The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-15

| ate. that Huntington favored THIS plan LOT
| q commission. and this impression was
| confirmed to-day when it transplred that
the House Pacific Railroads Committee
was unanim ously in favor OF the Harrison
bill.
Chairman Powers was not present at to-
davis meeting, owing to illness, and Mr..
| Hepburn OF Iowa presided.
The only difference of opinion among
members of the committee is concerning
! the personnel of the Pacific Railroad Com
mission to be created under the Harrison
and Gear bills. The original bill provides
that it shall be composed of the Secretary
OF the Treasury, Attorney-General and
| Secretary of the Interior. Ole of the
members suggested that the onerous
duties of the Secretary of the Treasury
should exempt him from this duty and
recommended that the Acknowledgement
and Secretary OF the Interior, with three
others not now in official life, constitute
such commission.
The subcommittee took the suggestion
under advisement and will report a bill to
the full committee next Wednesday.
Representatives Powers and Patterson
of the sub-com mittee both favor the Har-
rison bill. Hubbard, who fought the Pow
ers bill, wants commission.
Representative Bell OF Texas is said to
be the only member of the committee
against the proposition. He said after
the committee meeting to-day that he was
opposed to the new project. He wanted
his substitute to the Powers bill reported
| by the committee.
oh,; IF ha nd
other members of it believe that they can
secure another day from the Committee
on Rules for a hearing on the Harrison
bill, if it is reported. They think that
one day will be sufficient to debate the
bill, as the'situation is we'll understood by
members of the House by now. Mr.. Har
rison says that one day will be sufficient.
| Mr.. Harrison hopes to have = talk with
! General Hampton, Commissioner of Rail-
roads, before the bill comes up next
| Wednesday. The idea of a commission
was recommended by General Hampton
in his annual report. The latter is now at
his home in Columbia, S. c., and has not
been in the city for some time.
The California delegation will fight the
new bill, if it gets standing in the House,
as they fought the other.
al do not see any necessity for any
legislation on the subject" said Represen-
tative Bowers. mo legislation is needed
to protect the interests of the Govern
ment. The Thurman law takes care of
that. This seems to be a last desperate
effort"
Representative Barham agreed that no
new legislation is necessary, and said that
it ought not to be given consideration.
He said the foreclosure proceedings ought
to begin.
He was satisfied that the Government
would get what was due it under the pro-
ceedings. There would be plenty of buy
ers. He referred to the latest rumors that
| the Vanderbilts want the Union Pacific as
| showing that there will be no lack of bid
| ders if there is a sale.
Representative Hubbard admits that
the Government will be taken care of I'M
der the Thurman law.
Senator Gear, chairman of the Commit
tee on Pacific Railroads. will call meet
ing of that com mittee tomorrow to con-
slider the bill introd uced by him yesterday
for the appointment of a commission.
Senator Gear said that he thought it likely
that it would be disposed to delay any
any action until it should be known what
the House would do, but that he could
not say It'll the committee should meet
what course would be advised.
The Senator said he had introduced his
bill after a conference with some of the
mem ers of his committee, but that he
| had not made sufficient inquiry to form
an intelligent idea of its strength in the
! Senate. Nor did he know how the Pacific
Railroad people would regard the bill.
81 have not conferred with any of
them" said the Senator, "and cannot say
whether the provisions of the bill will be
| acceptable to them or not; but 1 should
suppose they would prefer treating with
responsible com mission to having roads
disposed of at forced SALE"
The statement of Gear that he knows
nothing of the wishes of the Pacific rail-
road people must be taken with few
grains of salt.
1t is singular that the House Committee
is almost unanimously in favor OF the
commission bill, and it is significant, too,
that it was introduced in the Senate yes
terday by Gear, who is Huntington's
friend
Grove Johnson is also favorable to this
plan. THE CALL correspondent asked him
tonight what was the best thing to be
done with the roads now that the refund
ing bill had failed. He said:
81 do not think the Pacific railroads
ought to do anything except prepare them
selves to meet any demand the Govern
ment can make. l think that Congress
should take action in the matter. 1t is
absolute duty for it to DO so.
Every days delay is injurious to the
Governments interests and complicates
the situation. 1t makes the debt larger
and diminishes the security and IS an invi-
tation to the railroad companies to con-
cert measures to defeat the Government
while think the funding bill was
good one, yet | am prepared to support
any reasonable measure that will secure
the debt due the Government and prevent
the necessity of Government ownership of
the roads. l have no scheme to suggest at
present, but propose to carefully examine
into the situation and see if some bill can
be framed that will meet the views of a
maj rity of the House.
| II feel that large majority desire to
act this session in reference to collecting
this debt, and that they were impelled to
vote against the Powers bill because they
dld not thoroughly understand il. / was
very anxious that four or five DAYS be
given to debate on the matter, and firmly
believe that if the bill had been debated
| fNyn a Uyr.vr II