Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-07
THE CABINET MEETING.
Secrecy Imposed But Several inpor.
tant Matters Do Leak Out.


tant questions were discussed at to-
days cabinet meeting although at the
conclusion of the session il wac an
rouhccd officially that no details Of
the session would be made public In
fact, it was announced that berea fter
no information would be givcn out nv
Cabinet officers Of their weekly moot
ings with the President but that suc,,
Information as it was deemed nroner
for the public to have would ha yivan
&c the newspaper men by Sec. Loeb
rhc cabinet was in session two
hours and half, all of the members
being in attendance EXCEPT Soc shaw
who is our of the city.
Dispit" the injunction or soo-oo.,
placed on cabinet officers it was learn
ed that action was taken ~ tyro ~,
threc important matters ana that
others were considered. The monopoly
enjoyed by the Merchants Bridge Co.
of st. Louis. of bridge and ferry routes
across the Mississippi river was con-
sicercd at length. Complaipt WINS
made against the Merchants 90 ,ho,,t
year ago that it was Charging ex-
brilliant rates for carriage across tbe
river and the complaint was made tho
subject of an exhaustive Investigation
by Sec. Taft. The charter under which
the company operates provides that #
shall not form Il combination with any
other bridge or ferry company on pcn-
atty of forfeiture of its bridge "a thc
United States government Sec. Taft.
in his report on tn" inquiry, suggest
ed that the matter be handled by the
department. of justice. After consider
ing the subject today, it was decided
that Attorney General Moody should
begin Inappropriate" action against Tho
Bridge Co.
MIR. Moody said he could not say
IT this time what action he might con-
slider appropriate" He did not know.
he said, whether the action would look
to the forfeiture of the charter of the
Merchants Bridge Co. OF not az he
would have to 20 over the law bearing
upon the matter before reaching any
determination.
Sec. Taft found that the violation
Of the law had not been sufficient TO
WORK a forfeiture of the bridge. 1t is
expected that Attorney General Moody
will proceed under the Sherman Act.
Considerable attention was devoted
by the meeting to consideration of
questions arising from complaints of
the Chinese government that it's sub
Jects were unjustly Disseminated
against by the United States at the
PORTS of this country. 1t was finally de-
termined that no changes or modifica-
tons in conflict with the instructions
10 United States conSuls contained i'll
the circular issued several months ago
by the Presidents direct, will be made
Sec. Root brought up several mat
tiers including the reply which this
is to make TO the invita-
ton of Emperor Nicholas OF Russia to
take part in the second peace confer
ence at The Hague. The draft Of the re-
ply has been made and was talked
over by the cabinet.
Sec. Wilson brought to the attention
Of the President and the cabinet a de-
termination he had reached regarding
the inspection of meats. He indicated
that under the law meat packers could
not be forced to pay the cost of meat
He had decided. however,
that hereafter the packers should pas
for seals or tags placed upon inspected
meats intended for export. This will
bring revenue to the department of
agriculture of nearly $4,000 q year.
This sum the secretary proposes to use
in extending the inspection of meats to
packing houses which have requested
that they be given inspectors. but
whose requests have not been complied
with because the department has not
had the funds with which to pay in
spcctors. The idea of Sec. Wilson was
approved by the cabinet and it will be
put in operation at once.
The management of isthmian canal
affairs will remain under Sec. Taft, who
will go to Panama, in November. to in
vostigate the situation there and thor
oughly inform himself of the condi-
tons in the canal zone. The decision to
keep the control of the canal in the war
department instead of transferring il
to the state department was definitely
reached, today. in a discussion that fol-
lowed the cabinet meeting. Now that
the work is to go forward under his di
rcctioh. Sec. Taft will proceed to Pan
anna to go over the situation in detail
and return to Washington about the
time Congress convenes.
PENNINGTON RACES.