Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-25
Was Said for The Trolley at the
Board of Trade.
IMPORTANT PHASES OF IMMIGRATION.
Matters Discussed at the Session
Held Today.
A CALL ON THE PRESIDENT.

SUBJECTS that Is on the program OF the
national board Of trade, but at the begin
ming of the third days session OF that body
at the Shoreham this morning the trolley
was characterized IS destructive Of life and
a menace to property interests, and these
opinions were apparently Endorsed by the
intelligent members of this body. No ac-
ton was taken. but the remarks of Mr.
Tucker Of Philadelphia, who, with other
members Of the board. inspected this morn
Ing the underground street railway system
on U street. were listened to with close at
tention. and his motion thanking the rep
resentatives OF the system for this ''edu-
cational' visit was promptly adopted.
Mr.. Tucker stated that a number of the
members Of the board had accepted the in
vitation from Mr.. Albert G. Wheeler to in
| spect the underground electric railway sys-
TEN in operation on U street. and had gone
over the road this morning The visit he
| said, had opened the eyes OF all to the
practicability Of applying in our cities a
system of underground wires which would
| take the place of the Objectionable and
harassing overhead wires that do SO much
to disfgure our cities and interfere with the
operations Of the fire department
Also destroys lffe. interjected Mr. @.
Waldo Smith of New York, and Mr. Tucker
at once accepted the suggestion He moved
| that vote Of thanks be extended TO Mr..
wheeler for giving the board the profit of
| vic NiSit, WHICH was an educational one
Inc resolution was adopted.
On immigration.
The chair appointed a committee consist
ing OF Messrs. Lane, Field. Raymond, Smith
Francis. Logan and Goodale to have charge
Of matters relating to the Improvement in
consular service. The special committee
appointed to consider the various resolu-
ton relating to immigration through Mr.
stone OF Chicago reported the following
resolution:
THAT the National Board of Trade here
by recommends the strict enforcement of
the immigration laws Of the United States;
and further. that those laws be so amend
ed as to require from every immigrant de-
string to come to the United States a GER
tificate from the authorities Of the town or
district where he or she has resided, that
he or she Is a person of good moral char
| acter, has never been convicted Of crime,
| has never been a public charge, and il of
Industrious habits and capable OF taking
care Of himself or herself: such certificates
to be countersigned by the nearest United
States consul. and further hereby recon-
mends such notifications Of the immigra-
ton laws as will admit under agreement.
professional men and women and techni-
cally expert artisans as Instructors, with
such safeguards and restrictions as will
preserve the spirit of existing laws"
| Objection was raised to the latter clause
Of the resolution on the ground that an
agreement was virtually q contract. This
| was admitted. but IL was claimed that even
did not violate the contract law. for the
reason that this law was intended to pro-
| tect the laboring classes 1t was necessary,
1t was claimed. in manufactures. for ex-
| ample. to secure the services of experts
who would act as instructors. Their en-
ployment in no way interfered with the
rights Of the laboring classes.
| However, strenuous objection was made
to this part Of the resolution. Oppositiol
was made to bringing into this country
| any kind of labor. Teachers, preachers
this country under contract. 1t was as
| serted.
Mr.. Forward Of Chester. Pa, alluded Il
the efforts made to import a preacher tc
| fill the place Of Mr.. Beecher and the bring
ing over by Mr.. Vanderbilt of a $4,000 cook
He thought that there was in this country
men of ability in these lines and there wa.
no need to go to foreign countries
| 1t was denied by Mr.. Rice that any ATTACK
was intended by this resolution on the labol
| classes of the country. He did not believs
that any one present held the opinion thai
| the effect of such a resolution IL enacted
into law would injure the labor classes
Why should the position be taken that Their,
is no one in the world that can teach us IL
1 America anything.
| Mr.. Forward said that these men were
| objected to only when under contract
1t was argued that contract made ne
| difference. except that IL was Instruments
| IN gettin& tne Deneut OF the experience and
skill OF men who made possible the estab
lishment Of manufactures and the employ
ment of the working classes.
Fear Of Contract Labor.
The fear was expressed that the privilege
| given by the words under agreem snt'
| would be abused. 1t was said that the
| skilled men would come here IL they were
needed ard SO of professional men. but 4,
| was said that this country had an abund.
| ance OF such men. In other words. there
was no necessity to so to Europe to make
| contracts for service. The men would come
here.
| Substitutes were offered and various
| amendments Were proposed to get rid OF
the agreement clause of the report. How.
ever. the resolution reported from the com
mittee and given above was finally adopted
by a vote of "a to IL.
This action disposed Of one Of the mos
important questions that has come before
the board at the present session.
A number of amendments to the inter
| state commerce law were presented in tbs
report of a committee of which Mr.. II. F
Donsman is chairman. The report states
that while thoroughly believing in the prin.
ciples underlying the interstate commerce.
law, and that Its vigorous enforcement
would be equally conducive to good business
morals and the financial health of the cor
| porstions subject to il, yet recognizing the
fact that this law. dealing with a great sub
ject in a new way, is purely tentative ard
must therefore be strengthened and improv
| ed as time and trial show the need and
| point out the way; therefore tine followins
amendments are recommended: Making the
corporation itself indictable and subject e
exemplary fines for all violations Of the law
by its officers or agents: giving TO the ind.
ings of the commission the validity Of the
| report of q master in chancery; TO enable
| the commission to compel the attendance
Of witnesses and the production Of testi
mony in all cases heard by them, or inves
| legations made by them on their own mo-
ton; repeating that feature Of the Law
| which involves Imprisonment as a punish
ment for it's violation; such a defiaition O,
the terms of the law may be necessar,
to bring within its provisions and restric
| lions all common carriers engaged in inter
| state commerce; to enforce upon common
carriers a strict accountability TO the owne,
or consignee for the prompt delivery OF
property intrusted to the care Of such com
mon carriers for transportation, by the i'm
posing of a proper demurrage charge fol
delay beyond a reasonable time in Tn,
transportation of such property; that the
| interstate commerce commission be direct
ed to put into effect on January l. 1896 8
classification of freight which shall be uni
form throughout the United States ac
companying the same with a form cf com
mon law bill of lading for use in interstat.
commerce.
Trade With Canada.
On motion of Mr.. Erastus wiman a com