The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-02
WAS DAY OF LIVELY
DEBATE IN SENATE
Legislation to Prevent Acct
dents on Railroads.
ARID LAND QUESTION
PROPOSITION TO PASTURE
STOCK ON FOREST RESERVES.

eAetteI part OF q long, tireSOme session
Of the senate today the sundry civil
bin was under consideration. At times
an interesting and lively debate was
preclpitated in the first hours Of the
session on a resolution to discharge the
committee on Interstate commerce
from consideration of the bill requir-
Ing railroad companies 20 make de-
tailed Investigations OF all accounts in
volving loss Of life on their lines, and
TO report to the interstate commerce
commission. No action was taken.
The old question as to the reclama-
ton Of public lands in the arid and
semi-arid sections of the country was
brought up, but the effort to attach
an Amendment to the measure appro-
priating money for the work was de-
feated.
The bills appropriating 100000 for
the Buffalo Pan-American exposition,
900 for the St Louis Louisiana
Purchase exposition and S250,oOG for the
Charleston Is. CD Interstate and West
indian exposition were attached to the
bill as riders.
The resolution of Mr.. Pettigrew to
discharge the committee on interstate
commerce from consideration of what
IS known as the car coupler bill, which
requires sworn statements of all rail-
ways to be filed with the interstate
H.
the senate. Mr.. Pettigrew presented
many memorials from various organ
izations of railway employees urging
the passage of the bin, and said that
as the committee would no. act on the
bill, IL ought to be discharged.
How to Prevent Accidents.
Mr.. HOar Of Massachusetts said that
the great enterprises should be held TO
strict accountability for the conduct of
their business so far as it related to
the safety Of their employees. 1t ought
40 be known, he said, that the railroad
officials were as careful of the lives Of
their employees as they would be of
those of the directors of the lines. No
body doubted, he asserted, that it
would add 80 per cent to the safety of
railway travel if a director Of the rail-
road were tied 10 the front Of the loco
motive. If it We're desired to strike
down wild. demagogical political
schemes and protect great public en-
terprises, every effort should be made
to remove causes of complaint.
Mr.. WOlcOtt. a member of the COM
mittee on Interstate commerce, de-
Clared he was unwilling that Mr.. Hoar
should make the statement that man
ayers and directors OF the railroads or
the country viewed with indifference
the accidental killing of their employ
ees. Railroad officials were men of
ability, character and standing, and
they devoted all their skill and vigil
ance to the prevention of accidents.
He resented, he declared, the ridicu-
lous statement about the tying of a
railroad director in front o. a locomo-
tive. 1T was well known that 30 per
cent of the accidents on railroads were
due to carelessness and negligence OF
employees. They were a careless,
brave, reckless lot OF men. many OF
whom would not take the ordinary pre-
cautions against accidents supplied by
the railroad companies
Mt. HOar disclaiIned any reflection
upon the character anu ability OF rail-
way officials. But il was human ma
ture to become careless about other
things and careful about money-geI-
ting
Mr.. Cullom, chairman of the commit
tee on interstate commerce, insisted
that the bin ought 70 remain with the
committee Personally, he was in IA
vor Of legislation upon the subject, but
ne was satisfied that the house bill was
not a proper measure, and the COM
mittee had found it impossible yet to
agree upon a measure
After further debate the hour of
O'Clock arrived. when, under the rules
the resolution would go on the cal
endar, but Mr.. Pettigrew moved that
the senate proceed with the consider
alton Of his resolution The motion was
rejected-25 to Sc.
Mr.. Jones of Arkansas gave notice
that tomorrow he would ask the dls-
charge of the judiciary committee from
consideration of the anIi-trust bill
Discuss Arid Lands.
Consideration Of the sundry civil bill
was resumed. An amendment appro'
priating $4,000 for an examination OF
and report on the topography and ge-
oiogy OF the territory adjacent 10 Int
fortv-nfnth parallel west OF the llOtF
meridian was adopted
After considerable debate q commit 1
tee amendment was adopted permit
ding settlers TO pasture livestock OF
forest reservations in Colorado, Mon
aana and Wyoming, with a provision
that the privilege should not De trans
An appropriation OF 500. 900 for gaug
ing the streams of the United State!
and for the investigation OF unCer
ground currents and arteslan Wells II
arid and semi-arid sections was agreed
70 and on motion Of Mr. Foraker TIT
Y,rovisions OF the amendment were eX
tended to Porto Rico
Mr. HansbrOugh preCipttated the Ole
discussion of the reclamation OF arr
lands by Offering a substitute for tn
provision Just adopted. providing ina
moneys received from the sale OF pupli
lands would be used for establishing
reservoirs.
Nr. Allison made a point of orde
AGAINST the substitute that It was gen
oral legislation and the point was sus
fained by the senate--ayeS "a, nays ~
final conference report upon IN
indian apprOpr12tiOn Dill Was SSEteu -
An amendment offered by Mr. VOL
colt. looking to the preservation of tn
Cliff Dwellers in Colorado was ADOPTED
Nicaraguan Canal.
Mr.. Morgan offered an amendment
Authorizing the president to acquir
from Nicaragua and Costa RIGA terri
tory sufficient for the construction o
the Nfcaraguan canal, and approprlat
ing S1O.O 600 for that purpose
Mr. Allison made the point OF orde
against the amendment that 1t wa
general legislation. -
ST SSSss sSSSS <<SSSSSsSSsSsS SssSs@ ~ =
3e~isIntion which had ever been sc
c1lred on the canal. had been accom-
ulisbed in connection with appropria
fiOn bills. He said that Sl.3oOOO0 ha
already been spent in connection Wit
the canal Mr.. Allison's point of or
der was sustained, and Mr.. Morga
appealed. The senate then, at $40 J
m. tcok a recess until $40 O'Clock
At The night session the appeal take
nv Mr. Morgan from the decision o
3*he chair upon his Nicaragua cana
amendment was the pending cues
ton
The senate agreed to the Potoma
bridge project. limiting the cost of tn
bridge to s.. 900 eco, 100000 to be lmme
lately available.
An attempt to secure vote on tn
bril- disclosed the absence of quorum
and the sergeant-at-arms was directe