The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-08-04
BY Ernest G. Walker.

II
President Taft has established the
custom Of having guests at all meals of
the day. He invites men in to break
fast, luncheon and dinner. He is doing
this differently than President Roose-
welt did. He is also going out to din
ner. but in different way than Presi-
dent Roosevelt did.
1t looked for a while as though call
ers at the White House Offices day by
day would not be often invited to break
bread with the President It is still
very doubtful whether they will.
@Stay to luncheon, when we can have
a further talk about this, was fire.
auent remark by President Roosevelt
to an office visitor. He had very
varied assortment of guests at these
luncheons, lawmakers, politicians, To-
cal celebrities, authors, wolf-catchers,
athletes and so on through a long cate
CORY. While he enlarged his acquain-
lance and renewed friendships at meal,
4
information from the table converse
ton
President Taft has not INDUCED that
propensity in any marked degree, but
as soon as the tariff bill got into con-
ference he began to invite the eonferees
by ones and twos to the White House
to breakfast, luncheon and dinner.
There has been big series of these
meals, which is to be brought to a
conclusion with dinner to all the con-
ferees He followed similar plan with
Senators when the corporation tax was.
under consideration some three weeks
| ago. The Democrats, of course, have
not sbeen in on these hospitable
| events, for the Republican conferees
have been making up the adjustments
of the tariff bill. But great many
Democrats have been invited to the
/ tered there. He and Mrs Taft gave
several Congressional dinners during
] March, April, May and June, to which
| Congressman of both branches, without
| regard to politics, and the ladies of
their families were invited. Accord
ingly the Democrats have no social
/ grievances against the White House.
i The tariff breakfasts, lnncheons and
dinners have, of course, been very
business-like affairs and all the spare
time at table and during the interval
when the President had his guests in
the library or out on the cool and
spacious porch at the rear of the man.
schedules and items and differences be-
tween Senate and House and between
one or the other of those houses and
the President. Good fare is served on
the presidential table always, which
naturally gives an impetus, to the good
humor of the tariff guest. This, OF
course, has furthered the amiability OF
the exchanges and been factor in the
harmonization of his party, toward
which the President has been working
It is not the custom of the Presi
dent to accept invitations out to pr
vate dinners, but President Taft ha:
not observed this strictly. He has &C
cepted two or three invitations to din
ner of late at the residence of Senator
; Newlands, the Nevada Democrat, who
has beautiful country place just out
side of Washington. On one of thos,
: occasions the President met there a
dinner quite a group of Senators, IN
2 GLIDING regular Republicans, insurgen
| Republicans and Democrats, and mad
. himself very much at home. Then h
has dined two or three times at tn
| Chevy Chase Club, since Mrs. Taft de
parted for Beverly. When Arthur wa
President he used to visit around il
this fashion and generally stopped i
at the Metropolitan Club, which is onl.
a block from the White House, on HI
way home. But in the later days Pres
dents, while members of the best club
in Washington, rarely, if ever go there
except on an occasion of some genera
dinner or like event.
President Taft has also introduce
an innovation in al fresco White Hous
dinners. The pleasure of these outdoo
events apparently never appealed t
President Roosevelt. The White Hous
has two long wings, the fat roofs 0
which, on level with the dining -rool
on the west and the East room on tn
east. are adorned with beautiful DO
trees, but have hitherto been use
chiefly for promenades. The walls e1
tend several feet above the roofs an
accordingly there is splendid opportun
ty for dining out of doors on a clea
moonlight night. There are good Ugh
ing facilities and the guests are screel
ed from the view of passers-by.
one of their very first evening partie
the President and Mrs. Taft, who hay
been accustomed to living much out
doors in the Orient took +bnir ouaS+