Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1907-02-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
GrOm Our Regular Correspondent,

Rrom Our Regular CORRESPONDENCE
Washington ID. c., Feb %, 1907.
In spite of the opposition of the
big manufacturing interests, the
Child Labor problem is going TO be
investigated. The committee on
Judiciary Of the House reported ad-
versely, very adversely on Senator
Beveridge's bill proposing 10 con-
troll the products of child labor
through the Interstate Commerce
Act. But the President had made
mp his mind that If there were close
to 2 00O, 900 child bread winners in
this county, many, if not most OF
them employed In unsanitary work,
it was a matter that ought 20 be in
vestigated So he directed that the
investigation proceed. and now there
has come another hitch over the mat
tor. Representative Tawney of the
House Committee on Appropriations
wanted to put the labor on the Cen
Sus Bureau, and the President claim
ing that il naturally comes within
the province OF the Commissioner of
Labor. 1t would not seem at first
sight that there could be very much
question about this, but there is
some reason behind the demand of
the House.
1t so happened that both the Cen
sus Bureau aud the Labor Com
mission are under the Department
OF Commerce and Labor, and on an
appeal being made to Secretary
Strauss of the Department of Com
merce aud Labor, he naturally
agreed with the President that the
Commissioner of Labor was the man
who ought to do the work. The
matter was even submitted to Direc-
TOR North of the Census Bureau,
and he said that while be had the
machinery for doing the work it was
q matter that naturally belonged to
the Commissioner Of Labor, aud he
hoped Neill would Do assigned TO
the work. Chas. Il. Neil is the man
by the way who in company with Jas.
b. Reynolds did the original inquiry
in ChicagOthat stirred up ali the trou-
BILE over the Packinglown situation.
he is q young man, very quiet. but
one OF the sort that does things, and
he is friend of the President, which
counts for a good deal in the reli-
ance that MIR. Roosevelt will put on
his report. So it is likely that after
all Mr.. Neill will have the job look
ing into the child labor situation,
and there is not the beast question
that after he has made a report on
il there will be some energetic mot
tions made from the White House that
will force legislative action at the
next session OF Congress.
-
The federal government has a nice
little problem on its hands in the
case of one Mr.. Vilarea, a citizen
Of Mexico. who is now being held at
II Paso subject todeportation under
the Immigration Regulations. There
has been more or less written about
Mr.. Vilarea in the papers lately, but
the delicate position that the govern
ment is placed ia has never been ex.
planned. Itseems that Viiarea head
ed one of the numerous unsuccessful
revolutionary movements in Mexico
recently. and is badly wanted by
the Mexican government. The Mexi-
can government has an effective if
not very nice way of dispoSing OF
political agitaiion by taking the
agitator out and shooting him and
saying nothing more about it. OF
course this government does not
give up political refugees to Mexico
or any other power. That is one OF
our habits aud has gotten us some
desirable and more undesirable
citizens who bad left their country
for their countrY's good.