Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1902-01-25
TALKED ON VITAL QUESTIONS
SENATE COMMITTEE LIsTENro
Both sides of the Question WIN
Represented-BOsto Orator ~,
in Favor of the Proctor nan
Thinks Chinese VIII BE Unfa,.,
Dealt with.

Washington Jan. Z3.-lhe senate com.
mittee on immigration gave hearing i
representatives of various interests on a.
question of Chinese immigration. Amon.
those present were: d. S. Tompkins -
the industrial commissions; Slas B. Wehh
president of the China & Japan Tadina
company, New York; Hon. Charles
Hamlin, Boston chamber of commerce.
Samuel Gompers, president of the Amer.
can Federation of Labor; S. G.. Meade a..
sistant secretary of the Merchants asso.
citation, New York; Hon. John w. Foster.
Theophilus Parsons of the Arkwright clph
Boston; John Foord of the Asiatic assoc,'
ton; II. r. Fuller, representing the rail.
road employees of the United States, and
number of representatives of southern in.
dustries.
Mr.. Gompers, the first speaker outlined
the efforts which the Federation of Labor
had made in connection with the Pacific
coast delegation in congress to perfect
bill which would secure a continuance of
Chinese exclusion, and this had been nc.
complished in what is known as the
Mitchell bill.
Alr. Foord spoke in opposition to the
bill and presented statistics of trade be.
tween China and the United States. He
urged a postponement of any action by
congress looking to Chinese exclusion I'm.
til the expiration of the present treaty, in
1904 "We are all interested in being on
good terms with China" he said, "and
should treat her with some degree of con.
sideration and some decent regard for in.
ternational facts
He said that the Chinese student, Chi
nese traveller and Chinese merchant have
been unfairly dealt with He said that the
hope of imDibing American ideas lay in
the Chinese students, and the law is hurt.
full particularly to this class of students
of Chinese extraction.
Mr.. Hamln presented resolutions of the
Boston chamber of commerce advocating
the Proctor bill continuing in force the
present Chinese law on the expiration OF
the existing treaty with China in 1904,
and urged that no bill be adopted incon-
sistent with that treaty, because, he said,
that treaty involves the honor and faith
OF the United States government"
The ways and means committee resumed
its hearings on Cuban reciprocity, with
special reference to the proposed reduction
on Cuban tobacco. The tobacco interests
of the United States were largely repre-.
scented.
John r. Young, president of the Ma.
tlonal Leaf Tobacco association, made IN
earnest plea against any tobacco conces-
sions to Cuba. He said there was great
sentiment IN favor of granting relief to
Cuba, but he contended that we should
be as just to the people of our own coun
try as to the people OF foreign countries.
Inc purpose of the movement for reel
proclty, he said, was to have the whole
expense OF Cubas relief fall on two indus
trles-tobacco and sugar. There was
tobacco acreage in Ohio of $4,000 acres,
Wisconsin $4,000, Pennsylvania $4,000,
New York $4,000, Connecticut 1000, and
several thousand acres in other states
would be seriously crippled.
AS to cigars, Mr.. Young declared that
the proposed concessions would wipe out
the American made 10 cent cigars, and
secure for Cuba the entire American mar
ket for all goods above cents Repre-
sentative Richardson of Tennessee asked If
the price of cigars would be reduced to the
cigar smoker. Mr.. Young said the price
would be reduced, but he did not believe
the consumer would ask this reduction at
the expense of the American industry
j. Wertheim of New York, head OF
cigar concern employing 5000 people, pre-
sented the serious effect of concessions Oh
the American cigar interests.
The senate passed a number of private
pension bills and bills granting permission
to construct bridges, and at 2 o'clock Sen
ator Lodge took the floor to speak on the
Philippine tariff bill. He said the United
States rights in the Philippines were SET
tied There was also, he said, doubt
whether the tariff adopted for the islands
themselves would stand without further ac
ton OF congress. There was, however, I'M
der the supreme court decisions no doubt
OF the right of congress to act.