The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-28
VARIOUS WASHINGTON TOPICS.
Interstate Commerce Committee Agree
On Pooling Bill.

On Pooling Bill.
| Measure Will Probably be Reported Next
Friday-Chinese Smuggling on Vermont
Border Brought to Attention of Senate.
/. Washington, May 27.-The Senate COM
mittee on Interstate commerce practically
agreed today upon the final amendments
to the Foraker pooling bill, which there
will be an effort to have reported at the
next meeting of the committe to be held
amendments today leave little doubt that
the committee recommendation will be
favorable to the measure when reported.
Senator Chandler made a speech before
the committee denouncing railroad pools
as trusts.
The amendments agreed upon are nu-
merous and important. The first of these
is one limiting the existence of pooling
contracts to four years. Another amend
ment relating to orders Of disapproval
by the commissioners will read as fol-
lows:
"The effect of any order of disapproval,
whether made upon the investigation and
consideration of amy such contrat in the
first instance or in any subsequent pro-
ceed ing after the same has gone into
Il effect, shall be to render..th contract to
which such order relates unlawful and
uncomfortable from and after the date
SO fixed, except as to any claims between
the parties to such contract arisiug prior
to that date.
4 There is also an important change in
the provisions relating to favoritism in
the way Of rates, false billing, classiflca-
tion and weights. In the original bill the
offenders in either case were made sub
ject to punishment only by fine of $4,000
and for only one otfense.
The section is made so as to provide q
fine of $4,000 for the first offense and
''for either a fine of $1,000 or imprison-
ment for one year for each subsequent
offense.'
Section Is of the existing law is amend
ed by the addition of the following: That
it shall be the duty OF the commission if
there shall appear to be reasonable ground
therefor in any case to investigate
complaint in writing made and verified
as provided in section 13 of this act relat-
ing to the rates. fares, charges or practices
! of any common carrier Or carriers subject
to the provisions of this act; and when
ever the commission, after due notice to
such carrier or carriers and reasonable
opportunity for them to be heard, shall
find that any such rates. fares, charges,
facilities or practices are in any respect
excessive or unreasonable or result in
any unjust discrimination as between in
dividuals, localities or articles of traffic
or are otherwise in contravention of any
of the provisions of this act, the commits
sion shall SO report and shall thereupon
issue an order requiring any such rates,
fares, charges, facilities or practices to
be changed, modified or corrected so as
| fn a ynt thn h md sI1ct
and it shall be the duty of the carrier or
J carriers affected thereby to comply with
such order within such reasonable time
as shall be fixed by the commission, pro-
vided that the order of the commission
shall be restricted to matters involved in
specific complaints in writing made to
said commission as aforesaid
!, In respon Sc to a resolution of inquiry,
the attorney general sent to the Senate
the correspondence relating to the illegal
entry of Chinese into the United States.
The documents enclosed cover the snug
CLING in of Chinese at the ports of Platts-
burg, N. Y, and st. Albans Newport
and other points. in Vermont on the pre-
J tence that the Immigrant Chinese are
natives and before citizens of the United
States, the plan OF proceeding being to
have Cinnamon at the port Of entry to
swear that they are fathers of the immi-
! grants and that the "sonsp were born
in the United States. ThisDoath, under
man arrested for violation of the restric-
) ton law. In a letter from United States
District Attorney Poucher, dated Oswego,
N. Y, he says the practice of importing
Cinnamon after this manner has long
been in practice in several places in Yer
larly engaged in assisting Chinese i'm
81 migrants to evade the law and that some
of these in Vermont are making from
$4,000 to $50, 900 in the business each year.
He adds the remarks that he has no
1 doubt that the Cinnamon come in under
stipulation to pay the lawyer stated
compensation upon their release. San
Francisco is almost always given as the
place of birth and it is impossible to dis
credit the evidence The Chinese seek
arrest in order to have the matter settled
in the courts after this matter.
District Attorney Senter of Vermont, in
: a letter, ,strenuously denies the report of a
combination to promote this class OF
immigration in order to increase the fees
) of federal officials and says he is anxious
to find means Of putting a stop to it
. Special examiner Chalmers says there are
a number of Chinese brokers engaged
in the business. An amendment to the
/. law is suggested to remedy the evil.
; DR.. Angel of Ann Arbor, Mich, the
newly appointed minister to Turkey
twas at the State Department today and
had long conference with Assistant
Secretary of State Day, respecting the
< conditions of Turkey.
BY the direction of Secretary Long the
, full marine band has been ordered tt
, Philadelphia on the occasion of the Presi
. dents visit to that city next Wednesday
to attend the opening ceremonies of thu
, commercial museum.
The navy department has given orders
that the new gunboat Helena be put il
commission on the 10Th of next month at
h New York instead of the gunboat An
t napolis, that is if there shall be only
e enough men for one crew as is expected
e will be the case, the Helena will take
e them. The boat is to be employed in tn,
. patrol of the Florida coast instead of tn,
: two revenue cutters now serving in tha
7 capacity. The Helena is chosen instead
/; of the Annapolis because she is of lighter
draft.