Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-24
CAPITOL COMMITTEE WORK.
Two Bills Against Convict Labor-Other
Matters of InteroAt.

The House committee on labor today author
lied favorable report on a bill forbidding the
employment upon any building, house or other
structure that belongs to or il being con-
structed for or by the government
OF any person who has been convicted
OF crime and sentenced to imprison-
ment in any prison. penitentiary, Jail or other
penal or reformatory institution and punish
ing by hne or imprisonment any officer or
agent OF the United States or any contractor
with the government of the United States or
suocontractor who may violate the provisions
of the act.
The committee also authorized a favorable
report on bill making it unlawful for any
agent or officer of the United States to purchase
supplies for the use of the army or navy or
other government department or other mate
rlals TO be used in the erection, construction or
completion of public buildings when the sup
plies or materials are in whole or in part, the
product OF convict labor.
THE PACIFIC RAILROADS BILL
The House committee on Pacific railroads
today completed the detailed consideration of
the pending bill to secure the refun ding Of the
indebtedness of the Pacific railroads to the
government. The amendments made this
morning are Of small importance, being in
tended principally to make clearer the
principles OF the measure. with the
exception OF one, extending from
seventy-fve to one hundred years, the period
during which the Central Pacific Company may
extend the life of their first mortgage bonds in
the event OF refunding. Chairman Dalzell
VIII prepare new bill embodying all of the
amendments made by the committee in the
measure just finished, and will submit it to
the full committee at its next meeting for ap-
proval.
PRoJEcTILEs FOR THROWING LIFE LINES.
An animated hearing was held by the Sem
ate commerce committee today upon the bill to
repeal the law of last session which requires
steamboats, to carry projectiles for throwing
lie lines to another vessel to shore. The
passage OF the bill was urged by
ex-senator COnger, representing the
Vessel Owners Association of the Great Lakes;
>. A. Dumont, supervising inspector general Of
steamboats,; d. d. c. Mink, representing the
Atlantic coast line steamers, and HeDry Will
Jams OF Baltimore. s. l. Kimball, superintend-
ent OF the life-saving service, advocated amend
Ing the bill, but not its repeal. The makers Of
the projectiles and their agents were present
but were not able to present their side of the
case for lack of time, but will be permitted to
hle written arguments to be printed for the use
OF the committee
FOR ADOPTION OF THE METRIC SYSTEM.
Prof. Mendenhall Of the coast survey made
an argument before the ways and means COM
mittee today in favor Of changing the method
of computing tariff dues from pounds and
yards to the metric system. He held that the
change would simplify the collection of the
revenues, reduce the amount of labor
involved in calculating duties and in other
ways benefit the service. One of his points
was that nearly all of our imports come to this
which involved the translation Of the units into
our own standards