Evening star., 1905-10-06
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Bridge Monopoly at st. Louis
Under Consideration.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
PROCEEDINGS TO BE BEGUN By
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
Representative Burton In Conference
With the President-Naval Escort
From New Orleans.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN

| Alter the meeting Oh tn6 caDlnet To-Day
cabinet officers said that in the future all
cabinet news would come out through Sec
retary Loeb. Just why the rule should have
| been put in force at this time was not
| stated.
| Attorney General Moody made the follow
! ing statement: "It was determined by the
President that upon the complaint pending
| In the Department of Justice against the
! monopolizatiop Of the two bridges and the
| ferry across the Mississippi river into St.
Louis appropriate action should be begun
| by the Attorney General
just what the action will be Is not stated
| but the question Is a most important one
| to st. Louis and the action will no doubt be
| under one of the Interstate commerce laws
Secretary Wilson stated that it had been
decided that meat packers must pay for
the labels placed on meat by meat inspec-
tors. Heretofore. the inspection, as well as
| the labels, have been paid for out of an ap-
Precipitation of the9Department of AgricuI-
ture.
BY charging for labels revenue of
/ $4UoOO or so0,OO0 year will be received by
the department. This money will be used
for the employment of more inspectors.
Outside OF these two matters all other
| cabinet Officers declared the rule of Sec
| retary Loeb, giving out everything must
| be enforced to the letter, and they could
not talk Secretary Root fell back upon
| this rule as did Secretary Taft, who came
| out with him.
| Mr.. Burton Discusses the Revenues.
Representative Burton of Ohio. chairman
| of the House committe on rivers and har-
| bcrs, and prominently considered for the
| position Of chairman of the House commit
! tee on appropriations. called on President
Roc Sc welt today and spent some time talk
| ing with him. Mr.. Burton will make some
| sreeches In the Ohio campaign, but he has
not yet arranged the date nor selected the
subjects
II have not been giving much thought to
probable legislation at the coming session
of Congress" said Mr.. Burton, 'but l
| glad to know that the financial condition of
| the Treasury has improved to some extent
! In the last few months. / do not think
| that recurring deficit is good thing, but
| 1t is possible that the revenues will so In
| crease during this fiscal year to practi-
| cally do away with deficit. 1 believe that
economy should be practiced wherever pos
| stble and the enactment of laws for more
| revenue avoided. II, after economy has
| been practiced. deficit is still threatened
we will have to meet 1t In some other way
have not given consideration to Just how
this ought to be done. We have the ma
| chinery for imposing additional taxation
without having to start new esta bl shments
| of the government
Prefers the Coffee Tax.
| >, "I have seen number of suggestions to
produce more revenlie. 4 have not, commit
ted myself to any of them and will not do
7 SO at this time, preferring to look into
them more carefully, but probably the best
| suggestion Is that duty of few cents a.
| pound be placed on coffee. 1t would be a
simple and easy way of raising large sum
| of revenue and would be in line with the
| republican policy -of stimulating home in
| dustry With our large island possessions
there is no reason why we should not raise
| all of our own coffee instead of buying it
| from South America and elsewhere. A small
| tax on coffee would not be felt by the peo-
| pie and would ultimately result in all prob
ability, in building up a great Industry of
our own. l have seen 1t suggested that the
tax might not result in the retail price of
coffee being a single cent more, as Brazil,
to hold her trade with the United States
might take off her present export tax on
which she realizes many millions of dol
lars for her treasury.
There suggestions for restoring the
stamp taxes of the Spanish war and other
propositions. but the coffee tax looks sim
pier than any of the others. Still l am not
yet committed to it,
tax of cents pound on the imports
of coffee to the United States would raise
about $4,000, 900 additional revenue. each
year, which, with economy would prevent
deficit for good many years. =
Railway Legislation Again Considered.
Railroad rate legislation was the topic of
a long conference yesterday afternoon be-
Townsend of Michigan. one of the authors
| OF the Esch-Townsend bill. which was passed
last winter by the House of Representa-
| tives. The discussion of the subject was
simply supplementary to that of the day
before, when the President did not have
time to consider the subject fully with Mr..
Townsend.
At the close of the conference, which
| lasted an hour and quarter. Mr.. Town
send said it was his purpose to have his
bill in readiness for introduction in the
House as soon as Congress convenes.
Il expect to talk again with the Presi-
dent about the matter before 1 return to
my home, and also to go over with At
torney General Moody some provisions of
the measure. especially those relating to the
consideration of the cases by the United
States courts
do you expect that rate legislation will
be enacted during the approaching ses-
sion of Congress?''
II have no doubt of It," replied Mr.. Town
send The House has indicated where 1t
stands on that proposition and I believe
there Is a strong working majority in the
Senate In favor of such measure"