Evening star., 1909-03-05
TAFT SHAKES HANDS
OF 4,0O0 CALLERS
New President Has a Long
and Strenuous Day.
WHITE HOUSE THRONGED
Constant Stream of Visitors Pours
Through Gates.
NEW YORK 7TH REVIEWED
Famous Regiment Arrived Too Late
for the Parade-Prospects OF
Early Tariff Legislation
Discussed. I:
WHITE HOUSE THRONGED
Constant Stream of Visitors Pours
Through Gates.
NEW YORK 7TH REVIEWED

President Taft began his first days
work in the White House at $50 o'clock
this morning. He had breakfast at
o'clock, talked with Mrs. Taft and the
children, glanced over the morning
papers and prepared for difficult and
tiresome sixteen hours.
He had not been in the executive Of
fees ten minutes before Philander c.
Knox walked in. NO, i am not Secre-
| tary Knox" said the Pennsylvania. II
am simply a private citizen / may he
Secretary of State If the Senate today
considers me fit for the place" Mr..
Knox spent ten or fifteen minutes in
consultation with the President and de-
parted Streams of callers followed, and
they kept coming all day. There were
so many that they were marched through
the main door and out OF the side doors
Half of the Senate and the House filed
through. either as individuals or accom-
panied by bands of constituents who are
visiting Washington.
Reviews Seventh New York.
Shortly after 1890 o'clock President
Taft left the White House and went TO
the reviewing stand, where, standing be-
side Gov. Hughes Of New York, he re-
York. the crack regiment of that state.
This regiment should have arrived in
Washington yesterday morning and have
marched in the parade in the afternoon.
but the storm delayed 1T so that it did
not reach the city until 4:D o'clock In the
afternoon. 1t was at the special request
of Gov. Hughes that the review took
| place. The regiment came to Washing
| ton in twenty-one cars.
| Following this President Taft hurried
| back to his offioes. shook hands with half
| a dozen senator's and representatives and
| then sprinted to the east room of the
| White House. where he received the
! Blaine Club and Citizens Taft Club OF
| Cincinnati, with some other organiza-
| tions thrown in for good measure.
| President Taft was kept busy In tho
| east room an hour and a half or two
hours shaking hands with those who de-
sired TO meet him and who We're properly
| vouched for. He shook hands with prob
| ably 1000 persons during the day, re-
fusing none who asked. Except for get
| ting nominations ready to send to the
| Senate. the new President did not get ID
| chance to attend to any other business.
Senator Dick and Representatives
Douglas. Keifer, Longworth, Kennedy,
| Cole and Goebel of Ohio called on their
| citizen to tell him that Ohio repre-
| sentatives in Congress would stand by
| him.
Throng in the Grounds.
| Crowds of visitors swarmed through the
White House grounds all day, constant
| stream pouring i'm and out of the gates
and straining eyes to catch glimpses OF
the new President or see inside of the
| building The north portico was filled
many times during the day. The new col
ored footmen at the north door came IN
for unreStrained observation, but bore
! the scrutiny with true butlerlike dignity.
No objection was made by police offcers
to peering in windows or gazing INTO the
areaWay running around the puiidlns
Everything within bounds went with the
buecoated men. They appreciated that
the strangers had come long distances 10
| see the capital, and the move on" orders
| were seldom brought into play
Discussing Tariff Legislation.
| The most important visit of ,iie
morning was from the republican
| members of the ways and means com
mittee of the House headed by Repre-
| sentative Payne. They told President
| Taft they called not only to express
their best wishes for the success of his
administration but to express the hope
| that there always would be harmony
and good feeling between the legisla-
tive and executive branches of the gov
ernment They wished to work in har
mOny with him.
| President Taft responded In SINH
lar strain and reiterated views hereto
! fore made known as to the desirabilitv
| of passing "A tariff bill early as poS-
| Sible in the extra session. On that
score the committee and the President
are in perfect harmony. and every Ell
| fort will be made on all sides to have
"A bill become law on June 1, posslbiT
| earlier. This would give the bill
months operation before the beginning
| of the new fiscal year.
REPRESENTATIVE Payne said he would
| have a bill ready to introduce In the
| House March II. Immediately upon the
| assembling of Congress. The bill will be
| promptly referred to the ways and means
committee. which VIII have been an
| nounced by Speaker Cannon, and the com-
mittee will report the measure To the
| body at the earliest possible moment, ros-
Sibly that day.
Will Attend Champlain Celebration.
President Taft accepted the first invita-
ton extended to him today, but made it
known that he did not care to have this
action used as precedent. 1t was 10
| attend the tercentenary discovery of Lake
Champlain by Samuel Champlain.
The invita- ion was given by Gov. George
Fl. Prouty OF Vermont. Senator Dilling-
ham. Senator Page, Representative David
]. Foster Lynn NJ. Hays. secretary, ana
William J. Van Patten of the Lake Cham
plain tercentenary commission OF Yer
mont: Gov. Hughes of New York. Senator
Depew Senator Root Representative
George r. Malby, State Senator Henry w
Hin Secretary Walter G. Witherbee,
Judge John III. Booth. Assemblymen
James Shea and James A. Foley and How
land Pell. representing the New York ter
centenary commission.
The exercises are to be held in the wall
lev of Lake Champlain the week begiu-
ming July 4 and ending July 10.
New Staff at Work.
President Taft's staff of workers was
busy on time this morning. Secretary
Carpenter, who is highly regarded by the
President, handled the big days work
with the ease characteristic of his chief.
Coming over with Mr.. Taft from the War
Department also is w. w. Mischler, con-
fidentfal secretary to the new President.
! ME- Mischler will il is understood SII..-