Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-02-02
OUR WASHINGTON
NEWS AND NOTES
ITEMS OF INTEREST BRIEFLY
CHRoNICLED.
FOR FEDERAL CONTROL
Considerable Difference of Opinion in
Evidence at First Meeting. Com
mittee Given Until the 9Th of Feb
ruary to Prepare Bill.

A meeting of Senators and Con-
gressmen from the States interested
IN the quarantine question was held
In the minority room of the House at
the Capitol for the purpose of discus
sing the different phases of the sub
Ject and to appoint committee to
prepare bill to be introduced in the
House increasing the Federal control
OF quarantine. The meeting was pre-
sided over by Senator Mallory of
Florida. Senator Foster, of Louisi-
ana, was to have presided, but at the
last minute he sent word to Repre-
sentative Williams that he was din
ing with Secretary Taft and would
be unable to attend. The only other
Senator present was Pettus of Ala
bama. Members of the House from
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkan-
sas, Alabama and Georgia were in
attendance. All the Louisiana Con
gressmen were present except Rep
resentative ,Broussard, who is now in
Louisiana. Mr. Williams said the Re-
publcans will pass any bill agreed
upon by the Democrats, and called
on the Southerners to get together on
measure they could all support. The
discussion lasted for two hours and
although there was decided disagree
ment, the statement of Representa-
tive Adamson of Georgia, that the
disagreement was verbal rather than
actual, expresses the state of the case.
The first phase of the subject discuss
ed was maritime quarantine, touched
upon by Senator Mallory in a bill
introduced by him in the SenaN =.
which provides for the location at
Dry Tortusas Of a Federal quaran
tine station, where suspected vessels
may be detained and examined. Af-
ter their release from the quarantine
station, such vessels cannot be under
the terms of the Mallory bill, enter
ports without the permission of the
State authorities. In~other words, the
Federal quarantine station will be a
sort of court of first resort, while
the State station will be the court of
last resort. Senator Mallory's bill
provides for additional appropriation
OF money for the use Of the Marine
Hospital and Public Health Service
for the maintenance of this maritime
quarantine, and, in discussing the
question, Mr.. Williams susgcs ed that
$500,000 be named as the amount.
The question of money, Mr. Williams
said was the real question. cit is
FOOLISH" said Mr.. Williams "to talk
of New Orleans being charged with
the expense of protecting the whole
of the Mississippi Valley against yell
low fever. 1t is foolish not to al
low the national government to stamp
out an enemy which is worse than
foreign hostile army" Mr.. Viii
iams added that he favored plal ting
an amendment to the Mallory bill,
stating that the appropriation carried
by it should be used for the purpose
of generally doing everything posi-
ble/ to prevent the development of
yellow fever, to cooperate with State
authorities in stamping it out. The
work Of stamping out the yellow fever
bearing mosquito should, declared
Mr.. Williams, be going on in New
Orleans right now. As to clash of
authority, Mr.. Williams said 1t was
his opinion that if the Marine Hos
pital Service had plenty of money to
help different localities in which yell
low fever was present, there would
be no trouble with local authorities.
representative Ransdell of Louisiana
brought out the point concerning stop
ping of trains coming from epidemic
sections. He told how ne and his
friends had been held up in Arkan-
sas last summer and forbidden to go
through the state. He favored a pro-
vision to make it serious criminal
offense to stop through trains. After
some discussion Of this point, Judge
Davey, of New Orleans, said that
from long experience with yellow fe-
ker epidemics, he had learned that
people became so frenzied at such a
period that they pay no attention
to such regulations, caring nothing
for punishment so long as they are
certain Of keeping the fever out. 1
believe, said Judge Davey, in over
coming yellow fever by science. The
Marine Hospital Service by co-operat
ing with the state authorities is, I
am confident, able to do this. The yell
low fever comes from South and Cen
tral America. and can be kept out.
The following cablegram has been
received by the Secretary OF War
from Gen. Ide at Manila. Natives
much disturbed by cable stating Am
bassador Wright has been authorized
to negotiate sale Of islands ia Japan.
Authentic denial from you r4ight be
useful. Secretary Taft replied to tke
cablegram as follows: 3THe cable
/. statement referred to in your cable
gram has not the slightest yestige o.
truth.
Recent changes in the price OF gov
ernment 2 per cent bonds are leading