Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-07
NEW CABINET
MEMBERS TAKE
OATH OF OFFICE
ALL BUT TWO ARE READY TO
ASSUME DUTIES
EXTRA SESSION OF CONGRESS
CALLED BY TAFT
March is Is Date Set for Lawmakers
to Assembe-Effort Made to
Change Time for In
auguration
[By Associated Press.l

w TASHINGTON, March 6.-All but
wv two of the nine members of
| " President Taft's cabinet are now
| in office. Six, including Secretaries
Knox, Meyer, Ballinger Wilson and
Nagel, and Postmaster General Hitch
cock, took the oath of office in the cab
met room today. Attorney General
Wiekersham was sworn in yesterday,
and Secretary Dickinson and Secretary
MacVeagh will present themselves FOR
duty within a week or So
1t was announced today that Secre-
tary Cortelyou would remain at the
head of the treasury department until
March Is.
President Taft issued proclamation
calling congress in extraordinary ses-
! sion March Is. While there was moth
ing in the call which limited as to the
purpose of the session, it's object has
heretofore been stated to be to revise
the tariff and to transact no other
business.
Want Date Changed
The weather calamity which over
took the national capital on inaugura-
ton day, however, has created such
general public demand for Il change OF
date for the Inauguration that The
prediction of congressional action on
this seems to be general.
The continued existence of the nation
al conservation commission seems to be
assured, notwithstanding the action
of congress, which has been Interpreted
to discourage the continuance of that
body
President Taft conferred today with
the joint committee of representatives
of the national and state bodies of TINS
organza ton.
The position OF the executive is said
to be that the commission was ap-
pointed by President Roosevelt as
consulting body ON the question oI
conservation of the natural resources
of the country, AMI that the states in
0icated their willingness for co-opera-
tion by appointing consulting commit
tees.
That such an arrangement can he
carried ou without congressional all-
proval and without federal expense
seems to be the decision reached.
President Taft'ss second day at the
White House was one of handshaking
and glad words. Delegation after deie-
gation was received.
Methods Different
His methods in the art OF mixing
were demonstrated to be different from
those of President Roosevelt. MI. Taft
takes more time than did his predeces-
sor in making the acquaintance of Ills
callers, and insists ON knowing nor
only their full names, but their resi-
dence and matters of family history.
|
as much time for him to meet ten men
as 1t did for Mr.. Roosevelt to greet 100.
The ceremony of administering Tie
oath of Office TO the six members OF
the Taft cabinet who presented them
selves at the White House today,
which was performed by Ghlet JUS
tice Fuller, WAS witnessed by Presl-
dent Taft.
The incident recalled to the new
president the incident of his own oath
at the Inauguration.
The chief justice, in reading the oath,
obligated Mr.. Taft ito faithfully exc
cute the constitution" instead of "tlie
office of president" This slip has been
a subject of pleasantly between Mr..
Taft and his secretary of state, who, 1t
is said, remarked at the time in an
undertone, to Mr.. Taft, Don't do it.
Oath Is Binding
The oath, however, is considered suf-
ficiently binding.
Mr. Taft had his first conference as
president with the corps of Washington
newspaper correspondents at the close
of the day.
He greeted the score or more of men
personally and stated that in fairness
to himself it would be his policy that
quotation marks should not embrace
statements of news which might be
given out at the White House. When
he desired TO make formal statement
it would he said. be addressed to con-
gress or be embodied in speech
This policy is continuation of that
which has heretofore prevailed, it being
considered the prerogative of the presi-
dent not to be quoted in the public
prints in any case except in formal
statements.
Secretary Cortelyou announced to-
night that he expected his successor.
Franklin Mac Veagh, to reach WASH
Inc In
treasury portfolio would be transferred
to him on Monday next.
The senate went into executive ses-
sion at 1905 .. m. to consider nomina-
: tions. Among those taken UP We're
William Loeb, jr., to be collector of the
port of New York. and Beekman Win
throp to be assistant secretary of the
navy. Later the nominations were con-
firmed.
Before taking this action Senator
Bailey made a protest against stories
which were printed concerning the ex-
ective session of yesterday, when he
; suggested that Charles Nagel of Mis-
souri, might be ineligible for the office
of secretary of commerce and labor IL
he had been interested as counsel In q,
said against the Waters-Pierce Oil
!, company which litigation Is still pend
ing before federal court
Bailey Makes Sharp Talk
Mr. Railev made an extended speech
criticising sharply the publication OF
alleged inaccurate stories of executive
sessions and lecturing persons who
may have given out information con-
cerning these sessions. The matter was
referred to a committee of five
A committee was then appointed to
wait upon the president and inform
him that the extraordinary session of
the senate was ready to adjourn.
The changes in the Republican mem-
bership of the Sixty-first congress
caused quite shifting about. Some of
i the Republican senators, because of the
i uneven division of the parties. have
been seated in what is known as the
1 "Cherokee strip" portion OF the Dem
i ocratic side on the extreme right of the
vice president. Senators Cummins. Bo-
rah, Page, Brown. Briggs. Bourne. Bur-
kett. Dixon and Guggenheim, who had