The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-08-12

New Tariff Bill Went Into
Effect Thursday at Mid
night.

night.
CONGRESS ADJOURNS SINE DIE
Senate Agrees to Conference Report
by Vote of At to 81 and Soon Al
terward Both Houses Adopt Con-
current Resolution, Making Ger
tain Changes i'm the Leather Sched-
uIe-BiH then Goes to the Presi-
dent and Is Signed by Him In His
Office at the Capital.
Washington, Aug. 5.-The tariff
has been revised and the extraordin-
ary session of Congress has been
brought to a close. Both houses ad-
journed sine die officially at o'clock
tonight. The actual adjournment was
in the Senate at 5:5S p. m.
The closing hours of the session
! were attended by scenes of a most
interesting character. The revision
had ben according to the desires of
some, and with the hearty disap-
proval of others, and the last two
days had been consumed by members
OF the Senate in expressing their
satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
The conference report on the bill
| fo hx,
vote of At to 81. The vote was TAX
| en- at 2 p. M, and soon afterwards
the concurrent resolution making
changes in the leading schedule was
adopted by both houses.
| President Taft arrived at the Capt.
tol at 4:45 p. m. 1t was his first ap-
pearance there since his incumbency
as President, and there was a con-
stant procession of handshaking
statesmen through the Presidents
room form the time of his arrival un-
til his departure at $50 o'clock.
Just as the hands of the gold clock
in the Presidents room reached five
minutes past five, the Payne tariff
bill as the measure will be known,
was laid before the President. He
picked up pen supplied by Chair
man Payne, of the House ways and
means committee, and which was
used by both the Vice President and
the Speaker in signing the bill, and
attached his signiture.
President Signs Bill.
After writing "William H. Taft
the President added Signed five
minutes after five o'clock, August
5, 19O9.-W. H. T."
Mr.. Payne stood with hand ex-
tended, waiting to receive the pen
with which the bill was signed. He
took it with picture Of boyish -glee,
over-spreading his face Another
pen was handed to the President and
he wrote the word approved" and
handed the pen to Representative
Langley, of Kentucky.
Immediately after attaching his
| name to the general tariff bill, he
signed the Philippine tariff measure.
He used a handsme, mother-of-pearl
l.
to be used in signing this measure.
A broad smile of satisfaction over
spread his face and he wrote his
| name with a flourish not shown on
| the general tariff bill.
The Senate devoted four hours to
/ the final debate. At 2 o'clock the
| vote was taken and the conference
report agreed to, At to 81.
Mr.. Aldrich's concurrent resolu-
tion providing for reduction of the
| duties on variuos manufacturers OF
leather to meet the views of Western
Senators who had been defeated in
their efforts to obtain protection for
hides was adopted soon after.
President Issues Statement.
| Following the signing of the tariff
bill President Taft on Friday night
gave out the following statement:
II have signedSthesPayne tariff bill
because I believe it to be the result
of a sincere effort ON the part of the
Republican party to make a down
ward revision, and to comply with
the promises of the platform as they
have been generally understood, and
as I Interpreted them in the cam
paign before election.
''The bill is not a perfect tariff
bill, or a complete compliance with
the promises made, strictly interpret
ed, but fulflllment, free from criti-
cism in respect to subject matter
involving many schedules and thou
sands of articles, could not be ex-
pected. I suffice to say that except
with regard to whiskey, liquors and
wines, and in regard to silks and as
to some high class of cottons-all of
which may be treated as luxuries and
lproper subjects Of a revenue tariff
there have been very few increases
in rates.
), Number of Real Decreases.
There have been a great number
of real decreases in rates, and they
constitute a SUFFICIENT amount to JUS
: tify the statement that his bill is a
J substantial downward revision. and a
: reduction of excessive rates.
} "This is not a free-trade bill. II
, was not intended to be. The Repub.
/ lican party did not promise to make
, a free-trade bill.
''It promised to make the rate:
3 protective, but to reduce them wher
.