Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-23
WORK ON new COMHERCELA
President and Advisers Complete
Third Revise of Proposed Act.
TREASURY OFFICIALS JUBnANT
Progress Made in rehabilitation of
Customs Service is Cause for
Rejoicing - Stin After
Man Higher Up.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-President Taft
and the law officers Of the government
are still busy on the proposed amend
ments of the interstate law, the
purport Of which Is to relieve the commits
sion of its quasi-judicial functions and to
establish an interstate m court.
This work is the outcome Of a
appointed by President Taft earlier in the
year Of which Attorney General Wicker
sham and other officers OF the government
were members, They held some of their
conferences in New York City. The mat
ter is being gone over with great care and
the third revise of the proposed amend
ments is now in the hands Of the printer.
1t had been hoped that these amendments
would be ready for submission to congress
early after the re~assembling of that body
In January, but they are subject to still
further revision If upon examination they
are found not comprehensive enough.
Treasury Officials JubiIant.
Treasury officials are congratulating
themselves that with the closing, Of the
year, 1909, splendid results have been &C
complished in the rehabilitation of the Gus
tom service, particularly at New York and
in the rounding up of persons and cor
porations figuring in the frauds by which
the revenues of the government have suf-
fered to the extent of millions of dollars.
The department is still continuing its in
vestigations into the losses sustained by
the under-weighing of sugar.
The officials here are keeping mum as
to the personality of the individual higher
up" in the sugar frauds against whom an
indictment is expected every day, although
his identity is we'll known to them.
The fact that the American Sugar Re
filming company contemplated filing a claim
for $500. 900 for losses alleged to have been
sustained since 1907 by overweights has been
known in Washington for some time. Last
summer the attorney for the company men
toned the matter incidentally to the Treas
ury department, The claim Will be looked
into thoroughly.
Congress Would Keep Out.
President Iaft's views, as expressed in
his annual message to congress, that a con-
gressional investigation of the Sugar trust
frauds might prove embarrassing in view
Of the probe now going on by the Depart
ment of Justice and the Treasury depart
ment finds a warm advocate in Attorney
General Wickersham.
He made 1t clear today that he was OPP
posed to any such inquiry pending the en-
deavors of the two departments to punish
the parties who may be guilty and II
recovering the money ~wrongfully withheld
from the government,
After their work had been accomplished,
he does not care how many Investigations
by congress might be made,
Mr.. Wickersham said his experience of
legislative Inquiries had convinced him
that usually the result Of such work was
the framing Of policies for the future,
rather than assisting materially in punish
ing the evildoers and helping TO redeem
any losses the government might have sus-
tanned.
Supervision of Mines.
Headquarters OF the American Mining
congress have been opened in this city L
promote legislation for the establishment
OF a national bureau Of mines. Both Presi-
dent Taft and Secretary Ballinger Of the
Department OF the Interior are said "a
favor such legislation.
The only difficulty In the way Of the
establishment OF such a bureau" said
James f. Gallbreath, jr, OF Denver, secre-
tary OF the congress-, lies in the fact that
many persons do not realize the terrible