The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1909-08-06

tariff has been revised and
w the extraordinary session of
congress has been brought to a
close. Both houses adjourned
sine die officially at 6 o'clock to-
night. That is the time entered
upon the journals, but as aa mat
ter of fact the house adjourned ut
$3.50 p. m. and the senate at 5:5S
p. m. The closing hours were un-
interesting. The revision had
been according to the desires of
some and with the party disap-
proval of others and the last two
days had been consumed by
members of the senate in express
ing their satisfaction or dissatis-
faction.
The conference report was agreed
to, AZ to 81, at 2 p. m. and soon after
ward the concurrent resolution max
ing certain changes in the leather
schedule was adopted by both houses.
President Taft arrived at the capitol
at 4:45 p. m. and entered the presi-
dents room. His appearance, the first
since he became president, caused
congressman to form in line to be
received by him. There was a con-
stant procession of handshaking
statesmen through the presidents
room from the time of his arrival un-
til his departure at $3.50 o'clock. At
"a, 80 G1yn Aho low
bill, as the measure will be known,
was laid before the president. He
picked up a pen supplied by Chair
man Payne which had been used by
both the vice president and the speak
er in signing the bill and attached his
signature. After writing William H.
Taft" the president added Signed
five minutes after o'clock, August 5,
1909-W. H. T."
With the president at the time were
Secretary Knox, Secretary MacVeagh,
Attorney General Wickersham, Post
master General Hitchcock, Secretary
Nagle, Secretary Wilson, Senator Aid
rich, Representative Payne and many
others of the senate and house. AS
the senator's filed into the room the
president had something of a per-
sonal nature to say to each and good
nature appeared to be overfiowing.
Senator Taliferro of Florida, in rath-
er a plaintive tone, said:
"Mr. President, surely you are not
going to sign that bill with that pine
apple paragraph" He referred to
the fact that he got the duty increased
on pineapples in the senate, but the
advance was eliminated in conference.
"What would you have me do? Shall
strike out pineapples altogether, or
Just write in rate to suit you?" asked
Mr.. Taft, laughingly.
mo"
A short time after Senator Fletcher
of Florida was telling the president
goodbye. The Floridan was dismissed
with a Goodbye, old pineapples, take
care of yourself"
The president tried to mollify Sem
ator Warren for his disappointment
over free hides and greeted Senator
Heyburn, who said on the floor today
that no rate in the bill was too high
to suit him, with a "How are you,
old high TARIFF"
When the committees of the senate
and house appointed to inform the
president that the session was ready
, to adjourn, called at the president S
room, the bill had not been signed.
well, 1 have not signed the bill
yet" said the president. DO you
think that I ought to adjourn congress
before I sign it?"
The announcement had been made
by Mr.. Aldrich on the theory that
nothing stood in the way of adjourn
ment. There had been great deal OF
talk about the possibility of a veto
and everybody in the room thought
that the significance of the presidents
jocular query. The delay in laying
the bill before the president was due
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