Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-06
TAFT PUTS
SIGNATURE
TO TARIFF
Congress AdjOurnS After
Duty Measures Fixed
CONFERENCE REPORT IS AC-
CEPTED BY BOTH HOUSES
GOOD NATURE AMONG soLoNs
SEEMS TO BE PREVALENT
Rates on Various Leather Manufae-
tures Are Reduced to Meet
Views Of Western
Senators
fBy Associated Press.l

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5.-The tariff
w has been revised and the eX
traordinary session of congress
is ended. Both houses adjourned sine
die at 6 o'clock tonight. This is the
time entered on the journals. but as a
matter of fact the house adjourned at
5;3S p. m. and the senate at 5:5S p. m.
The closing hours were uninteresting.
The conference report was agreed to by
the senate, AZ to 81, at p m, and soon
after the concurrent resolution making
certain changes in the leather sched-
ule was adopted by both houses.
President Taft arrived at the capitol
at 4:45 and entered the presidents
room. His appearance there, the first
since being president. caused congress-
men to form in line to be received by
him. There was a constant procession
of handshaking statesmen through the
presidents room from the time of his
arrival until his departure, at 5:5S
o'clock.
At six minutes past five the Payne
tariff BILL as the measure will be
known, was laid before the president,
He picked up a pen supplied by Chair
man Payne, which had been used by
both the vice president and the speaker
in signing the bill, and attached his
signature.
After writing "William II, Taft" the
presiden. added "signed five minutes
after o'clock. Aug. 5. 1909-W. II. t.
Many Accompany Him
With The president at the time We're
Secretary Knox, Secretary MacVeagh'
ATTORNEY General Wickersham, POST
Waster General Hitchcock, Secretary
Nagle, Secretary Wilson, Senator AID
rich, Representative Payne and numer-
out senators and representatives.
AS the senators filed into the room
the president had something of a per
sonal nature to say to each. and good
nature appeared to be overflowing. Sen
ator Taliaferro of Florida, in rather a
plaintive tone said:
"Mr. President, surely you are not
going to sign that bill with that pine
apple paragraph in it,
He referred to the fact that he had
the duty increased on pineapples In
the senate, but the advance was elimi-
mated in conference. .
what would you have me do2 snail
/ strike out pineapples altogether or
just write in a rate to suit your
asked Mr.. Taft, laughingly.
A short time afterward Senator
Fletcher of Florida was telling the
president goodby. The Floridan was
dismissed with "Goodby, old pine
apples. take care of yourself"
The president tried to mollify Sen
ator Warren for his disappointment
over free hides and he greeted Senator
Hepburn, who said on the floor today
that no rate in the bill was too high
TO suit him. with chow are you, old
high tariff?"
No Hurry to Sign Bill
When the committee of the senate
and house appointed to inform the
president that the extraordinary ses-
sion was ready to adjourn, called al
the presidents room, the bill had not
been signed
''Well, | have not signed the bill yet,
said the president do you think !
ought to adjourn congress before |
sign it?"
The announcement had been made by
Mr.. Aldrich on the theory that nothing
stood in the way of adjournment.
There had been good deal of talk
about the possibility of veto, every
body in the room caught the signiii-
cance of the presidents jocularity.
''I certainly do not" hastily replied
Senator Aldrich.
The delay in laying the bill before the
president was due to Representative
Payne's desire to convey the document
to the president personally.
After signing the general tariff bill
Mr.. Taft signed the Philippine tariff
bill.
The president picked up mother-of-
pearl pen, which had been sent him
from the Philippine islands to be used
in signing this measure He wrote his
name with flourish that was not in
evidence when he signed the general
tariff bill.
The president left the capitol at 5:5C
IN return to the White House through
n driving storm. The signing of the
bi,l had been preceded by busy day
both in the White House and the
senate.
Four Hours Devoted to Debate
Meeting at 10 o'clock, the senate de-
voted four hours to final debate on the
measure. At o'clock the vote was
taken on the adoption of the confer
ence report. The senate then adopted
Mr.. Aldrich's concurrent resolution pro
CONTINUED on Page Eight