The San Francisco call., 1896-01-03
Many Reasons for the Proposed
Increase of Interstate Com
miSSionerS.
ONE MAN FROM EACH STATE
Salaries to Be Paid Members Only
During the Business SeS.
Sions.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. Eff the
bill introduced by Senator Chandler on
Tuesday becomes a law California will
have representative on the Interstate
Commerce Commission. Senator Chand-
Ter is thoroughly in earnest in support OF
his bill, in which he proposes to enlarge
the Interstate Commerce Commission so
as to: make that body half the size of the
United States Senate.
with all due respect to the Interstate
commerce Commission" said he while
talking OF the bill to a CALL correspond
ent, lit is impossible, I think, for any
commission of five men to stand up against
the pressure which the enormous railroad
influence, with its capital of s., 600 600, 600,
Is able to bring to bear against them. My
bill proposes to make the commission con-
slst OF one man from every State and have
the commission appoint a chairman and
four of its members as an executive COM
mlttee. That would really leave the pres
ent Interstate Commerce Commissions
executive committee with working power
extending the year round, as it now has.
my bill proposes TO pay to the execu-
tive committee the same salaries now paid
to the Interstate Commerce Commission.
1t would thus really amount to adding to
the commission the advice and co-opera-
ton of body of men selected from every
State in the Union. This would make, if
the men were properly chosen, a body OF
men which could not be controlled by the
railroads. They might own a few of them,
and occasionally one might get ready to go
out of the commission and become rail-
road corporation attorney, as Aldace F.
Walker did when he left the commission,
but certainly there would be more than a
majority who could be relied upon not to
be controlled by railroads.
"You would not have the entire COM
mission constantly in session, then, Sen
ator?''
mo, my bill provides that they shall
meet four times year, and also provides
for their payment at the rate of $40 per
DAY during forty days in the year. This
would mean an average quarter OF a session
of ten days in which they could advise and
cooperate with the commission, thus
bringing to its aid the information and
Judgment of men from every State who
woald be fresh from the field of operation
of the railroads of their sections, and be
able to give the executive committee,
which would be the real working part OF
the commission, very valuable assistance"
Just then Senator Elkins, who is a heavy
owner in railroads, came along and listened
a moment with smile to Senator Chand-
ler's remarks.
"Come on. Chandler" he said; 'let's go
down and have some lunch"
"Wait till | finish telling the newspapers
how | am going to circGmvent you rail
road fellows with a commission half the
size of the Senate" said Senator Chandler,
with sly twinkle OF the eye.
YES" said Elkins, smilingly, "and you
have your pocket full of passes now, 1
warrant"
Not pass, said Senator Chandler.
81 haven't had one for twelve years"
Then come along and 1 will give you
one now" said Elkins as they turned away
toward the restaurant
Senator Chandler's bill provides that all
power and authority conferred bv law
upon the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion at present shall be held and exer-
cised by the enlarged commission, and
when said commission is not in session
the executive committee shall hold and ex-
ercise such power and perform such duties
with the same force and effect as if the
commission were in session.
The members of the commission are to
be paid $40 per day when the commission
is in session and their actual travelling ex-
penses, with an allowance of So per day for
subsistence, the total number of days of
the session not to exceed forty per annum.
The chairman, secretary and members of
the executive committee are to receive in
lieu OF per diem allowance the salaries pro-
vided by law for mem pers ana officers of
the present commission. All members of
the commission are to be appointed by the
President and confirmed by the Senate,
but it remains in the power of the forty
five commissioners themselves to deter
mine the membership of the executive COM
mittee, which would be really the commits
sion itself. in most cases.