Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-08
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Conference as to Hazing at
Naval Academy.
PARDON WANTED FOR BOYS
Maine Lumbermen Complain OF Cana
dian Injustice.
A PLACE FOR COL. HEPBURN
Suggestion That He Be Put at the
Head of the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
PLACE FOR COL. HEPBURN


The President had conference this morn
ing with a Subcommittee of the naval al
fairs committee of the House as to hazing at
the Naval Academy. The talk was in line
with the views expressed by the President IN
letters he sent few days ago to Char
man Fiss of the House naval affairs COM
mittee and Chairman Hale of the naval
affairs committee of the Senate. Repre-
sentative Butler of Pennsylvania was at
the head of the committee, which will re-
port to the full committee a measure In
line with the ideas of the President and
Secretary Bonaparte, who are In accord
that the present laws are not fair and that
dismissal should not follow conviction in
all cases of hazing. After the sub-com-
mittee had gone the President conferred
with Secretary Bonaparte, who will, 1t is
said. draw up a measure embodying the
Navy Department ideas and submit 1t
through member of the committee.
Representative Graft of Illinois the
President this morning in behalf of w. T.
Boyd. jr., the Illinois boy convicted of haz-
ing Boyd has not yet been sentenced, and
If pardon can be secured for him now that
will enable his reinstatement. After he is
sentenced to dismissal If that should be the
outcome, the pardon would be too late to
affect his status in the school, and he would
have to go. 1t is regarded as probable that
the President will pardon the boy, whose
record is said TO be good and whose offense
was small and unimportant one.
Maine Lumbermen Complain.
Representative Burleigh of Maine pre-
scented Peter C. Keegan, a members of the
Maine legislature, whose home is at Van
Buren,. Mr.. Keegan has come to WASH
ington to work for the repeal of old laws
that admit certain lumber manufactured in
New Brunswick, Canada into the ports of the
United States free of duty. Senator Frye
of Maine and Representative Burleigh have
presented In the Senate and House, re-
spectively resolutions adopted at the las.
session of the Maine Legislature asking Con-
gress to repeal Section 20 of Title SO of the
revised statutes. For seventy-hve years,
forty years of that period by special act OF
Congress, lumber grown in the forests OF
Maine and driven down the st. John river
in to the province of New Brunswick. Can
ada. has been admitted free to the United
States after being manufactured. The eff
feet has been to build up a great manu-
featuring city at St John out of American
lumber and at the expense of American
people and money. The special act was
passed at a time when there were no rail
roads that would bring the lumber out of
the Maine forest, and when it was advisable
that 1t should be gotten out even If 1t had
to go down to Canada There are now two
lines of road tapping the lumber region OF
Maine, and these serve to bring out the
manufactured lumber
Maine people claim that the New Bruins
wick legislature is doing all 1t can to
hamper those engaged in the manufacture
of lumber the American side of the
border. The existing law, it is claimed,
affords a pretext for the New Brunswick
lumbermen to claim all manner of rights
in the river. The Maine people say that
this country is paying the Canadians to
come and carry off American raw material
and then harrass them. They want to be
put upon the same basis as other parts
of the country.
The law that it is desired to repeal pro-
vides that the benefits shall accrue only to
American citizens. who must manufacture
the lumber sent down the river 1t Is
claimed that there is an immense crop of
American citizens in st. John. more than
three-fourths of them made-to-order and
laughing at the idea that they have no
real citizenship in this country.
The Status at Muscle Shoals.
Representatives Hepburn of Iowa and
Richardson of Alabama had a short con-
ference with the President this morning
about the bill to establish electric powers
at Muscle Shoals. on the Tennessee river
Muscle Shoals Is second TO Niagara Falls
In regard to horse power created The
falls have 100000 horse power while Mus
Gle Shoals furnishes 10000 or enough to
supply the cities of Nashville Chattanooga
and other towns with all the electric power
they need. Private corporations are ready
TO expend 100000 to harness this won
derful power.
The objection to the bill is that the cree
ton of electric plants at Muscle Shoals will
interfere with navigation. The bill
passed during the Fifty-seventh Congress,
but the President vetoed 1t. 1t has again
passed the Senate and House, and Repre-
sentative Richardson. who has devoted n
great deal of time to this one measure will
have a talk with the President tomorrow
afternoon. and believes that he can con-
vince him that navigation will not be inter-
fered with.
Mr.. Hepburn to Head Commission.
VIII Col" Pete Hepburn. author of the
railroad rate bill that passes the House
today, become the head of the interstate
commerce commission that is to deal with
the business arising under his bill? That
at least, is what great many people want
10 see come about. and what number
have suggested to the President should be
done. There is il belief that Mr.. Hepburn
would retire from Congress to accept a
position of this kind.
II is pointed out however. that the
Iowan could not be appointed to the office
before the expiration of his present term,
as the Constitution prohibits a man accept
ing an office created during his term in
Congress. Under this Representative Hep
burn could not go upon the commission be-
fore March 4. 1907.
Hawaiians Want Help.
President Roosevelt talked today with
delegation ofHawaiians who have come here
to appear before committees of Congress to
push the interests of their country. Jonah
Kuhlo Kalanianaole, the congressional
delegate. and w. o. Smith. chairman or
the citizens who have come 10 Washing
ton. were at the head OF the delegation.
The Hawaians propose to vigorously
push the ideas proposed by President
Roosevelt in his last annual message, that
laws should be enacted setting aside for
period Of say. twenty years, 10 per cent
of the CUSTOMS and internal revenue re-
cepts from Hawaii as a special fund TO