The herald., 1897-01-15
le house adjourned.
IN COMMITTEE
Another Railroad Bill Is Being Pre-
pared for Slaughter


WASHINGTON. Jan. 1.-THE course
taken by the house committee on Pa
cific roads today makes it probable that
the railroad question will be brought be-
fore congress again this session in the
form of a proposition to adopt the plan
of Representative Harrison of Alabama
for & government commission to make
settlement with the roads. With but
ore dissenting voice the committee de-
cided to empower a subcommittee TO
consider MI Harrison's plan, which is
embodied in a bill, and it is predicted by
most Of the committeeman that the bill
will be reported to the house. 1t was
decided to give hearing on the question
next Wednesday. The members of the
subcommittee are Powers of Vermont.
Hepburn of Iowa, Patterson of Tennes-
see. Harrison of Alabama and Hubbard
Of Missouri. 1t its personnel every
shade of opinion on the railroad question
is represented.
The committee was impelled to its
action by the strong feeling entertained
! by most of its members against the fore
| closure by the government, with the
| probability Of government ownership
! which members consider nearly ineVi-
| table If the government forecloses. 1t was
| conceded that the funding plan in any
! committee today about the views OF the
railroad companies upon the commission
| plan, but it was assumed that they
will prefer an opportunity to continue
negotiations with the government to
! foreclosure.
The Harrison bill, which embodies the
suggestions made TO congress by ex-
1 To, the
taries of the treasury and the interior
| and the attorney general to constitute
| the commission. a suggestion was made
! that there should be a commission of men
| not government officials, appointed by
the president, 1t being argued that the
| cabinet officers would not have time to
engage in the negotiations. Another sug-
gestion was that the secretary of the in
| terror and the attorney general, with
! three other persons, one selected by the
president and. one by each Of the cabnei
officers, constitute the commits, ion The
railroad question was opened before tht
committee by another attempt by rep
resentatiVes of the Sioux city and "a
cifc company to secure an independent
settlement with the government Attor-
! neys for the Chicago and Northwestern
| appeared by their representative, M
Brown. to urge the adoption of bill
introduced by Mr. Hepburn, 2utGQriZ-
ing the secretary OF the treasury L
make a settlement of the READS iuoebt-
| cdress to the governments There ans
81. coo Geo ol subsidy bonds maturing OF
January /, 1898. and the governme has
paid interest ON these, which brings th-
roads Indebtedness up to about $4.C00,-
eco
/ majority Of the Sioux City and Paci.
&c stock is held by the Chicago ant
Northwestern, Wsich holds lease o
the road, so that . settlement practically
would be made with the latter corpora
/ tion. Counsel for The Curtis Commuta
tion company Of Sioux City which in
cludes $40 banks in twenty-five states
holding great securities, spoke agains
The bill The Sioux City interests hav,
opposed the funding bill and are antag
1ristic to any separate settlement viii
NY Of the Pacific railroad companies
Iney desire an arrangement 5S Wh.cl
he Union Pacific viii be prevented flon
terminating against them III tram
.frangcmerts,
''he SIOUX City question was. with th'
a-rrisca plan, entrusted 10 tEe 3.
3.nmittee Mr.. Harrison saiG t0oa,
vat his bill pi oLlb'y would be amended
-o give the @0E4l--Gert commission
JtWr" to tarsc.tsa upon the roads h
lr Il fails TO make a gattlemert viii
-ioN, Iris ccanGc was suP1t st"l nc
at.y bJ t.-etc,. e% t4oNc Smith Whi
ar active .at IN the ~ &c rail
.d nelstiCn WHEN ir oiIics. lie uOin
p. ri5 . for by h-r Harris s9r'a bin a
which h4 is ingisto!. rs that All the tes
tanony taken by the commission shal
be given unC=r Caths. The WitEesee
before the commission when the fundin.
bill was prepared We're not sworn, ar;
Mr.. Harrison says no weight should b
igiven to unsWorn ex parte testimony il