The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1911-12-28

accomplished during the two weeks
and half it has been in session pre-
vious to the holiday adjournment.
For all practical purposes there might
as well have been no session until
after the LIST Of January.
The few weeks of the session this
year have been less profitable than
heretofore because the time was not
even devoted to a reorganization of
the committees and organization of
the new congress.
Talk is Abundant
There was plenty of talk, even
more than usual If it keeps up we
may expect very crowded Congress-
ional Record. At the very outset
members began making campaign
speeches. The overburdened Record
is already daily evidence that con-
gressional campaign is approaching
Home consumption" speeches are
filling the columns either when spok-
en- to empty benches or under the
leave to print" concession. And the
disposition last session to stop the
latter practice has not been manifest
ed thus far.
Many White House Gifts.
When Santa Claus visited the
White House he found no Christmas
tree to dress, but remarkable col
lection of gifts from all over this
broad land which had been accumu-
lating for the past two Or three days
as rapidly as the express companies
could deliver them.
The Christmas dinner was served
Monday night with only members of
the family seated at the table. No
guests were invited.
Following the rule which President
Taft has observed since he entered
the White House, no list is OBJ tain
able of the numerous and diversified
presents which have been sent him
by relatives, friends and unknown
admirers throughout the country
These gifts are delivered direct to
the White House and do not pass
through the hands of the clerical
force in the Office building.
Tariff Battle Likely.
Representative Underwood states
that the Democrats will take up the
revision of the tariff Immediately af
ter the holidays, and undertake in
the next few months revision Of all
the principal schedules of the high
Payne-Aldrich law The Democrats
of the ways and means committee
will start work on schedule K as
the tariff board and at the same time
the Republicans will begin work on a
bill of their own, although they can
not hope to pass 1t.
The opening battle probably will
center on schedule X, long regarded
as the citadel of protection. The
Democratic house proposes to revise
the wool, cotton, chemical, iron and
steel and metal schedules. The tariff
board has furnished a mass Of data
on the wool schedule and will follow
about January Is with a report on
cotton. These reports will be inter
esting sidelights on the tariff contro-
yersy. Republican members of the
ways and means committee contend
that the tariff board report justifies
a protective tariff, even though it re-
commends material reductions in the
Payne law rates.
The insurgents of the house will re-
fuse to stand by their Republican
colleagues unless they propose a Dill
that really makes substantial reduc-
tions. especially in schedule K.
National Capital Brevities.
II is now practically certain that
Roosevelt's name will be presented at
the Chicago convention.
William F. McCombs has assumed
the management of the Woodrow
Wilson presidential campaign.
Elaborate general regulations for
the protection of explosives and other
dangerous articles shipped by trelght
and by express have been issued py
the Interstate Commerce Commission
It is said there are serious diner
ences of opinion over the report OF
the national monetary commission De
tween Chairman Aldrich OF the COM
mission and Congressman Vreeland
of New York.
Now that members of congress
have in large numbers gone out OF the
city for the recess, the presloent eA-
bects the burden of his Office TO Dc
lightened and he will take as much
time as possible for the next week
to rest and recuperate-
Unless something is done to renap-