Huntsville gazette., 1894-07-14
THE CONFERENCE TALK
Mr.. Wilson Precipitates a Clash
in the COmmittee.
PROPOSED A SENATE TEST VOTE.

He Was Backed by Montgomery of Ken
tucky-The Outlook for an Agreement.
Long and Short Haul Decision by
the Interstate Commerce Commission
Which Il Against the Railroads.
WASHINGTON, July ia great deal
OF stubbornness is being shown in the
tariff conference and curious situation
is presented. The senate conferees, while
agreeing to much that the house men
say, insist that there is no use talking
As much as they would like to have
lower duties put in the bill, the senate
cannot be brought to agree to any bill
which is not substantially like the bill
that passed that body They are person
ally amiable and conciliatory, but off
cially immovable Both sides appear to
be bucking against stone wall.
1t is understood to be the purpose OF
the committee not to make any report
until they have reached a full agree,
meent. The probabilities are that as to
the principal questions in dispute the
senate cOnferrees will yield for the pur-
pose of testing their ability to carry the
senate in nearer approach to the house
bill, and that their report being sub
mitted, will be rejected by the senate
and new conference ordered. They
thus expect to reach complete agree
ment in conference within s or 10 days
and then will come the test Of the power
of the tariff refOrmers in the senate Ii
the conference report is rejected by the
senate it will be accepted by the house
as notice that substantially the senate
bill must be taken or no legislation be
had.
The first clash between the senate and
house tariff bill conferees took place in
conference on the proposition to have q
test vote. Each side has been feeling
the pulse of the other, and has been
careful not to precipitate wrangle.
Chairman Wilson and Mr.. Montgomery,
of Kentucky, became too sweeping in
their demands for the senators, and Sen.
ator Vest called halt. He said that no
other bill save that agreed to by the
senate could finally pass that body.
Mr.. Wilson challenged the senate to
put his bill to vote. Mr. Montgomery
backed him up in this play and said the
only way to find out if the Wilson bill
could pass the senate was to put it to a
test vote. 1t could be voted on as an
amendment and the blame for the de-
feat of low tariff measure would be
placed where it belonged. This is the
proposition which now hangs up the
conference.
Interstate Commerce Commission.
A decision has just been rendered by
the interstate commerce commission in
the case of H. w. Behlmer against a
number of southern railroads. The
complainant claimed on behalf of him
self and other merchants and residents
of Summerville, S. c., that defendants
charged an unreasonable and excessive
rate of % cents per 100 pounds on hay
in carloads from Memphis to Summer
vile. Said rate, it was claimed, was 8
cents per 100 pounds greater than the
defendants charged and received for
transporting hay in carloads from Mem
phis through Summerville to Charleston,
S. c., and that this constituted viola
ton Of the long and short haul clause of
the statutes.
The decision of the commission in brief
is that the competition of markets or the
regulation under the act to regulate com
merce does not justify carriers in making
greater short haul or lower long haul
charges over the same line in the same
direction-the shorter being included
within the longer distance-in the alb
sence of an order of relief issued by the
commission upon application therefor
and after investigation.
When a carrier, on complaint under
the fourth section, AYERS substantial dis
similarity in circumstances and condi-
tions as justifying its greater charge for
a shorter haul, it is concluded by its
pleading, and must affirmatively show
that the circumstances and conditions
Of which it is entitled to judge in the
first instance are in fact dissimilar; but
upon an application for relief under the
fourth section proviso, the carrier is not
limited to such a rule of evidence, and
may present to the commission every
material reason for an order i'll its favor