Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-06-15

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The cabinet room in the White
douse Is Americas nearest approach
to throne room 1t is about the size
OF the dining-room in an average
country house of the colonial style.
1t is almsst severely simple. The col
oring is olive green and white-white
woodwork with olive green burlap on
the walls. The chairs of the Presi-
dent and his nine cabinet ministers,
which surround the long mahogany
table in the center of the room, are COW
cred with green leather. The Presi-
dents differs from the others only in
that the back is a trife higher. On a
small metal plate on the back of each
chair is the title of the holder and the
date of his accession, but not his name.
On one side of the cabinet table is
fireplace, with very high mantelpiece
over it. On the other is a capacious
leather-covered divan. At one end of
the table are the sliding doors lead
ing to the Presidents private office, at
the other three large French windows,
looking out across the White House
grounds toward Pennsylvania avenue.
There are leather-coyered armchairs in
the corners. The room is practically
without decoration. A room more
completely symbolizing republican
simplicity it would be difficult to i'm
agine.
A quarter of billion IF dollars Will
have been appropriated by Congress
for the purchase and construction of
the isthmian canal, if the estimates for
the expenditures in canal material for
the fiscal year beginning July l, 1910,
are agreed to by Congress next winter,
These estimates, amounting to about
$35,000,000, have been received in
Washington from the canal zone, and
are being reviewed by Secretary of
War Dickinson. Already there has
been appropriated for the purchase of
canal rights from France and Panama
and for construction total of $780,
100000. Secretary Dickinson finds ii
very difficult to reduce the estimates,
and Congress itself has learned that
reduction of the estimates merely in
vites deficiency appropriation later.
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Three-fourths of the tariff revenue
is collected on twelve classes of ar
ticles, including sugar, manufactures
of cotton, wool and silk, leaf tobacco
and manufactures of iron and steel.
Sugar paid sixty million dollars duties
in 1907, the cotton manufactures
nearly forty million dollars, manufac-
lures of wool and of silk about twenty
millions each, and iron and steel
twelve millions. But sugar yields more
revenue than any other two groups Of
imports. According to a resume of the
tariff history of the country that has
lately been issued by the Department
of Commerce and Labor, the proportion
of imports entering the country un-
taxed has varied all the way from less
than per cent, between 1867 and
1873, to about 60 per cent in 1894.
-
Secretary of War Dickinson and
Mai Gen. j. Franklin Bell have come
to a tentatiTS decision that some 81,
900 900 must be expended in defensef
for the Panama canal. The most pow
erful and elaborate batteries are to be
planted to repel attacks from the Pa
cific side The main Notifications will
lie upon 10 islands at the entrance tt
the canal. The principal locks will.
also be protected by batteries and the
hills on the Atlantic side will be forti-
fed. Mr.. Dickinson has always been
one of those advocating a sea level
canal but his recent tour of inspection
has converted him to the lock plan.
-:
In spite of the order of retrenchment
in all departments, Secretary of the
Navy Meyer has found a way to cut
the estimates in his department by
$4,000, 900 and still provide for the
construction of the two dreadnoughts
desired Submarines and torpedo boats
will be omitted, and cuts have been
made in minor branches and bureaus
wherever possible.
-
The new Lincoln pennies will be dis
tributed the first week in August.
They will supplant the penny with the
familiar Indian head upon it. The
Lincoln penny will remain in circula-
ton for twenty-five years. The law for
bids more than one change in the de-
sign of coin in each period of quar-
ter of century.
-
To a committee of the Civil Service
Retirement Association which called at
the White House, President Taft said
that he was strongly in favor of the
merit system, and that a necessary
concomitant of it is provision for
those who have become too old to
render proper service.
-
OF the 312 candidates for appoint
ment as cadets to the Annapolis naval
academy who took the examination In
April, less that SO per cent passed.
-
President Tafts plans for reorgan-
ization of the work of the interstate
commerce commission that there may
be more effective supervision and con-
troll Of the railroads are being worked
out rapidly.
An Anti-Swearing Law.
The Legislature of Wisconsin has
nassad q hfll to nrnhihit the use OF