Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-24
RAILROAD MEN IN DILEMMA
Fear to Pay Claims for Fear Of Being
Indicted for Relating.
CLAIM CLERKS HAVE REAL WOE
Bill Before Congress for Inspection
OF Nursery stock, owing to he
RavaEes Of Imported
Insects.
lFrom 4 staff correspondent.l

WASHINGTON. Feb. 2S.-(SpeciaL)-"Be-
tween the rate bill and the interstate COM
merce law as amended by the act, the rail-
roads are in a peculiar position in the mat
ter Of the adjustment OF claims" said a
railroad official this morning. 1T is an
exceedingly difficult matter to settle a
claim. whether for an over charge Of
freight. for damages to freight shipment
or for anything that arises out OF the pas
senger service. without subjecting our
selves to a charge of discrimination.
1T has frequently happened since the
enactment 'of tile so-called rate law that
absolutely just claims, so recognized by the
railroads themselves. have remained I'M
adjusted because OF the fear that the
charge might be made that the anti-rebate
law has been evsded.
There IL. pending in one Of the biggest
railroad offices in this country before its
claim department. n demand for redress
which the traffic manager insists should be
adjusted Immediately. The claim agent of
the railroad appealed for advice to the
general counsel who leaned back in his
chair and quietly puffed his cigar and re-
marked: Young man, II you pay that
claim you will sure go to the penitentiary.'
The claim agent is between the devil and
the deep sea. and the fact that the United
States legal authorities are at present
prosecuting one Of the big packers in Chi
cago because It is alleged that he is guilty
OF receiving rebates In the form of claims
has complicated the situation still further
and no one need be surprised IL the rail-
roads in self-protection decide to settle no
claims whatever until directed to do so by
q court OF competent Jurisdiction"
Inspection Of Nursery stock.
The committee on agriculture OF the
house has reported a bill which provides
for Che inspection OF nursery stock. This
was brought about first by the enormous
ravaees of the gypsy moth and the brown
tall moth, which insects have, within the
last three yeats. practically defoliated
nearly ali the trees of New England. These
insects were undoubtedly imported from
Europe. but unfortunately the parasites
who prey upon them did not emigrate with
them. and consequently they have grown
and multiplied. especially in Massachusetts,.
until they have become a menace to vege-
tation.
Until recently the ravages Of these moths
have been confined to the states in which
they first found Judgement. but lately
nests have been discovered in Ohio and
Virginia, and especially in New York. and
this ACCOUNTS for the activity on the part
OF the committee on agriculture in the
present instance.
Tie damage which threatens orchardists
unless some such plan as that proposed by
the committee on agriculture is promptly
adopted is shown In a letter received by
DR.. L. o. Howard Of the Department of
Agriculture signed by George C. Atwood,
chief of the bureau of horticulture Of the
state OF New York, in which Mi. Atwood
SAYS W have found TO date something
over 1900 nests of brown-tail moths in
sdipnients from abroad. All infested stock
so Far comes from France and the most OF
Il from Anglers"
Circular on immigration.
Tic following letter from the commits
sionor general of immigration. Daniel ].
Keefc. to Senator Burkett is ~self-explafa-
tory. II has a hearing upon recent circu-
lars eriticising officials at Ellis island for
alleged mistreatment OF Russian-German
immigrants, resulting in their rejection on
account OF being afflicted with the disease
kIcwn as trachoma, The letter follows:
The party who prepared this circular
evidently believes that the passing of those