Los Angeles herald., 1891-08-10
Regulations Regarding the
Transit of Cinnamon.
Huntington Believes the Rules
Are Too Stringent.
He Says That the Road is Being
Robbed of Rich Revenues.
Consul Bee Also Kicks Against the New
Regulations-Bon Cinnamon
Not Allowed to Mingle with
Their Countrymen.


Francisco, is in receipt from the treas
ury department of considerable cores
pondence bearing on the regulation
governing the shipment of Chinese in
transit from San Francisco to eastern
points, especially to New Orleans, where
many ship for Havana. The cores
pondence embraces letter from the
Imperial Chinese Consulate, written by
Vice-Consul Bee, and one from Coils P
Huntington, of the Southern Pacific
company; also department instructions
The two enclosed copies OF letters are
protests against the regulation of the
department issued after the attempted
substitution at New Orleans of two
Chinese for those in bond, but released
to secure their outfits. This attempted
substitution failed and the department
passed more stringent rules, by which
no in-transit Chinese is allowed to be
temporarily released or even to mingle
with his fellow-countrymen not in tran
sit.
This prohibited landing, except under
the close surveillance of some official of
the government, and prevented the pur-
chase of necessaries and articles of COM
fort. All this Mr.. Huntington protests
against in the interest of the Southern
Pacific, and Consul Bee adds his voice,
as he says, that the Chinese may travel
with greater ease. G. p. Huntington, in
the course OF the letter, says:
The interest of the American trans
portation companies in the conduct of
this business-the Chinese passenger
traffic-is direct, obvious and impor-
tant. The establishment of rules and
regulations, which impose hardships on
Chinese in trains, has only one natural
and necessary effect, which is to deprive
the American transportation lines of
this important business, naturally and
normally belonging to them, and to
turn them over to foreign lines, such as
the Canadian Pacific, in which the
United States certainly has no interest,
and in respect to transportation by
which no safeguards whatever exist.
Mr.. Huntington's letter also claimed
that 5000 Chinese had been sent across
the country in bond in transit, and that
in all but two cases the safe delivery
had been effected. Even in the New
Orleans case he claimed that the fact of
detection showed that the then existing
rules were sufficiently stringent.
Colonel Bees letter was general all
round protest against everything tend
ing to hinder the free ingress and egress
of his clients. He recites at length the
cases of Chinese merchants, with prop
erty in Peru and elsewhere, who were in
bond in transit, but who had not been
allowed to communicate or mingle with
their people while in this city, not even
when he Vice Consul Bee) had person
ally solicited the privilege.
Collector Phelps, in commenting on
the correspondence, said: 'When the
question OF sending Chinese across the
country first came up Twas for such pro-
visions as would insure their safe deliv-
cry and at the same time give them
such comfort while in transit as could
be given them in safety. AS it is now,
5000 each by the railroad company,
leave my hands under the railroads
bond. The railroad then becomes re-
sponsible for their persons, and as to
their comfort it is to the interest of the
railroad to see that they are not prose-
cuted and are taken as good care Of as
possible.
"The treasury department quotes
San Francisco newspaper as saying that
in transit Chinese had been locked up
thirty-fve in car and sent across the
country in care of one official. Of that
know nothing, and did not see the arti-
Gle quoted; but if it did happen the
railroad isl responsible. Nevertheless I
do think the regulations are too closely
drawn, and that their modification
might insure an increase of Chinese
travel through this country in transit. l
would much rather they came direct
here. l could then receive and keep
them under my care.
GAS it is, the bulk of the trade is
turned to the Canadian Pacific and Can
ada takes no care to keep track of them
afterward. They escape into the United
States by the wholesale. Some are cap
tured, but more are not. Those who
happen to fall into the hands of the gov
ernment officials are sent to me for de-
portation, which is done in such cases at
the expense of the government. If they
came direct here and had to be remand
ed, the steamship company would have
to pay all expenses"
NOTES.
The work of erecting new buildings at
Fresno, preparatory to a removal oi
division headquarters from Tulare to
the latter place, is well under way now
and within the next two months the
transfer will in all probability have
been accomplished. Several hundred
men, engineers, fremen, brakemen,
conductors, machinists and laborers
will be compelled to change their re.
spective places OF residence, and to make
homes for their families at the new
rendezvous.
The Southern Pacific company is re-
laying twelve miles of track on the Cali
fornia Pacific division, between Suisun
and Sacramento, with seventy-six pound
steel rails. The old rails will be used
on some OF the valley lines, where heavy
engines are not necessary. The steel
rails used in this reconstruction are the
heaviest in use anywhere this side oi
the Missouri river, though many OF the
Atlantic roads have within the past
three years replaced the old iron rail
with the more durable article, and on
? the New York Central there are many
miles of rail which will go over eighty
pounds to the yard.
G. w. Colby has been appointed con-
tracting freight agent of the Rio Grande
Western. with HEADQUARTERS in San