Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-06

| tariff bill. |
August 8, 19O0-New tariff law
becomes effective.
The Payne-Aldrich tariff bill is the law
of the land today. The Dingley law IS
a matter of history.
President Taft. at sos pm. yesterday
signed the measure finally passed oy ooth
houses of Congress a few minutes De-
fore He went to the Capitol and waited
an hour for Congress to finish Its work
and send the bill into the President
room for the last official act necessary
to place it on the statute books.
The President three minutes later at
fixed his signature to the Philippine tarin
bill, in which he took almost more gen.
uine pleasure than in signing the meas
ure over which Congress had worked for
the past five months
These presidential acts performed, both
branches Of Congress officially adjourned
at 6 pm. sine die That was the time
entered on the journal. but as matter
of fact the House adjourned at 5:5o pm.
and the Senate at 5:5S pm.
The closing hours of the session were
attended by scenes of a most uninterest-
ing character. The revision had not been
according to the desires OF some ana nao
the hearty disapproval of others, and the
last few hours had been consumed Dy
members of the Senate in expressing their
satisfaction or dissatisfaction The con-
ference report on the bill was agreed 70
by the Senate by vote or 10 10 ID
When the vote was taken. at p M, and
soon afterWard. the concurrent resolution
making certain changes in the leather
schedule was adopted by both houses.
Crowd to Greet President.
President Taft arrived at the Capitol at
4:45 pm. and entered the room set aside
for the occupation of the President on
the concluding day Of session OF Con-
gress. His appearance there. the first
since his incun!bency as President. caused
members of Congress to desert the Two
chambers and form in line to be received
by him. There was constant process
sion of handshaking statesmen through
the Presidents room from the time OF MS
arrival until his departure at 900 O'Clock
Just as the hands of the gold CLOCK IN
the Presidents room reached six minutes
past five the new tariff bill was laid be-
fore the President. He picked up pen
supplied by Chairman Payne or the
house ways and means committee anu
which had been used by both the vice
President and the Speaker in signing the
bill and attached his signature. After
writing civilian II. Taft the President
added signed five minutes after o'clock.
August s. 19O3-W. H. T."
Bending over the President as ne afnxed
rotary MacVeagh, Attorney General
Wickersham Postmaster General Hitch
cock, Secretary Nagel and Secretary VIII
son. Standing about the table were Sen
ator Aldrich, Representative Payne and
many other members of the Senate and
House. Mr. Payne stood with hand eA-
tended waiting to receive the pen with
which the bill was signed. He took It
with picture of boyish glee overspread-
to the President and he wrote the word
approved and handed the pen to Rep
resentative Langley of Kentucky.
Has Fun With Senators.
A number of interesting incidents oc-
Cured in the Presidents room pending
the signing of the tariff bill. AS the SEN
ators, one after another, filed into the
room the President had something of a
personal nature to say to each. and good
nature appeared to be overflowing. Sena-
tor Taliaferro of Florida, IN ratner d
plaintiVe tone, said:
Mr. President. surely you are not go
ing to sign that bill with that pineapple
paragraph in it, He referred to the fact
that he had gotten the duty increased on
pineapples in the Senate. but the advance
was eliminated in conference.
What would you have me do? Shall
I strike out pineapples altogether or just
write in a rate to suit your asked Mr..
Taft. faughingly.
A short time afterward Senator Fletch-
err of Florida was telling the President
goodbye. The Floridian was dismissed
with goodbye, Old Pineapples. take
care of yourself"
ture to mollify Senator Warren for his
disappointment over the abolition of the
duty on hides and he greeted Senator
Hepburn, who had said on the floor that
no rate in the bill was too high to suit
him. with a 'How are you. Old High
Tariff?
In like manner other senator's and
members of the House were twitted by the
President upon their predictions or char
acteristics. In these jibes some of the
cabinet members took part.
When the committees of the Senate and
House, appointed for the purpose of in
forming the President that the eXtraordi-
nary session of Congress was ready to
ad iourn, called at the Presidents room
the tariff bill had not been signed
Senator Aldrich, who acted as spokes-
man. made his brief and formal announce
ment.
! Laugh on Senator Aldrich.
well, l have not signed the bill yet
said the President. do you think that
ought to adjourn Congress before l sign
it?'
The announcement had been made by
Mr.. Aldrich on the theory that nothing
stood in the way of adjournment. There
having been a great deal of talk about the
possibility of a veto. everybody in the
room caught the significance of the Presi-
dents jocular query.
Il certainly do not, hastily replied
Senator Aldrich, and he joined in the gen.
| eral laughter
The delay in laying the tariff bill before
the President was due to Representative
Payne's desire to personally convey the
document to the President. Mr.. Payne
did not arrive at the Presidents room
with the bill until after 5 o'clock
Previous to that time the President
signed a number Of measures of COM
paratively small Importance. and imme-
diately after attaching his name to the
general tariff bill he signed the Philippine