Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-09
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
President Requested to Medi-
ate in Eastern War.
RAILWAY RATE BILL
SEVERAL TALK ABOUT THE PEND
ING LEGISLATION.
Want Pure Food Legislation - Little
Hope for Single Statehood-Fa-
nous Confederate Battery.

nous Confederate Battery.
President Roosevelt was urged today to
take some action looking to the termination
of the Russo-Japanese war, and he said he
would take the question up with Secretary
Hay.
The request was made by the Interparlia-
mentary Union, composed of representa-
tives of parliaments of all countries,
through the president of the organiza ton,
Representative Bartholdt of Missouri. The
object of the union is the promotion of in
ternational arbitration Dr. Bartholdt ex-
planned to the President that the consensus
of opinion in Europe, as gathered by him
through correspondence with parliamenta
rians, seems to be that next to the EN-
peror of Germany, who has shown no anx-
iety to stop the war or offer his services,
the President of the United States is the
best man to present the subject to Russia.
1t is believed that he might be listened to
quicker than any other head of nation.
1T is well understood said DR.. Bar
tholdt, that Russia has given the i'm
preston that any offer of mediation
would be regarded as unfriendly. This
attitude involves a plain violation of the
stipulation of The Hague treaty, which
provides that to tender good offices or
offer mediation shall not be considered as
an unfriendly act. Russia is party to
that treaty, and The Hague conference
was called by the car himself"
The President did not give any definite
assurance beyond promising TO consider
the matter with the Secretary of State.
1t is known to be quite unlikely that this
government will take any action looking
| to mediation until some assurances have
been received from both parties to the
pending conflict that such action would
not be unwelcome. The President told
DR.. Bartholdt that the date of the pro-
posed second conference at The Hague
would depend entirely upon the termina-
ton of hostilities between Russia and
Japan.
The Railroad Rate Question.
Railroad rates formed the subject of
some consideration by the President to-
day with several callers. Speaker Cannon
was an early visitor at the White House,
he and the President talking about the rate
legislation on which the House of Repre-
sentatives is to. take action today.
Representative Jones of Washington in
troduced to the President a committee of
the Spokane chamberlof commerce consist
ing of William H. Acuf and f. B. Wright
They presented TO Mr.. Roosevelt resolutions
of the chamber of commerce indorsing his
attitude the freight rate question. They
pointed out to the President that, although
Spokane is 300 miles east of Seattle the
shippers of Spokane were forced to pay on
freight from the east the full rates to
See tile and the local rates from Seattle
back to Spokane, although the goods are
unloaded at Spokane directly from the east,
not being carried to Seattle and return at
ALL They regard this as a great hardship
on Spokane commercial interests
The discrimination in rates was so noto-
rous, 1t was stated, as to be a by-word
among the people of the Pacific coast. Mr.
Acuff said that he knew a friend of his
who sent to Ireland for a shipment of
linen. The through rate on the linen to
Seattle including steamship transportation,
was $1.39 per hundred, but the consgnee
was forced to pay 81. 40 additional per hun
dred pounds from Seattle to Spokane as
local rate. This was in the face of the
fact that the shipment was put off at Spo-
kane and did not go through to Seattle
at all sch matters as these, it is charged,
were of everyday occurrence.
Representative Lowering of the interstate
and foreign commerce committee talked
to the President about railroad rate mat
tiers. Mr.. Lowering said that no amend
ments will be made to the bill in the House
and that the only way this can be accom-
pliShed is by action in the Senate and con-
ference later.
Senator Kean of New Jersey also talked
briefly with the President He said he ex-
pected either today or tomorrow to intro
duce in the Senate his resolution directing
the committee on interstate commerce to
Investigate the rate question during the ap-
preaching recess of Congress, postponing
definite action on the question until next
autumn. He is of opinion that the resou-
ton will command a majority vote in the
Senate.
Want Place for George w. White.
EX-Representative George w White. coll
ored, formerly of North Carolina, but now
living in Whtesville, N. J., wants good
place under the administration and his
friends called on the President TODAY to
urge that he be given something They did
not have any definite position to push him
for, but said that he ought to have some-
thing in keeping with his abilities and tall
ents. Some suggested a place on the
interstate commerce commission, but the
President saw nothing open there at this
time and so stated. The delegation that
talked with the President consisted of Rem
resentative Gardner of New Jersey, DR..
Robert Reyburn, national committeeman of
the District of Columbia; Prof Kelly Miller
of Howard University, DR.. George w Lee
of the District. Prof. George William Cook.
Lieut. r. e. S. Toomey, DR.. L. H. Harris.
John W. Pope, George F. Collins w. G.
Fearing
Representative Daniels of California and
John M. Rankin and r. H. Thayer, counsel
for the California Development COMPANY
had a talk with the President today regard
ing the taking over by the government rec
lamation service of the Imperial Valley ir-
rigation project in California. The Presi-
dent gave to his callers a letter to Secre- !.
tary Hitchcock, requesting him to give
hearing to the persons In interest that
an early determination of the matter might
be reached.
Want Pure Food Legislation.
President Roosevelt was waited upon to-
day by a committee representing the vari-
Gus pure food organizations of the country
and asked to aid in the passage Of the Nc
umber-Hepburi9 pure food bill. The Presi-
dent said he would take the matter up with
Secretary Wilson at the cabinet meeting
| tomorrow The committee consisted Of
i Horace Ankenuey Columbus Ohio: food
commissioner of Ohio from the legislative
committee of the National Association of
| State Dairy and FOOD Departments; Sebas-
| tan Miller Pittsburg Pa, the representa-
| tive of the manufacturer in the st. Louis
International pure food congress; A. w.
| Fallinger, Atlanta. Ga, president of the
| Retail Grocers' Association OF the United
States; R. NJ. Alien, Lexington. Ky. seere-
gress; ]. B. Noble president National Asso-
| Cation State, Dairy and Food Departments,
and N o. Hays, representative the knights
! Of Labor of America
| g.