The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-27
Administration Rate Measure is
 Being Prepared
SOUTH IS GIVEN BLACK EYE
Maps Circulated Among Prospective immigrants Have South Printed Black as Unfit for White
 Immigrants"

Washington, November 26.-(Special)- It is understood here that the interstate commerce commission is now preparing bill on the railroad question which it will submit to the Senate committee one day this week. It is declared that the bill will be along the lines of the Presi- dents Raleigh speech and will therefore probably be the measure upon which the administration senators will concentrate in the first round of the railway fight.
 The President in the past few days has had conferences with two of the mem bers of the interstate commerce commit- tee on the bill All sorts of rumors arc afioat here as to compromise and agree ment among the republican members of the committee and the President regard- ing the bill. but they cannot be verified.
 It is not believed that Ellslns. Aldrich and Foraker will support any bill in the committee that will give the interstate commerce commission authority to fix rates and allow these rates to stand until the courts decide the questions.
 West Virginian Appointed.
 Last week about every republican in West Virginia was in Washington to par tcipate in distribution of the federal offices for the state Two or three of them called at the White House and to their surprise were told by the President that they had as we'll go home. that he had decided not to settle the West Vir- gina appointments just yet It is now stated the President may not take up the cases until January, if then. Many ara wondering if the delay bears any rela- ton to the Hon. stephen B. Elkins' atti- tude on the railroad rate bill. Most of the present federal office holders in West Virginia were put in by Senator Elkins. Williams Makes Game Fight. Minority leader Williams and majority leader Cannon arc still struggling over the House committee places and the indi- cations are that the democrats are going to be a little better off than was original- ly thought.
 In the first place Mir. Williams is pretty good fighter when he has anything like q case and the proposition of the republican leaders to give the democrats about twenty per cent of the places on the committee when they are entitled to thirtyfve or forty per cent on basis of membership Is clearly unjust on It's face. In addition Speaker Cannon is not as much of a partisan as some of his col- leagues would like and the chances now are that while the democrats will not get off as well in the new Congress as they did in the Fifty-eighth Representa- tive Williams can be depended upon to save the best places
 To Prohibit Passes.
 It Is not unlikely that at the democratic House caucus this week d resolution will be adopted in connection with the rail- road question prohibiting the use of passes by members of Congress, government of- ficials or any others not directly In the employment of the railroads
 Last year a resolution of this nature was sprung by New York Congressman but received scant consideration, being re- ferred to a committee which was not ex- pected to make report. There is good ground for the rumor that the anti-pass crusade will have the support of some of the best men on the democratic side this year and bill along this line may be adopted by the caucus.
 South Gets Worst of 1t. It is claimed that number of southern Congressman are in possession of iufor- nation showing that immigrants are land- cd at eastern ports practically invoiced to their destinations in the far west. During the past summer prominent southerners are said to have gone abroad with the special purpose of inquiring into these conditions and have found that thousands of immigrants are certain to settle on land in the far west owned in large part by the railroads. They have also discovered that the south is absolute ly boycotted by the immigrants because the maps distributed among them have the portion of the United States south of Mason and Dixon's line painted black.
 Tt is all black and unfit for the settle ment of white immigrants" 1t Is said the prOgDectiye irnmtgrauts arc told