The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-18
HIS FIRST MESSAGE
.ors,ogNT TAFT's coMMuNicA. TON TO CONGRESS SHORT
 AND TO THE POINT.
CALLS FOR RAPID AND THOROUGH ACTION
II, Taft Calls Attention to the Fact That Ills inaugural Addrsss Covered ,h. Ground suffioientiy Regarding Tariff Revlsion--Wants Present ses- .,on Devoted Chiefly to That Subject.


 washington, Mar. 17.--The second aoy,s session of the house of repre- son,atyes of the Sixty-6rst congress soupd the members In a much calmer nood The question of the amend went of the rules having been settled ,na attention was noticeabiy relaxed and feeling of general good-fellow- ship was apparent.
 The drawing of seats was the first husiness to be transacted and this rroceedIng, although rather monoto- mons to spectators, commanded the intense interest of the members
 After this business was transacted messenger appeared with the first message to be submitted to congress bv President Taft. It was the long expected call for tarlff revision and was short and to the point. The mes sage follows:
 To the Senate and House of Repre- sentatiyes: l have convened the con gress in this extra session in order to enable 1t to give immediate con sideration to the revision of the Ding lev tarif act. Conditions affecting production, manufacture and business generally have so changed in the last ls years as to require a readjustment and revision of the import daties i'm posed by that act. More than this, the present tariff act. with the other sources of government revenue, does not furnish Income enough to pay the authorized expenditures. By July l. next the excess of expenses over re- celpts for the current fiscal year will equal slOO, 100000.
 The successful party in the late election is pledged to revision of the tarif. The country and the business community especially expect 1t. The prospect of change in the rates of import duties always causes suspen- sion or halt in business because of the uncertainty as to the conditions to be made and their effect. It is. there fore. of the highest importance that the new bill should be agreed upon and passed with as much speed as possible. consistent with it's due and thorough consideration. For these reasons, have deemed the present to be an extraordinary occasion within the meaning of the constitution, justi- lying and requiring the calling of an extra session.
 In my inaugural address l stated in summary way tLs principles upon which, in my judgment, the revision Of the tariff should proceed, and indi. caied at least one new source of reve- nue that might be properly resorted to in order to avoid a future deficit. It IS not necessary for us to repeat what then said.
 venture to suggest that the vital business interests of the country re- Quire that the attention of the con sress in this session be chiefly de- voted to the consideration of the new mfln bill and that the less time given 10 other subjects Of legislation in this session, the better for the country.
 speaker Cannon and Champ Clark. 'ne minority leader of tha~ house, sWapped tart remarks about each other ~ the White House Tuesday. The speaker called upon the president carry Tuesday morning, and when he wa was leaving the executive offices made .uis answer to question as to the hsnt Tn the house Monday:
 The amendments to the rules have greatly Improved them. All this stun aOou' the speaker being a czar is the purest tommyrot. There has never eesn time when the majority could no' control the house. What they wanted to do was to make a commit pe oi 10 czars, dominated by Champ .lark and LaFollette. That Is also 'ommyrot LaFollette is a fake"
 when Representative Champ Clark salea on President Taft later in the Mo'hihs and was told what the speak VI saia he answered briefly:
 uncle Joe has paresis."
 MT Clark would not comment .uf1ner except to say that the amend a, ,e'''s to the rules adopted Monday a''efnoon amounted to very little.