurgents are win
ming the fight on rules. The motion to
adopt the old or Cannon rules was
voted down. The house is now debat-
ing Champ Clark's motion to appoint
committee of fifteen to formulate
new rules. That is likely to pass
President Taft will send message
Ia congress tomorrow. The president
has not yet finished it.
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. March 10
Interest in the tariff bill that has
been framed by the house committee
on ways and means and will be con
sidered DJ the special session of the
new congress that assembled today
will probably center about the prposed
duty Oh coffee. For almost every man
and woman in the United States
!, drinks coffee, and the question of i'm
posing n duty on it becomes a per.
sonal one when II is considered that
The duty will mean an increase of 4
cents pound in price. To the busi-
ness world other things are most i'm
Dortant-the proposed stamp taxes on
H. IL
sales, and various reductions in duties
proposed-an to the reflective person
who pays the household grocery bill 1t
will be apparent that the coffee duty
may be unimportant compared with
other changes.
1t Is figured by the committee. ac-
cording to statements given out, that
about s50,000,000 additional revenue
can be obtalned-one-seyenth of the
Nproposed total increase through the
new bill-by putting a tax of 4 cents
pound on coffee. This evidently pre-
sumes consumption of 1,250,000,000
pounds of coffee a year, or an aver.
age of 147 pounds year by every
man, woman and child. assuming the
population OF the nation 10 be $4,000
900. For several years the per capita
consumption has been ten to thirteen
pounds a year.
On the basis. of the foregoing figures
the average tax paid by the consumer
sDt coffee under the proposed tax would
be about SO cents year. For fam.
lily of four persons this would mean
AN addition to the living expenses oi
1896 year, presuming that the con
sumption of coffee in such house
hold would not be cut down or thai
less expensive quality would not be
used. For the hotel or boarding house
keeper the increased expense, o
course, would be large. but in mos
cases would be shifted to the consum
er in an increased price for board o
meals.
The coffee raisers of Porto Rico ar,
said to be responsible for the pro
fS1sed increase. Trade between tn
United States and that island has beeI