Norwich bulletin., 1909-07-22

/ Taft's dinner tonight to the conferees
on the tariff bill and to several of his
closest advisers probably will be writ
| ten down in history as one of the most
significant events of a purely political
bearing that has ever transpired at the
White house.
The dinner was served on the west
ern terrace-the roof of the low-lying
structure which connects the White
house proper with the executive Of
fees.
Miniature Grove of Bay Trees.
The president has become fond Of
dining out of doors these warm Wash
ington nights and the surroundings Of
the terrace are unusually attractive
The long table about which the war
ring conferees gathered tonight as
guests of the chief executive, was set
in a miniature grove of bay trees, with
great boxes of geraniums and other
growing plants surnaounting the side
walls, which extend two or three feet
above the level Of the roof and make
garden enclosure of the terrace.
Nineteen Sat Down.
The president sat at the head of the
long table and altogether there were
nineteen diners about the board, Cap
tain Butt, the presidents military aide,
was the only guest at dinner whose
supreme interest was not the tariff.
In announcing his invitation to the
conferees to dinner the president fol-
lowed the custom at the capitol of in
cluding within that term only the re-
publican members of the conference
committee. All of these were present
tonight with the exception of Senator
Cullom of Illinois, who is detained at
Atlantic City because of the serious
illness of his wife.
From the senate came Messrs. Aid
rich. Hale. Burrows and Penrose.
From the house were Messrs. Payne,
DalzelI, Mccall, Boutell, Calderhead
and Fordney.
To meet with the. conferees the pres
ident had invited Vice President Sher-
man, Secretary of the Treasury Mac
Veagh, Attorney General Wiekershann,
Speaker Cannon, Senator Crane, Sem
ator Root and Representative Dwight
of New York, republican whip of the
house.
The conferees during the day pre-
pared a programme for discussion,
and when they began to array them
selves for the notable feast of the
tariff that the very best the presi-
dent could be offered was free iron
ore, free oil, and substantial reductions
in the senate rates On hides, coal and
lumber
Guests Received with Hearty Good
Mature.
President Taft greeted eaclf of his
guests tonight with hearty good-na-
ture, which was. characteristic of the
entire prandial feature of the evening.
The real discussion of tariff problems
did not begin until after the dinner
had been disposed of. 1t was said to
have been one of the most carefully
prepared banquets ever served from
the famous old White house kitchens.
and it was no fault of the president,
his steward or his old Virginia "dar-
key cook If the men of the tariff were
not in amiable mood when the meal
was done.
1t was well along toward o'clock
when the. dinner began.
The White house grounds were clos
ed to keep away the curious, who, from
the walks leading to the front portico
of the mansion, could have had an
excellent view of the unusual party.
Captain Butt withdrew at the con-
clusion of the dinner and when the
discussion of the tariff situation was
earnestly begun, the indications were
that the conference would not be over
until late hour.
Senator Crane had been breakfast
guest of the president earlier today.
Senator Root, Senator Kean of New
Jersey, Senator Borah of Idaho, and
Representative Hamilton of Michigan
were also among the legislators who
saw the president today.