Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-14
great measure for the large possessions o.
corporations
Porto Rico Needs Legislation.

great measure for the large possessions Of
| corporations"
Porto Rico Needs Legislation.
Hopeful legislation tor Porto Rico and
the affairs Of the island generally were
talked over at conference of Porto Rican
officials with the President this morning.
Those with the President were Charles
Hartsell. secretary Of the island; Samuel
Lindsay. commissioner OF immigration. and
| w. F. Willoughby, treasurer. The Presi-
| dent will discuss the conditions and needs
of the island In q portion OF his annual
message
The callers today feel that Porto Rico's
greatest need is the ability to market at
| reasonable prices the coffee crop OF the
country. They are asking that. II possible.
this country make reciprocity treaties with
| foreign countries that will admit Porto
Rican coffee at such duties will afford 1t
an opportunity to become known. Spain
has practically shut her door to the coffee
since the island passed to the United States,
| and the duty is high in other countries.
| Failing in this, the Porto Rfcan representa-
| tives ask that the Department of Agricul-
| ture be required to give its assistance in the
Introduction of the coffee here and abroad.
| In many ways Porto Rico is prosperous but
her prosperity would be greater if she could
| secure markets for her coffee and other
| products.
Permanent Military Camps.
| Representa- tives Esch and Slayden of the
| House committee on military affairs talked
with the President about military matters
| generally and especially with the view of
| suggesting that the President recommend
| the purchase by the government of sites for
| army maneuvers. They believe that it is
| highly desirable that the government own
| large tracts which it can use as camps for
| any and all purposes. either in times of
peace or war.
The annual army maneuvers are to be
| continued and this being true members of
| the military affairs committee think the
| government ought to equip itself in every
| way for thorough work. The President is
! pleased with the recommendations made to
| him and in his annual message will discuss
| this subject in connection with other mill
| tary matters that have received his at
| tention. He is much pleased with the sue
| cess of the military maneuvers this year
| and will recommend liberal appropriations
| by Congress for their continuance and for
| the equipment of the army and national
guard.
| National Aid for Coed Roads.
| Representative Brownlow of Tennessee
and A. r. Shattuck of New York. both
| much interested in good roads. today sug-
gested to the President that he urge in his
| annual message national aid for good
| roads. The President is strong believer
| in better roads everywhere and would Ike
| to see the entire people impressed with the
! Importance of the question, but has not de-
| cided just how he will express his views
| to Congress especially along the lines of
government aid. The officials of the Good
| Roads Association recently talked with him
and found him hearty advocate of what
| they are doing They have likewise asked
| that he recommend national aid.
Representatives. Needham and Daniels of
California called on the President this
! morning to ask him to appoint Frank c.
| Prescott, jr-, son of General Prescott, to a
| Eeutenantcy in the army.
| The youngest man Georgia ever sent to
| Congress called on the President today,
with Senator Clay. He is Representative
Thomas W. Hardw.ck of the tenth district,
| the successor OF Representative Fleming
and is thirty-one years old.
Representative DaiZell. one of the repub-
| lfcan leaders of the House, was with the
President this morning. Other callers were
Senators Foraker, Hanna. Hopkins, Clapp,
! Frye, Representatives Graft, Hamilton,
Slemp. Minor, William Alden Smith, Bar
| thodlt, Rodenberg and Dinsmore.
Representative Aiken of South Carolina
| had an interview with the President Mr..
Aikens father was in Congress many years
ago
Union Labor Representatives.
Representatives Livernash and Wynn of
California were given a very cordial recep-
ton by the President this morning. On
leaving the cabinet room. after the inter-
| view, Mr.. Livernash, speaking for him
SELF ana MS colleague, said:
Eve called by appointment to exchange
views with the President concerning leg
| islation affecting the working classes of
| the country Mr.. Wynn and 1 were sent
| to Washington by the union labor party
| and the democracy. our earlier candidacy
| being that of the union labor party. We
| feel deeply interested in executing the con-
sentative will of organized labor, and do
not intend to suffer any consideration of
| narrow craftsmanship to betray US into for
getfulness of inattention to the inter-
ests we came here to champion.
1.-The President was more than kindly
| in his reception of us, and we came away
| feeling that careful consideration would be
| given our proposals, and that our useful
/ ness to labor would not be impaired by any
| suspicion that we would be willing to
subordinate our union labor character to
| purely partisan politics.
Denied Pardon.
The President has denied the application
| for pardon of Delgado Grafton, who was
| convicted In the Supreme Govt of the Dis
| trict of Columbia of embezzlement and
| sentenced on October 9, 1903, to imprison-
| ment for two years. Grafton was clerk
| employed in the medical school of George
| town University and embezzled certain
| moneys of the school, and was subsequent
| ly arrested In Buffalo and returned to this
| city. where he pleaded guilty and made all
RESTITUTION possible. ne faltOFney SIeHeTdl
| and President. however. were of the opin-
| ion that all the mitigating circumstances
! were given due weight by the trial judge
| in imposing a moderate sentence of two
| years.
The President has committed to expire
November 10, Ito, the sentence OF Sher-
burne c. Van TdSsel. convicted in the
southern district of New York of embezzling
| 81 go of post office money while employed
as money order clerk in New York city. He
was sentenced on June 26 1899, to impTison-
ment for eight years il Sing Sing prison,
and has now been confined more than four
years. The district attorney, the attorney
general and also the assistant attorney gen
eral for the Post Office Department recon-
mended Communication, because they all
believed that the punishment imposed in
this case too severe as compared with
the sentences usually imposed for ofrenseS
of this character and for entertainments of
, this amount, such punishment usually be-
ing Imprisonment for about two years.
Last summer New York newspaper pub
lished from time to time charges rejecting
upon the conduct of the Ellis Island immi-