The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-07
St Louis Case Taken Up st
 Cabinet Meeting
MOODY WILL BRING SUIT
Meats for Export Must Be Tagged In Future and Revenue Will Be Used to Pay h.
 spectors.

Washington, October 6.-Several import ant questions were discussed at todays cabinet meeting, although at tke con- clusion of the session it was announced officially that no details of the dscus- sion could be made public. In fact 1t was announced that hereafter no information would be given out by cabinet officers os their semi-weekly meetings with the preN- ident but that such information as 1t was deemed proper for the public to have. would be given to the newspaper men by Secretary Loeb.
 MT. Loeb stated that nothing could be made public regarding todays meeting. although the cabinet was in session two hours and half Secretaries Root and | Taft remained with the President for considerable time after the other mem- bers had left the executive offices, all of the members having been In attendance except Secretary Shaw, who is out of | the city
 1 Monopoly at St. Louis.
 Despite the injunction of secrecy placed | upon the cabinet officers, it is learned that action was taken in two or three | important matters, and that others were considered. The monopoly enjoyed by the Merchants Bridge company of St. | Louis, of bridge and ferry routes across the Mississippi river, was considered at
 length. Complaint was made against the Merchants company about a year ago that it was charging exorbitant rates for carriage across the river, and the com | paint was made the subject of an ex- haustive investigation by Secretary Taft | The charter under which the company operates provides thar 1t shall not form | combination with any other bridge or ferry company on penalty of forfeiture
 of its bridge to the United States gov | ernment.
 Secretary Taft in his report on the in- quiry submitted that the matter be
 handled by the department of justice. After considering the subject today, 1t
 was decided that Attorney General Moody
 should begin appropriate" action against
 the bridge company. The attorney general
 made the official statement of the action l taken.
 Will Take Appropriate Action.
 "It was determined by the President | that upon the complaint pending in the l department of justice against the mono | polization of the two bridges and the
 ferry across the Mississippi into St. Louis. l appropriate action should De begun by l the attorney general"
 | MT. Moody said he could not say at
 this time what action he might consider | "appropriate" He did not know. he said.
 whether the action would look to the | forfeiture of the charter of the Mer-
 chants Bridge company or not, as he
 would have to go over the law bearing
 upon the matter before reaching any | determination.
 | ba n 0f attorney eU-
 eral to bring suit Is the result of Secre-
 tary Tafts Investigation. It Is under | stood the suit will be based on an al- legged violation of the antitrust laws of the United States. The congressional
 charter for the bridges provided for their forfeiture in case of a monopoly. Score
 tary Taft found that the violation of the
 law had not been sufficient to work a | forfeiture, and 1t Is expected that Attor- | ney General Moody will proceed under the l Sherman act.
 l Consider Chinese Question. | Considerable attention was devoted by the meeting to the consideration of ques- | tons arising from complaints from tho ] Chinese government that its subjects were
 uniustly dscrminated against by the
 United States at the ports of this coun- | try. Secretaries Root, Taft and Metcaf
 have given much time to this question.
 and with the President they participated | in the discussion.
 Secretary Root brought up several mat | ters including the reply which this
 government is to make to the invitation
 of Emperor Nicholas of Russia to take
 part in the second peace conference at | The Hague.
 | The draft of the reply has been made. | and was talked over by the cabinet. Tho | probability is that 1t will be forwarded | In short time.
 Use Tags on Meat.
 Secretary Wilson brought to the atten- | ton of the President and cabinet de- | termination he had reached regarding the l inspection of meats. He indicated that
 under the law, meat-packers could not | be forced to pay the cost of meat lnspec- | tion He had decided. however that here-
 after the packers should pay for seals | or tags placed upon inspected meats in- | tended for export This will bring a reve- | nue to the department of s50000 year. ] The 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 be- cause the department has not had the | funds with which to pay the inspectors. | The idea of Secretary Wilson was ap- proved by the cabinet. and it will be | put Into operation at once.
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