The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-20
In THE COMMITTEES
The N. P. Reorganization Bill Com
mandS Attention This Week.
PUBLIC BUILDING MONEY
Senator White on the Deep Water
Harbors of the Southern Cali
fornla Coast - Results of
other Conferences.

Washington. May 1s-The bill to au-
thorize the reorganization of the North
ern Pacific railroad is absorbing the
attention Of the committee on judiciary
this week Objections have been made
TO the bill on account Of the questions
which representatives of certain in
terests involved in the reorganization
have raised, and IL Is not unlikely that
some important amendment will be
made. To-day Morton S. II. Patton of
New York. the chairman of the reor-
ganization of the Seattle, Lake Shore
& Eastern railroad bondholders, spoke
against the bill. Bonds of this branch
amounting to $5,55S, 900 have been guar
anteed by the Northern Pacific and un-
der the reorganization II Is said that
the guarantee will be lost.
Mr.. Tawney of Minnesota is endeav-
oring to secure amendments which VIII
hold the reorganization committee to
the guarantees of the titles to land
sold by the Northern Pacific in the
past. He holds that the warrantees of
the land titles will lapse with the re-
organization, and that settlers whose
titles may be found defective by the
courts Will have no recourse unless Spe-
cial provision is made in the will. There
is much land in the West which this
phase of the question affects. Tawney
will also try to secure amendments to
make the reorganized company assume
all past judgments for legal and per-
sonal injuries.
Hartman of Montana addressed the
committee to-day in favor of certain
points of the bill. The features of the
plan which forbids the company from
combining in any way with the rival
lines and take 1t out of the power Of
state legislators to authorize commits
sions which would suppress competi-
tion are meeting with support from
representatives from the Northwest.
Provision to compel the company TO sell
its grant lands within one mile of the
track at $3.50 an acre is also favored.
but some exceptions are taken to the
exclusion of mineral timber lands from
this rule.
Senator Wilson of Washington urged
that an amendment be made which
would indemnify lands as well as those
in the plan limit. so as to bring the So
called lien lands of oregon and Wash
ington within the provisions of the bill.
The California Iiarbors.
Washington. May 1s.-There was
spirited scene in the room OF the senate
committee on commerce this afternoon
when Senator White Of California ap-
peared before the conference commit
tee engaged on the river and harbor
bill He was invited to give an opinion
on the change proposed to be made.
naming in the bill commissioners to
decide whether the proposed Southern
California harbor shall be located at
Santa Monica or San Pedro. White
took the position that to make this
change would be a violation OF the
agreement made in the senate. and In
timated that IL a change should be
made, the conference report would
arouse far greater opposition In the
senate than the original report crea-
ted. Hooker of the house confreres In
timated he was opposed to all proposed
improvements in the vicinity of Los
Angeles and IL would be best to strike
out all appropriations for both outer
and inner harbors. To this White re-
sponded that such a course would be
taken, IL at all, only to annoy him and
force him to acquiesce in the proposed
change in the commission which, he
said, he would not do, because the
change would place the entire matter
in the hands OF the friends of Santa
Monica. Growing somewhat excited
under the influence Of the situation, he
declared II the course proposed was
persisted in, people would reach the
conclusion that congress was under
control of Interior influences. Hooker
replied he had no apprehension on that
score The conference committee ad-
journed for the day without reaching
a conclusion as to whether TO insert the
i names of the commissioners or leave
the amendment as made in the senate.
The committee proposed the commits
sion be composed of Rear Admiral
Walker, Prof. T. c. Mendenhall, late
superintendent of the coast and geo
detic survey; Thomas c. Clark. presi-
dent OF the American Society OF Civil
Engineers: Alfred Noble and Col. ]. H.
G.. Prout, both of New York. Agree
ment was reached on all other amend
ments made by the senate. II Is be-
lieved the conference will be conclud-
ed and report made TO the senate to-