[Illustration] Copyright by Clinedinst, Washington. President William H. Taft and Governor Hughes on the reviewing stand at the inauguration, March 4,1909. The cabinet was made up of men largely gathered from private life, a majority of them being comparatively unknown to the public. Philander C. Knox was United States senator from Pennsylvania when he was appointed Secretary of State. He had served as Attorney-General in President McKinley's cabinet. Franklin MacVeagh, of Illinois, who was made Secretary of the Treasury, had been prominent as a merchant in Chicago and active in public affairs. Mr. MacVeagh and Jacob M. Dickinson, who became Secretary of War, were both members of the Democratic party. By inviting Democrats to become members of his political family, President Taft desired to give recognition to the fact that he had been elected by Democratic votes and had received substantial support in parts of the South. Mr. Dickinson was also from Chicago. The Secretary of the Navy, George von L. Meyer, of Massachusetts, had served as ambassador to Russia, and later as Postmaster-General during Mr. Roosevelt's administration. Frank H. Hitchcock, of Ohio, who was made Postmaster-General, had served as First Assistant Postmaster-General. George W. Wickersham, an attorney of good standing in New York City, was appointed Attorney-General. Richard A. Ballinger, of Seattle, who had been Commissioner of the General Land Office, 1907-1909, was appointed Secretary of the Interior. James Wilson, of Iowa, who had served as Secretary of Agriculture since 1897, was continued in that office. Charles Nagel, a noted lawyer of St. Louis, was made Secretary of Commerce and Labor. [Illustration] Copyright, 1909, by Brown Bros., N. Y. Reading from left to right: President Taft, Franklin MacVeagh, Sec'y of the Treasury. George W. Wickersham, Attorney-General. George von L. Meyer, Sec'y of the Navy, Philander C. Knox, Sec'y of State, James Wilson, Sec'y of Agriculture. Charles Nagel, Sec'y of Commerce and Labor( above). Jacob M. Dickinson, Sec'y of War (below). Frank H. Hitchcock, postmaster-General. Richard A. Ballinger, Sec'y of the Interior. President Taft and Cabinet, 1909. With the beginning of the new administration the President's salary was increased to $75,000 a year; that of the Vice-President to $12,000; and members of the cabinet to $12,000.