The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-08-06
THE PRESIDENT
SIGNED TARIFF
BILL YESTERDAY
Official Executive Act Made
the Long Debated Bill
q Law
PRESIDENT ISSUED STATEMENT
DECLARING HIS REASONS

s"Oosss sVVOeO Vsssl0uuS6NU
DECLARING HIS REASONS
Bill Is Not What He Wanted But It is
Substantial Reduction in the Rates
on the Necessaries of Life and He
Accepts 1t.
Washington, Aug. 6.-President
Taft affixed his signature to the tariff
Dill at five minutes past 5 o'clock yes
terday and the new schedule became
law. President Taft arrived at the
capitol at 4:45 p. m. His appearance
there, the first since his incumbency
ls president, caused members of con-
gress to desert the two chambers and
torm In line to be received by him.
There was constant procession of
handshaking statesmen through the
presidents room from the time of his
arrival until his departure at $3.50
o'clock.
Taft Signed at 5:O5.
Just as the hands of the gold clock
in the presidents room reached six
minutes past five, the Payne tariff
bill, as the measure will be known,
was laid before the president He
picked up pen supplied by Chairman
Payne of the house ways and means
committee, and which had been used
BY both the vice president and the
speaker in signing the bill, and at
kached his signature. After writing
William H. Taft" the president ad-
ded: Signed five minutes after
o'clock. August 5, 1909-W. H. T."
Bending over the president as he
Affixed his signature were Secretary
Knox, Secretary McVeagh, Attorney
General Wickersham, Postmaster Cen
bral Hitchcock, Secretary Nagel and
Secretary Wilson. Standing about the
table were Senator Aldrich, Represen-
tative Payne, and many other men,
bers of the senate and house. Mr..
Payne stood with a hand extended
waiting to receive the pen with which
The bill was signed. He took it with
, picture of boyish glee oversprAading
his face. Another pen was handed
TO the president and he wrote the
word approved" and handed the pen
to Representative Langley of Ken
lucky.
Immediately after attaching his
name to the general tariff bill, the
president signed the Philippine tariff
measure. He picked up another pearl
pen which had been sent to him from
the Philippine islands to be used in
Bigning this measure. The president
knew at once that the measure being
placed before him was the Philippine
tariq bill. A broad smile of satisfac-
Hnv, hfo
his name with flourish, which was
not in evidence when he signed the
general tariff bill.
Farewells were said and represen-
tatives from nearly every state offered
their invitations for the president to
visit them during the summer, when
Bome one announced that the hour of
adjournment was near at hand. Fol-
lowing closely upon the adoption of
the conference report, the senate
adopted Mr.. Aldrich's concurrent
resolution providing for reduction
pf the duties on various manufactures
of leather to meet the view of west
ern senators who had been defeated
In their efforts to obtain protection
Tor hides.
Six o'clock was agreed upon by the
two houses as the hour for final ad-
journInent.
In especially happy language Mr..
Sherman thanked the senate for the
courteous treatment which had been
extended toward him at all times.
Concluding his remarks by wishing
the senators a happy return to their
homes, he declared the extraordinary
session of the sixty-flrst congress ad-
journed, without day."
A burst Of applause was accorded
the vice president as he laid down the
Eavel of his authority.
With its members nearly exhausted
from the heat an dthe arduous labors
Of the past four months, the house OF
representatives devoted the last day
of the special session to perfectlng the
routine business. Speaker Cannon
announced his committee appoint
ments, and they were received with
varying degrees of satisfaction.
The concurrent resolution amending
the leather schedule Of the tariff bill
was adopted without dissenting vote
after 1t had been discussed for little
over half an hour. No such good luck,
however, befell the McCumber-Mc-
Lauren resolution revising the draw
back provision and placing cotton
bagging on the free list which had
previously been adopted by the SEN
ate. On the claim of Chairman Payne
that 1t was not in order, 1t was con-
signed to the committee on ways and
means.
It was but few minutes before
p'clock when Mr.. Payne made resolu-
tion fixing postpopement as the hour
for adjournment was adopted.
While the committee appointed to
notify the president that the house
was ready to adjourn. was performing
that duty there was such an exodus
Of members from the chamber that
the attendance dwindled away to a
mere corporal,'s guard.
A half hour remained before the
appointed time for adjournment and
the time was dragging 30 heavily that
by direction Of the speaker the bauds