The Forrest City times., 1907-02-15
IN CONGRESS
THE JAPANESE QUESTION.
President Suggests Clause in Immi-
 grafton Bill Now Pending.

Washington. D. C.-That the San Francisco school question will be set tied soon is the general opinion ia official circles. Mayor Sehmitz and his associates received a message from the president saying that he desired to confer with them at the White House.
 II is stated that President Roosevelt, through Secretary Root. has proposed to Speaker Cannon and to the chair. men of the senate and house commit tees on immigration, and other repub. lican leaders in congress, that a clause be inserted in the immigration bill now pending in congress which will bar Japanese coolie labor from the United States. Mayor Schmitzs dee lardtion favors such a proposition.
 Secretary Root Is preparing she proposed amendment to the immigra- ton bill, which will exclude all Asia.- ics coming from the Philippine islands and the Hawaiian islands from ad- mission to the mainlands of the Unit ed States. Laborers coming direct from Japan to this country are now de- nied passports, and the only way they have been able to gain admission to this country has been by first going to the Philippines or Hawaii and later coming to the United States. It is learned from a high official source that this arrangement which is only intended to exclude the Japanese la- borers, until new treaty can be ne gotiated with the Tokio government, has been accepted by the Japanese.
 Representatives Bartholdt and Shackleford had an interesting colo quy, which amused the house Monday afternoon, during debate on local street railway bill. The house was sit ting as board of aldermen for the city of Washington and the District of | Columbia. Each Monday is district day" in the house, when local meas ures are considered Shackleford, since Minority Leader Williams de- posed him from membership in the committee on interstate and foreign commerce, has been a member of the District of Columbia committee. The bill before the house Monday granted a right of way to suburban line over certain streets of Washington, and Shackleford was speaking on an amendment which he had induced Representative James of Kentucky to offer, fixing the rate for passengers at three cents. He was engaged in ar. raigning the chairman of the district committee, Representative BabcOck of Wisconsin, and other majority mem- bers of that committee and other com mfoees in general for "smothering" bills in committee, and relieving his system of speech which would read well to his constituents who never saw a street car, when Representative Bar- tholdt was moved to interrupt him with a question
 President Roosevelt sent a special message to congress Monday urging the enactment of a law, the draft of which is included in the message, which grants white persons, who have intermarried with members of tho Cherokee nation of Indians. sixty days in which to dispose of improvements they have heretofore occupied. The sale of such improvements is to be made only to members of the Cherokee nation at an appraised price to be fixed by an official to be designated by the secretary of the interior.
 Congressman Champ Clark, of Mis- souri, declares he will form organiza- tion to secure waterways improve ments if present bill Is killed.
 Congressman Mccall, of Massacrl- setts, argues against usurpation by national government of powers re- served to states.
 Senator Aldrich introduces measure designed to give secretary of the treas ury more power to guard against i money strlngency.
 The treaty will go direct to the com- mittee on foreign relations. and there will be a determined effort to have it reported and acted upon before the adjournment of the present session of congress. Many of the democratic senators have indicated their willing ness that this should be done, but Senator Bacon, who is the leading democratic member of the senate com- mittee on foreign relations has not yet given his full assent to this pro- gramme.
 Officials of the Jamestown exposi- tlon have filed with Secretary Shaw contract providing for the disburse- ment of the s1,O0O.Oo0 loan by the gov