Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-24
UCH|DA MEETS TAFT
Japanese Minister Presented
at the White House.
EXCHANGE OF COURTESIES
Last But One Cabinet Meeting Of the
Year Held Today.
IN SESSION OVER TWO HOURS

Representative Perkins Brings
French Tariff Question to At
tention of the President.
The Christmas eve cabinet session to-
day was the last. except bne, that will b,
held this year. The last one will be Tues
day Of next week. The following Friday
the President will he in New York. He
will also go to New York next Monday
but will return to Washington the same
| night. Attorney General Wickershan
left the cabinet room early to go to New
York. where he will spend Christmas
and Secretary Dickinson is on his way t.
Porto Rico. The other cabinet officers
were present. remaining with the Presi
i dent for more than two hours, depart
mental affairs taking up most of the time
The President had some callers before
he went into the cabinet room. One OF
these was Representative Perkins of New
York, who complained that the maximum
tariff rates Of France. applied to good:
| from this country since November 1
| when the trade agreement expired, are
| doing serious harm to the evaporated
apple and similar interests In northern
New York. In fact. Mr.. Perkins tolc
the President the French rate has piac
| ticaiiy put American shippers out Of bust
ness. and is favoring Canadian exporters
to an alarming extent.
Under the old French rates evaporate6
apples from the United States and Can
ada paid 10 francs per 240 pounds. the
two countries being on an equal footing
since the application Of maximum rate.
to this country American apples now pay
| 10 francs per 24O pounds. while Canads
pays the old rate. a discrimination tina,
shuts out American goods unless they
so through Canadian hands
Referred to Tariff Board.
The President referred Mr.. Perkins to thu
tariff board and will ask prompt report
This case, however is one of many. Re
ports from all directions are that Ameri
can interests are hit hard by the action o,
France. millions Of dollars Of business be-
| ing lost Mineral oil exporters are com
planning bitterly, their exports having
dropped to almost nothing from about
$1,OOO.OOO month.
Under the Payne tariff law this country
| will be in position after next March tt
| apply the maximum rates to French
goods. thereby bringing on tariff war, |,
| Is predicted, that will be serious to both
countries, but 1t Is believed that an agree
| ment will be reached before that time
| the privileges Of the French markets or
an equal footing with those of other coun.
tries.
Has Merchant Marine Bill.
Representative Humphrey. ranking
| member of the House committee on mer-
chant marine and fisheries, today handed
the President the merchant marine bill
that has been agreed upon for presenta-
ton to the House this session, and which
1t Is hoped to pass. Mr.. Humphrey ex-
planned the features of the bill to the
President, who is inclined to approve its
provisions. The bill will be introduced
after the Christmas holidays and will be
promptly reported to the House
Representative Law of Brooklyn talked
to the President today about three fed
eral appointments. The Brooklyn republi-
can representatives have agreed upon Ed
mund w. Voorhees, as postmaster in that
city in place of Postmaster Roberts, who
has served eight years. They have also
agreed upon William ]. Maxwell for COL
lector of internal revenue instead Of Col
lector Jordan, and upon Charles j. Hau-
bert for another term as United States
marshal OF the southern district of New
York. The President said he would con-
slider the recommendations.
Count ]. H. Bernstorff the German am
bassadOr, and Count Moltke, the Danish
minister, were received by the President
this afternoon. They called to extend
the Christmas greetings both as repre-
sentins themselves and their countries.
Prof Fisher OF Oxford University, Eng
land. paid his respects and extended
Christmas greetings.
New Minister Received.
The most important formal function of
the day was the presentation OF the Gre
dentials of the new Japanese minister,
Baron Yasuga Uchida. The usual In
terchange Of cordialities became more or
less significant in view Of the most mo-
mentous questions between Japan and
the United States, to be settled in the fu-
ture.
Presidents Taft's Christmas.
Mr.. Taft's first Christmas in the White
House will probably be one OF devotion
to duty rather than Of pleasure. He is
far behind in his work, and every spare
hour he can find will be used to dispose
Of delayed business. The chances are
that the President will spend a good
many hours during the day in his offices.
The Christmas dinner will be at 8 o'clock,
and will be q family gathering.
The President received cordial Christ
mas greetings today from many parts Of
the country.
Clemency as Holiday Reminder.
As another Christmas gift to federal
prisoners 1t was announced today that
President Taft had commuted the sem
fences Of seven men charged with various
offenses from embezzlement to criminal
assault.
o. NJ Burns. cashier of the First Ma
tional Bank of Montpelier. Ohio, who
was sentenced June 10. 1905, to serve
seven years. had his time commuted SO
that he will be given his freedom Janu-
airy next. President Roosevelt refused
Burns application for a pardon In April.
1903, but Attorney General Wickersham
recommended 1t, since the whole COM
munity in which Burns lived and worked.
It was reported, wished to have commu-
tation granted.
Auguste Rousset, who was convicted In
the United States circuit court for the
southern district OF New York OF import
ing a foreign woman for immoral pur-
poses, had his sentence of three years
lightened to two.
CONDITION GROWS WORSE.